Dave Valentin – Pure Imagination – High Note

by | Jun 11, 2011 | Jazz CD Reviews | 0 comments

Dave Valentin – Pure Imagination – High Note HCD 7221[6/21/11] *****:

(Dave Valentin, flutes; Bill O’Connell, piano; Ruben Rodriguez, bass; Robby Ameen, drums; Richie Flores, percussion)

Dave Valentine is the most celebrated Latin flutist today.  He studied with Hubert Laws and was the first artist to sign with the GRP label.  He developed techniques such as creating percussive sounds on the keys and singing into the flute while playing it. Valentin and O’Connell do their thing on nine selections, six of which are O’Connell’s own.

They open with Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile,” which seems to be showing up on many jazz CDs lately – it’s obviously become a jazz standard. On “When Sunny Gets Blue” Valentin multi-tracks himself into a whole flute choir, with one of the instruments being his bass flute.  How could anyway claim the flute is not a jazz instrument when it’s played with such fantastic accuracy, creativity and swing as does Dave Valentin?  Sonics are at a high standard, as with all High Note CDs.

TrackList: Smile, Slip and Slide, Joy, Pure Imagination, Hummingbird, See-Saw, When Sunny Gets Blue, Cat Man, Last Minute.

 — John Henry

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