Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth

Description

Billy Valentine: a fantastic voice somewhere between Soul and Jazz for an inspired and moving album, recorded with a top-flight cast. A revelation! The British label Acid Jazz has teamed up with the legendary Flying Dutchman label for their first signing since the 70s! Billy Valentine is one of the great voices of American soul ("the secret weapon of almost every L.A. songwriter"), with a rich history rooted in the history of African-American music. His album is produced by Bob Thiele Jr., son of legendary producer and Flying Dutchman founder, Bob Thiele. Having worked with Billy for over three decades, his vision was to produce a Billy Valentine record that would reflect our times. Conceived during the summer of 2020, it is a response to the throes of a global pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd's murder. Much more than a cover album, this record sheds new light on the works of Curtis Mayfield, Gil Scott Heron, and Pharaoh Sanders, allowing us to rediscover them in a new context. Recorded at EastWest Studios, produced and mixed by Dave Way, and featuring a dazzling cast (Pino Palladino, Larry Goldings, Jeff Parker, etc.), the album is a superb collection of tracks that unfold with class between jazz and soul.