Below is 5 pages of a handwritten open letter that Vince Wallace wrote about Bombay Calling on October 16th, 2001
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Hi your right.......Vince is world class material. Living legend PLUS !!!!!!!!!!! In a world of would be tigers that act like wussys , and over hyped media darlings......Vince Wallace stands tall due to his natural abilties. I feel & always felt Vince Wallace was on the level of a major bop player and more. I say that ,. thanks to tapes my bro Bert Wilson made for me of Vince. Matter of fact, there is a tape Bert has called... " The Range Master meets the Change Master" . They play a blues, probally one of the FEW cats that could follow Vinces solo would be Bert Wilson. Thank god another source of Vince info was Sam Phipps in LA. Sam hit me with a video tape of a gig...of Vince. GODDAMNHOLYSHEEEEEEET !!! This guy was totally himself, no false musings into someone elses bag , or layin' on some shop worn stuff..this guy started from ZERO when he improvised and just played orignal creative jazz. In day & age where to many players are way over rated and over recored, it's a breath of fresh air to hear Vince just truckin his thang thru the media-fog. The main course on jazz-should be ORIGINALITY-Vince Wallace is all about that. Just ask - Sonny Simmons, Bishop Norman Willams or Mike Marcus. They have watched him for years in funky bars in the Haight , or Mission District playing his ass off. I once went to the Mission Dist to catch Vince for the first time- live.I left almost talkin' to myself-He was really killin' and VIVID. Take it from me- without question, there is a HUGE factor in the biz of jazz that ignores a cat like this. WHY ???? I think he'd totally dust most NAME players right off the bandstand...He is one of the last UNSUNG masters. How would THAT look ? lol The natural way he plays, breathes and grooves ...is something IMHO.. that IS missing today. He's not just playing, he's taking the music to another place. JOY, PASSION, and TRUTH expound in his solos. Mike Marcus has told me Todd Barkan had an idea to record Vince w/ NYC rhythm section. I hope Todd hasn't lost that idea. I say pull him in the studio in SanFran with the cats he hits with. The drummer Gene Stone is a friggin' legend musically. ( check early Don Ellis and Jaki Byard sides for Gene) All I can say is....VINCE WALLACE is a major giant. Just one guys opinion, and love for a artist that is....... ..... REALLY ABOUT THE ART FORM. Thanks- Tim