Johnnie Valentino is an American composer /guitarist and sound designer originally from Philadelphia who now lives in Los Angeles. He is known for his forward leaning approach to jazz guitar that is as unique as it is colorful. His compositions are filled with soulful blends of driving grooves, gritty Americana, surging beats and sophisticated jazz harmonies.

Biography

Valentino spent his youth in a Philadelphia neighborhood that was filled with a history of great jazz guitarists that starts with Eddie Lang

Eddie Lang

Eddie Lang was an American jazz guitarist, regarded as the Father of Jazz Guitar. He played a Gibson L-4 and L-5 guitar, providing great influence for many guitarists, including Django Reinhardt.-Biography:...

 and continues through to a modern day virtuoso, Pat Martino

Pat Martino

Pat Martino is an Italian-American jazz guitarist and composer within the post bop, fusion, mainstream jazz, soul jazz and hard bop idioms.-Biography:...

. Valentino studied privately with Joe Sgro, Dennis Sandole

Dennis Sandole

Dennis Sandole , 1913-2000, was a jazz guitarist, composer and music educator from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a music educator and performer he left his fingerprint on music history. His students most notably included John Coltrane and Pat Martino, as well as lesser-known musicians such as...

 and Pat Martino

Pat Martino

Pat Martino is an Italian-American jazz guitarist and composer within the post bop, fusion, mainstream jazz, soul jazz and hard bop idioms.-Biography:...

. In the late 70’s & early 80’s Valentino studied music at Rutgers University

Rutgers University

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

 while playing nightclubs and doing recording dates for Philly World Records at Alpha studios. In 1984 Valentino relocated to Los Angeles where he has been musically active in many facets of the arts such as composing, scoring, sound designing and performing, for films, TV, recordings, games and toy’s.
He has recorded with contemporary improvisers such as Pat Martino

Pat Martino

Pat Martino is an Italian-American jazz guitarist and composer within the post bop, fusion, mainstream jazz, soul jazz and hard bop idioms.-Biography:...

, Alex Acuna

Alex Acuña

Alejandro Neciosup Acuña aka Alex Acuña is a Peruvian drummer and percussionist, in the Afro-Cuban jazz style.Born in Pativilca, Peru, Acuña played in local bands from the age of ten, and moved to Lima as a teenager. At the age of eighteen he joined the band of Perez Prado, and in 1967 he moved...

, Alan Pasqua

Alan Pasqua

Alan Pasqua is a jazz pianist, educator and composer who co-composed the CBS Evening News theme. He also has had an extensive career in pop and rock music, most notably as a founding member, keyboardist and songwriter of the 80s hard rock band, Giant. He studied at Indiana University and the New...

, Kermit Driscoll

Kermit Driscoll

Kermit Driscoll is a New York City jazz bassist perhaps best known for his long association with guitarist Bill Frisell. He was born in Kearney, Nebraska....

, Billy Drewes, Mick Rossi, Vinny Golia

Vinny Golia

Vinny Golia is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist specializing in woodwind instruments. He performs in the genres of contemporary music, jazz, free jazz, and free improvisation....

, Bob Sheppard, Wadada Leo Smith

Wadada Leo Smith

Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith is a trumpeter and composer working primarily in the fields of avant-garde jazz and free improvisation.-Biography:...

, Michael Pedicin, Erik Friedlander

Erik Friedlander

Erik Friedlander is an American cellist and composer based in New York City.A veteran of NYC's experimental downtown scene, Friedlander has worked in many contexts, but is perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with saxophonist/composer John Zorn...

, Mike Sarin, Bennie Maupin

Bennie Maupin

Bennie Maupin is a Detroit Michigan jazz multireedist. He performs on various saxophones, flute and bass clarinet.He is probably best known for his participation in Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi sextet and Headhunters band, and for performing on Miles Davis's seminal fusion record, Bitches Brew...

, Gerry Hemingway

Gerry Hemingway

Gerry Hemingway is an American jazz composer and percussionist.He has performed with Ernst Reijseger, Anthony Davis, Earl Howard, Leo Smith, George Lewis, Anthony Braxton, Ray Anderson, Mark Helias, Reggie Workman, Michael Moore, Oliver Lake, Marilyn Crispell, Christy Doran, John Wolf Brennan, Don...

