Afro Latin Jazz Great Wayne Wallace

Five-time Grammy nominee Wayne Wallace is one of the more respected exponents of African American-Latin music in the world today. He is known for the use of traditional forms and styles, in combination with contemporary music, and has earned recognition with his recent placement in the Downbeat Critics Polls under the trombone and producer categories.

Mr. Wallace has performed, recorded and studied with acknowledged masters of Afro-Latin Jazz such as Aretha Franklin, Bobby Hutcherson, Earth Wind and Fire, Pete Escovedo, Santana, Whitney Houston, John Lee Hooker, Con Funk Shun, and many others. This experience has provided a solid foundation for his current explorations of the intersections of diverse cultural styles, and rhythmic concepts.

Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Mr. Wallace was exposed to various genres of music at an early age. The fertile musical environment of the San Francisco Bay Area shaped his career in a unique way. His studies of Afro-Latin music and Jazz have included several trips to Cuba, New York, and Puerto Rico.

Mr. Wallace is widely respected as a teacher and historian. He’s currently an instructor at San Jose State and Stanford Universities and the Jazzschool in Berkeley. He has  conducted lectures, workshops and clinics in the Americas and Europe. Currently he is a member of the Advisory Committees of the San Jose Jazz Society and the Stanford Jazz Workshop. As the head of his own record label, Patois Records, Wayne has created a unique company with a passionate mission of developing and chronicling the multi-lingual styles of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. Patois Records is gaining attention in the industry and internationally. Under his direction the label has released 10 different recordings to critical acclaim. The label's oeuvre currently contains recordings by Mr. Wallace, Marc and Paul van Wageningen, vocalists Kat Parra, Alexa Weber-Morales, and Kristina.