Source Material: Dave Valentin – “We’ll Make Love”

Dave Valentin was a Puerto Rican jazz flutist from the South Bronx.  He was born and raised in New York City, and he was playing music by ten years old.  First, he played the conga and the timables for the majority of his teenage years.  Then, after he graduated high school, he learned how to play the flute.  Soon after, the legendary jazz flutist Hubert Laws became Valentin’s mentor.  Later, he was discovered by Dave Gruisin and Larry Rosen.  Gruisin and Rosen were the co-founders of GRP Records and they were two important figures in the expansion of jazz during the ’70s.

In 1978, Valentin became the first artist signed to GRP Records. Later that year, he released his debut album, Legends.  One year later, he released his second album, The Hawk.  The Hawk featured “We’ll Make Love,” a song that includes soul, funk, and jazz elements.  Valentin continued his ascension well into the ’80s, and he became a prominent jazz artist.  By the end of his career, he was known for his latin-infused jazz style, and he was one of the faces of latin jazz music.

Dave Valentin – “We’ll Make Love”