, Oscar Brashear

Oscar Brashear

Oscar Brashear is an American jazz trumpeter and session musician.After studying at DuSable High School he worked briefly with Woody Herman before going on to join Count Basie '68-9, returning to freelance in Chicago with Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon and James Moody...

, Luis Conte

Luis Conte

Luis Conte is a Cuban percussionist.-Early years:As a child in Cuba, Conte began his musical odyssey playing the guitar. However, he soon switched to percussion, and that has remained his mode since....

, Alphonso Johnson

Alphonso Johnson

Alphonso Johnson is an American jazz bassist who has been influential since the early 1970s.-Biography:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Johnson started off as an upright bass player, but switched to the electric bass in his late teens. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, Johnson showed...

, Russ Johnson

Russ Johnson

William Russell Johnson is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He went to Louisiana State University and was drafted in the first round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft by the Houston Astros. In , he was called up to the majors by the Astros, where he remained until...

, Andy Lester, and Andrew Sterman.

As Leader

• 1995 "Goin' Public" on Four Winds Entertainment recording label FW2002
• 1997 "Free Exchange" on Four Winds Entertainment recording label FW2005
• 2002 "Searching Souls" CD is released on Ninewinds label #NWCD0233.
• 2004 "8 Shorts in Search of David Lynch" CD is released on Omnitone
• 2006 Duets w/ Ken Burgomaster - Secret Light Records
• 2007 "Stingy Brim" CD is released on Omnitone and is considered for 2 Grammys.
• 2010 “Asilo” w/ Mick Rossi & Andrew Sterman - Secret Light Records
• 2011 “Bug Juice” on Omnitone

As producer/ composer/player

• 1994 Elissa Lala "Promises of the Heart" - Four Winds Entertainment
• 1998 Elissa Lala "Eternal Now" - Four Winds Entertainment
• 2007 Michael Pedicin Quintet on Jazzhut

As a Guitarist on #1 R&B hits

• 1983 Eugene Wilde
  Eugene Wilde
  Eugene Wilde is an American R&B singer and songwriter, who had two #1 hits on the US R&B charts in the 1980s.-Career:...
  
   - Gotta Get You Home Tonight - Philly World Records
• 1993 Foxy Brown- Gotta Get You Home MCA/Zebra
• 1982 Cashmere - Do It Anyway You Wanna - Zafiro/ Philly World Records

Film & TV Scores

Bonnie & Clyde The True Story, Modern Marvels /The Time Machine Series
Intimate Portraits, Monuments to Freedom Series, Emergency Call, Portrait of Courage, Strange Wilderness

Strange Wilderness

Strange Wilderness is a 2008 comedy-adventure film produced by Adam Sandler's production company, Happy Madison Productions for Paramount Pictures, and starring Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Justin Long, Kevin Heffernan, and Jonah Hill.-Cast:...

, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous is a television series that aired in syndication from 1984 to 1995. The show featured the extravagant lifestyles of wealthy entertainers, athletes and business moguls....

, World's Greatest Magic Show's 1, 2, & 3, Houdini, Hunter's Blood, Dangerous Curves, Iron Triangle Kids Incorporated, First and Ten, Elephant's Diary and The Education of Alison Tate.
Played guitar on films: Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach...

, Entrapment, The Hurricane, Wonder Boys and In Too Deep

Sound Design for Film & TV

Digimon, The Avenger, X-Men

X-Men

The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...

, Alvin & The Chipmunks, The New Archies,
Creepy Crawlers

Creepy Crawlers

Creepy Crawlers is the best-known name associated with an activity toy made by Mattel beginning in 1964. A more generic term for the toy is "Thingmaker"....

, C.O.P.S, Camp Candy, Family Dog, Kid & Play, Monster Farm,
Pigs Next Door, Power Rangers, The New Captain Kangaroo Show, Mr. Moose Fun Time, Mad Scientist Club, The New Mr. Bill Show, Breaker High, Pizza Cats, Prey of the Chameleon, Blind Vision and Hidden Rage.

External links

• http://www.johnnievalentino.com/
• http://tonescience.omnitone.com/
• http://www.omnitone.com/stingybrim/index.htm
• http://www.omnitone.com/stingybrim/15212-liner.htm
• http://www.omnitone.com/stingybrim/15212-reviews.htm