Gary Valente (born June 26, 1953) is a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

trombonist.

Early life

Valente was born on June 26, 1953, in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

. He started playing the trombone as a young child, encouraged by his father, who played the same instrument. In the 1970s he studied at the

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on H ...

, with

Jaki Byard John Arthur "Jaki" Byard (; June 15, 1922 – February 11, 1999) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. Mainly a pianist, he also played tenor and alto saxophones, among several other instruments. He was known for hi ...

, and recorded with the conservatory's Jazz Repertory Orchestra.

Later life and career

Valente became a prominent figure in contemporary big band jazz, as a member of bands led by Carla Bley,

Lester Bowie Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography Born in ...

Chico O'Farrill Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill (October 28, 1921 – June 27, 2001) was a Cuban composer, arranger, and conductor, best known for his work in the Latin idiom, specifically Afro-Cuban jazz or "Cubop", although he also composed traditional jazz pieces a ...

, and George Russell. He has also played in a diverse range of smaller groups, including those led by

Don Byron Donald Byron (born November 8, 1958) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. He primarily plays clarinet but has also played bass clarinet and saxophone in a variety of genres that includes free jazz and klezmer. Biography His mother w ...

, Cab Calloway,

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than 50 years. In the late 1950s, he was an original member of the ground-breaking ...

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz saxophonist, alto clarin ...

, and

Andy Sheppard Andy Sheppard (born 20 January 1957) is a British jazz saxophonist and composer. He has been awarded several prizes at the British Jazz Awards, and has worked with some notable figures in contemporary jazz, including Gil Evans, Carla Bley, ...

. As a leader, he had a small band with tenor saxophonist Bob Hanlon in the late 1980s and co-founded Slideride with other trombonists in 1994. At the end of the 1990s he led a quintet that featured

Lew Soloff Lewis Michael Soloff (February 20, 1944–March 8, 2015) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and actor. Biography From his birth place of New York City, United States, he studied trumpet at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard Sc ...

Discography

With Carla Bley * '' Social Studies'' (Watt, 1981) * '' Live!'' (Watt, 1982) * '' I Hate to Sing'' (Watt, 1984) * '' Heavy Heart'' (Watt, 1984) * '' Fleur Carnivore'' (Watt, 1989) * '' The Very Big Carla Bley Band'' (Watt, 1991) * '' Big Band Theory'' (Watt, 1993) * '' The Carla Bley Big Band Goes to Church'' (Watt, 1996) * '' 4x4'' (Watt, 2000) * '' Looking for America'' (Watt, 2003) * '' Appearing Nightly'' (Watt, 2008) With

* '' The Odyssey of Funk & Popular Music'' (Atlantic, 1998) * ''When the Spirit Returns'' (Warner/Birdology, 2000) With

George Gruntz George Gruntz (24 June 1932 – 10 January 2013) was a Swiss jazz pianist, organist, harpsichordist, keyboardist, and composer known for the George Gruntz Concert Big Band and his work with Phil Woods, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Don Cherry, Chet Baker ...

* ''Global Excellence'' (TCB, 2001) * ''Tiger by the Tail'' (TCB, 2006) * ''Pourquoi Pas? Why Not?'' (TCB, 2008) With

* '' Worlds'' (Label Bleu, 1990) * '' Viva Caruso'' (Blue Note, 2002) With Nick Mason * ''

Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports ''Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports'' is the debut solo album by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, released in May 1981 in the UK and the US. It was Mason's first major work outside of Pink Floyd. It is sung by Robert Wyatt (formerly of Soft Machine), ...

'' (Harvest, 1981) * ''Unattended Luggage'' (Parlophone, 2018) With Arturo O'Farrill * ''Song for Chico'' (Zoho, 2008) * ''Final Night at Birdland'' (Zoho, 2013) With

* ''Heart of a Legend'' (Milestone, 1999) * ''Carambola'' (Milestone, 2000) With

Ed Schuller Edwin Gunther Schuller (January 11, 1955) is an American jazz bassist and composer. His father is Gunther Schuller, a composer, horn player, and music professor, and his younger brother is drummer George Schuller. Career A native of New York Ci ...

* ''Life Cycle'' (GM, 1982) * ''The Eleventh Hour'' (Tutu, 1992) * ''To Know Where One Is'' (Power Bros 1994) * ''The Force'' (Tutu, 1996) With

* ''Soft on the Inside'' (Antilles, 1990) * ''Rhythm Method'' (Blue Note, 1993) * ''Delivery Suite'' (Blue Note, 1994) With others * Ray Anderson,

Craig Harris Craig S. Harris (born September 10, 1953) is an American jazz trombonist, who started working with Sun Ra in 1976. He also has worked with Abdullah Ibrahim, David Murray, Lester Bowie, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Muhal Richard Abrams, and Char ...

and

George Lewis George Lewis may refer to: Entertainment and art * George B. W. Lewis (1818–1906), circus rider and theatre manager in Australia * George E. Lewis (born 1952), American composer and free jazz trombonist * George J. Lewis (1903–1995), Mexica ...

, '' Slideride'' ( hat ART, 1995) *

, '' The Ballad of the Fallen'' (ECM, 1983) *

Defunkt Defunkt is an American musical group founded by the trombonist and singer Joseph Bowie in 1978 in New York City. Their music touches on elements of punk rock, funk, and jazz. Career Joseph Bowie is the brother of big band musician Byron Bo ...

, ''Live in Europe'' (2002) * George Russell, '' New York Big Band'' (Soul Note, 1982) * George Schuller, ''Lookin' Up from Down Below'' (GM, 1989) * Joseph Daley, ''The Seven Deadly Sins'' (Jaro, 2010) * Karen Mantler, ''Karen Mantler's Pet Project'' (Virgin 2000) * Orange Then Blue, ''Music for Jazz Orchestra'' (GM, 1987) * Robert Wyatt, ''Different Every Time'' (Domino, 2014) * Sara Lee, ''Make It Beautiful'' (Righteous Babe, 2000) * Steve Weisberg, ''I Can't Stand Another Night Alone'' (XtraWATT, 1986) *

Tony Dagradi Anthony Arnold "Tony" Dagradi (born September 22, 1952) is an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Dagradi was born in New York City, and began playing alto saxophone when he was eight years old. In his professional career, he has primarily play ...

, ''Oasis'' (Gramavision, 1980)

References

1953 births Living people American jazz trombonists Male trombonists 21st-century trombonists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians {{US-jazz-trombonist-stub