Corey A. Wallace

Baltimore, MD native/trombonist Corey Wallace has gained the respect and admiration of many in his relentless pursuit of all in good music and amazing life experiences. He was selected as the 2012 Best Trombonist by the Washington [D.C.] City Paper for his “technical fluidity and for the heavy dose [of] introspection that sits right on the surface of his playing”. In 2019, he was again selected as Best Trombonist in the NYC Reader Jazz Poll (sponsored by Hot House Magazine/Jazzmobile) in a deep field of legends and luminaries - Wycliffe Gordon, Steve Davis, John Fedchock, and Ryan Keberle - not just for his playing, but for being a staple and anchor on the NYC scene, connecting with a wide span of generations.

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For more than a decade, Wallace has made a place for himself as a vital part of the NYC scene as a bandleader, collaborator, performer, curator, music director, and, of course, freelancer and educator. He regularly performs in big bands/horn sections/orchestras/ensembles for concerts, festivals, recordings, and TV appearances with luminaries, legends, and icons from jazz, hip hop, R&B, gospel, and classical music.

 

Wallace’s work on Kelly Clarkson’s When Christmas Comes Around… (2021) helped earn the album a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Album. It rose to 22 on the Billboard Top 200, Number 1 on the Billboard US Top Holiday Albums! He also contributed to the film score of Judas and the Black Messiah film score, which was recognized in a major way - with a 2022 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation!

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Wallace can often be seen in one of Broadway’s premiere shows: Anais Mitchell’s Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theatre. In the show, he is a featured soloist/trombonist in the ensemble, as well as percussionist. More recently, he’s added to his Broadway list, subbing in A Beautiful Noise at the Broadhurst Theatre and Back to the Future at the Winter Garden Theatre!

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Feb 2021-Aug 2022 he joined the Syracuse University Setnor School of Music faculty, as the jazz and applied trombone instructor teaching improvisation and techniques used within the idiom and as a freelancer, as well as applied trombone studies. Currently, he is the Director of Music at KIPP:STAR College Prep Charter School, in Harlem, Manhattan, NY. He has been building a unique music program and positively impacts the youth and their families! Wallace makes his home Brooklyn, NY, along with his wonderful wife Carmen and joyful son, Cade!