Dave Valentin
| Dave Valentin | |
|---|---|
 Valentin at the World Music and Dance Centre, March 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
April 29, 1952 New York City |
| Genres | Jazz, Latin jazz, smooth jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Flute |
| Years active | 1965–2012 |
| Labels | CTI, GRP, Highnote |
Dave Valentin (born April 29, 1952, New York City) is a Latin jazz flautist.
Valentin was born to Puerto-Rican parents in The Bronx in New York City. He attended The High School of Music & Art.[1] He learned percussion at an early age, and by 13 was playing conga and timbales professionally.[2] When he was 17, he took up flute so he could get a know a girl in school who played the flute. He borrowed a flute, bought a Herbie Mann record, and started to teach himself.[3] Years later, he recorded an album with Mann called Two Amigos.[1] He took lessons from Hubert Laws, who became his mentor.
In the 1970s Valentin combined Latin music with jazz in bands with Bill O'Connell, Lincoln Goines, Richie Morales, Robby Ameen, Sammy Figueroa, and Giovanni Hidalgo.[2] He was the first musician signed to GRP Records, a label founded by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen that specialized in smooth jazz, jazz fusion, and jazz-pop. He recorded his debut album with Ricardo Marrero in 1977.[1] Over time he recorded with Noel Pointer, Patti Austin, Lee Ritenour, Chris Connor, David Benoit, Eliane Elias, and Nnenna Freelon.[2]
For seven years in a row he was chosen best jazz flautist by readers of Jazziz magazine. In 1985 he received a Grammy Award nomination.[1] In 2003 he won a Grammy for Caribbean Jazz Project, an album he did with Dave Samuels.[4]
In 2012 Valentin had a stroke which left him partially paralyzed and unable to perform.[5]
Discography
- Havana Candy (CTI, 1977)
- Legends (GRP, 1979)
- The Hawk (GRP, 1980)
- Land of the Third Eye (GRP, 1980)
- I Got It Right This Time (Arista, 1981)
- Pied Piper (GRP, 1981)
- In Love's Time (Arista/GRP, 1982)
- Flute Juice (GRP, 1983)
- Kalahari (GRP, 1984)
- GRP Live in Session (GRP, 1985)
- Jungle Garden (GRP, 1985)
- Light Struck (GRP, 1986)
- Mind Time (GRP, 1987)
- Live at the Blue Note (GRP, 1988)
- Two Amigos (GRP, 1990)
- Musical Portraits (GRP, 1992)
- Red Sun (GRP, 1993)
- Tropic Heat (GRP, 1994)
- Sunshower (Concord Jazz, 1999)
- Primitive Passions (RMM, 2005)
- World on a String (Highnote, 2005)
- Come Fly With Me (Highnote, 2006)
- Pure Imagination (Highnote, 2011)
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Dave Valentin". All About Jazz. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
- 1 2 3 Rye, Howard (2002). Kernfeld, Barry, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 3 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 172. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.
- ↑ Gonzalez, David (3 June 2011). "Dave Valentin Hangs With Cool Cats, at Home and Away". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
- ↑ "A Special Valentine for Dave Valentin". The Bronx Chronicle. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
- ↑ Gonzalez, David (5 January 2014). "Latin Jazz Stalwart Struggles to Make Sweet Sounds Again". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
External links
- Dave Valentin discography at Discogs
- Dave Valentin at Music of Puerto Rico