Dave Valentin

Dave Valentin fused the influences of pop, R&B, and Brazilian music with Latin jazz across more than fifteen albums for GRP, yielding a polished and approachable variety of crossover jazz. From the age of nine, Valentin took pleasure in playing bongos and congas. He began performing in New York Latin clubs at twelve, yet did not pursue serious flute study until turning eighteen. His instructor, Hubert Laws, urged him to avoid doubling on saxophone because of the flute’s appealing tone. Valentin’s first recording appeared in 1977 with Ricardo Marrero’s group, and he also featured on a Noel Pointer album. Upon discovery by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, Valentin became GRP’s initial signing and continued as a favored draw for years afterward. After the mid-2000s he moved to Highnote Records, which issued World on a String in 2005, Come Fly with Me in 2006, and Pure Imagination in 2011. A debilitating stroke hit Valentin in 2012, followed by a second three years later; he died in 2017 at the age of 64.