Wesley Wallace

Wesley Wallace was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist who accompanied a couple of St. Louis-based singers on recording sessions in 1929, and recorded two tracks of his own the following year, which were original. All of his recordings utilized the I and IV chords of the usual blues progression, completely omitting the V chord. In around November 1929 in the same Grafton-based studio, Wallace probably supplied piano backing to Robert Peeples on a couple of tracks; "Dying Baby Blues" and "Mama's Boy", also issued on Paramount. All of his recordings utilized the I and IV chords of the usual blues progression, completely omitting the V chord. It made Wallace's piano playing unusual, if not quite unique, but as an accompanist this structural and harmonic peculiarity caused Peeples difficulty, as in "Dying Baby Blues", when the expected V chord did not occur.

One music journalist noted that "No. 29" "was one of the finest train/railroad tunes". Wallace's phrasing is not predictable, for example "Fanny Lee Blues" ranges from six to eleven bars per chorus, sometimes including half bars.

However, Henry Townsend knew Palmer very well, and was acquainted with Wallace. Townsend traveled to Chicago with Palmer and when questioned stated "I've heard it said that the piano players Wesley Wallace and Sylvester Palmer were one and the same person. Forget it – it's not true. At Sylvester's session I was sitting right in the studio with him, and at my session he was right in the studio with me, and there was no other person involved." In Townsend's book, A Blues Life, he stated he knew both men and was able to cite differences in their playing.

Later releases In May 1933, Jabo Williams recorded "Jab Blues", and this track was issued alongside Wallace's "No. 29" on a 10-inch 78 rpm "limited edition, released for the subscribers of Jazz Information".

The most comprehensive gathering of his output occurred in 1994, when Document Records released St. Louis Barrelhouse Piano - 1929-34 : The Complete Recorded Works of Wesley Wallace, Henry Brown & Associates on compact disc. The collection included all six tracks from Smith, Peeples and Wallace, plus Sylvester Palmer's four sides.

Discography Year Title Record label 1930 "No. 29" / "Fanny Lee Blues" Paramount Records