PROTOTYPE

Yet another forward thinking recording by Wallace Roney. Dare I say visionary? Wayne Shorter was spot-on when he called Wallace Roney an astronaut. "Prototype" is a testament to this fact.

2 stars

I saw the group in Oakland - at Yoshi's - they KICKED BUTT! The best show I have seen all year! I don't know who was with Roney in Paris (but I heard that was a good show as well from other posts on the Internet).. I thought I'd share a review I read about the CD on allaboutjazz.com this review helped me to understand more about the CD before I purchased it on amazon.com: (Written by John Kelman) On Prototype, his first album in four years, trumpeter Wallace Roney continues to develop ideas begun on Village ('97) and No Room For Argument ('00). That is to say, as the liner notes describe, "Miles' playing and his album Nefertiti as one link; Weather Report as the compositional link; Mwandishi (pianist Herbie Hancock groundbreaking early '70s fusion band) as the conceptual link, with John Coltrane as the spiritual link." Roney's links to Miles Davis have been written about and, perhaps, overexaggerated. There is no doubt that Roney's playing and concept of openness stems from Miles and a time in the late '80s when Roney was hanging with the Prince of Darkness. But whereas Miles changed direction countless times during his career, Roney has chosen a starting point for his music-that of the transitional Miles period of Nefertiti through Filles de Kilimanjaro-and steadfastly evolved the idea, incorporating contemporary technologies and rhythms, painting a picture of where Miles might have gone had he been more evolutionary than revolutionary. Take "Then and Now," with its "I Got Rhythm" changes. It may start out as the most mainstream-sounding piece on the record, but only for about thirty seconds as it quickly breaks down into a freer piece, with wife Geri Allen peppering the song with abstract harmonies while bassist Matt Garrison and drummer Eric Allen play loose and elastic with the time. But while the track unquestionably fits within the context of the album as a whole, it is something of an anomaly. "Cyberspace" opens the album with a dark and deep funk groove, Roney and brother Antoine on saxophone stating the attractive yet edgy theme while keyboardist Adam Holzman, who spent time in Miles' late '80s bands, colors the piece with sharp chords and subtle washes. Similarly, "Shadow Dance" finds an expanded horn section building the extended theme over a 3/4 ostinato before heading into more exploratory territory, with guest Don Byron delivering a particularly pungent solo. The title track is a tender ballad, but even though it is one of only two completely acoustic tracks ("Then and Now" being the other), it brings a sense of freedom to the more closely-adhered changes that lends it a consistency with the rest of the record. It is, in fact, this sense of freedom that pervades the whole record, giving it a sense of urgency. That's not to say this is exactly free jazz; rather it is more open-ended jazz where a firm sense of rhythm exists throughout, but with harmonic and thematic liberation the group is less concerned with hanging on specific changes and, instead, uses harmonic devices as a jumping off point, much as early Weather Report did. Prototype continues to evolve Roney's conception of jazz, one that successfully combines inarguable roots with a more contemporary view, incorporating a diversity of influences into a blend where the fundamental notion is that of freedom, but, like Miles before him, with a clearly-defined rhythmic and harmonic basis.

Wallace Roney, long pigeonholed (not unjustly) as a Miles clone, on this completely satisfying disc steps out of the master's shadow into the brilliant light of day as an artist that must be considered entirely on his own merits. Yes, there is still quite a bit of Miles Davis in Roney's playing and musical conception, especially Davis's mid-late electric period, but here Roney has once and for all moved beyond the disciple stage into original territory. Listen. This is a very smart disc. Hip, edgy, approachable. The trifecta. Hard to achieve by anyone, let alone a guy who comes with a ton of baggage. From the opening notes, it's clear that we're in some kind of special territory. Really, I think he's outdone fellow trumpeters Nick Payton (Sonic Trance) and Dave Douglas (Freak In), as well as trombonist Josh Roseman (Treats of the Nightwalker), with this fabulous recording. This is what we've been waiting for, lo, these many years, from one of the chops-heaviest trumpeters of his generation. This is modern, electric, groove-oriented jazz of the absolute highest order. Indeed, I consider it a high water mark for this kind of music. What immediately grabs the listener is the brilliantly conceived and executed soundscape of "Shadow Dance," at 10:34 not only the longest track but the most provocative. Featuring Don Byron on skanky bass clarinet, Clifton Anderson (Sonny Rollins's longtime bandmate) on trombone, and a killer sax solo by brother Antoine, this music evokes a very cool vibe, at once slinky and vivacious, crepuscular and noonday bright, sultry and spiffy. The title cut, a languorous ballad, continues the magic, and things remain at a near-impossibly high level with the boppish "Then and Now," featuring killer solos by the fils Roney, not to mention jaw-dropping drumming from up-and-comer Eric Allen. Roney's wife Geri Allen also seems completely locked into the vibe, producing brilliant pianisms on this cut, and, really, throughout the disc. Throw in some absolute top-notch production--clean, transparent, beautifully imaged--and you've got a disc of great merit. Personally, I'm thrilled, as I've been waiting for Roney to produce an album of this quality for a long time. I'd almost given up on him. Am I ever glad I didn't.