JOHNNY VALDES: A LIFETIME IN THE MAKING

With Standards & Conversations, the Northern California guitarist brings decades of musical exploration, education, and improvisational discovery into focus.

A musician's artistic identity is rarely the product of a single revelation. It emerges through years of listening, experimentation, unexpected detours, and the gradual discovery of what makes one player's voice distinct from all others. For guitarist, composer, and educator Johnny Valdes, that evolution has encompassed the raw exuberance of blues-rock, the harmonic intricacies of bebop, the soulful vocabulary of jazz guitar, and an abiding fascination with the improvisational possibilities of the American jazz tradition. On Standards & Conversations, his long-awaited debut as a leader, the Northern California musician draws on wide ranging musical influences to forge an expressive musical identity - one that honors the masters while reflecting the distinctive sensibilities he’s cultivated along the way.

Produced by acclaimed guitarist Ray Obiedo for his Rhythmus Records label, the seven-track collection finds Valdes interpreting six beloved standards and introducing one original composition through an expressive contemporary jazz lens, drawing from blues, rock, Latin rhythms, and straight-ahead traditions. Featuring pianist Peter Horvath, bassist Dan Feiszli, drummer Jason Lewis, and an accomplished roster of guests, the album captures a versatile musician whose intricate improvisational vocabulary is matched by a compelling melodic sensibility.

The story behind its creation, however, begins much earlier, in a Modesto household filled with guitars and the sounds of some of the instrument’s most influential practitioners. Valdes’ father was also a guitarist, and the young musician grew up hearing Larry Carlton, George Benson and other jazz greats. Those sounds made an impression, although understanding the musical architecture behind them would take considerably longer. Like many guitarists, he initially gravitated toward rock and blues, forming a trio inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Cream. Exploring pentatonic scales and basic modes, including the Dorian and Aeolian sounds associated with Carlos Santana, gave him an early foundation in improvisation.

By 18, Valdes was performing with local blues-rock groups, including a band called Dragonfly. He subsequently formed a duo, Johnny & Kelly, that became an important part of his musical livelihood. Playing guitar, singing, and performing popular material at weddings, private parties, and other engagements, he learned the practical realities of making a living as a musician. While navigating that world, jazz remained an irresistible attraction. “I was doing well in a blues-rock context, but I was always intrigued by jazz,” Valdes recalls. “I was trying to figure out how to get from where I was into that world. It took me a long time to understand it and become comfortable with it.”

One particularly humbling experience came when he purchased John Coltrane’s landmark Blue Train on cassette. Having been immersed in Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, he suddenly found himself confronted with a musical language he couldn’t yet comprehend. Rather than discouraging him, the experience intensified his curiosity and sent him deeper into jazz. Visits to Oakland’s legendary Yoshi’s proved equally revelatory, particularly performances by Pat Martino with Joey DeFrancesco’s trio, Kenny Burrell, and John Scofield. Recordings by Pat Metheny and Wes Montgomery further expanded his horizons, with Montgomery’s fluid single-note lines and soulful imagination becoming especially influential.

Valdes later studied privately with several accomplished musicians, including local bebop guitarist Carl Robinson, and took a bebop guitar course with Mimi Fox at the Jazz School in Berkeley, now the California Jazz Conservatory. Fox helped him develop a deeper understanding of standards and the art of improvising over their chord changes, while also encouraging his interest in teaching.

Another important connection came through guitarist John Stowell. After seeing him perform in Modesto, Valdes was captivated by his unconventional harmonic approach and began studying with him, sometimes arranging lessons around Stowell’s performances. Their relationship eventually led to an independent dual guitar album, recorded approximately nine years before Standards & Conversations.

“John had a completely different approach to harmony that really made me think,” Valdes explains. “He gave me direction and helped me develop a different way of approaching the instrument. There was so much to learn, and there still is.”

That lifelong student mentality remains central to his artistic identity. Unlike rock and blues, where guitarists often learn through familiar fretboard patterns and transcriptions designed specifically for the instrument, jazz frequently requires guitarists to interpret melodies originally conceived for horns or piano. The resulting technical and conceptual challenges fascinated Valdes, even when they initially felt awkward.

His teaching career, which began in earnest around 1999, has reinforced that philosophy. Working privately and at a music school, Valdes has maintained a substantial roster of students, often 30 to 40 at a time. Many arrive with blues-rock backgrounds and an interest in exploring jazz, giving him an opportunity to share the discoveries that transformed his own playing.

“Teaching has actually made me a better musician,” he says. “When you’re trying to explain something to another player, you have to understand it yourself. And I’ve learned that if somebody wants to play jazz, they really have to enjoy listening to jazz. You can’t just learn the scales and expect the music to come out of your instrument.”

He encourages students to explore different artists, absorb the language, and develop their own musical personalities rather than simply reproduce the playing of their heroes. The same principle informs his own approach. His background in singing and performing a wide variety of popular material has also helped him connect melody with improvisation.

That balance between intricate technique and expressive clarity is one of the most appealing characteristics of Standards & Conversations. Valdes can unleash rapid-fire passages and elaborate improvisational figures without sacrificing a composition’s emotional center. His playing is adventurous but rarely academic, combining the harmonic sophistication of his jazz influences with the soulful instincts cultivated during his blues-rock years.

The album’s title offers another important clue to his philosophy. For Valdes, standards aren’t simply familiar compositions waiting to be interpreted faithfully. They’re beautifully constructed musical environments that provide endless opportunities for individual expression and spontaneous interaction. “These songs have such beautiful melodies and harmonies,” he says. “They become platforms for improvisation. Everybody brings something different to them, and that’s what makes the music interesting. You’re having a conversation, and you’re creating something in the moment.”

That conversational spirit became especially important when the opportunity arose to record a full ensemble. Although Valdes had considered making a trio or quartet album for years, the economics of presenting straight-ahead jazz in a smaller regional market had made opportunities relatively scarce. He had continued practicing, teaching, and performing, but rarely found himself in the full-band situations he envisioned for his own music.

His friendship with Ray Obiedo changed everything. The two initially connected through conguero Derek Rolando, with whom Valdes performed in various Central Valley and Bay Area groups. He subsequently sat in with Obiedo’s band and developed a musical rapport that gradually evolved into a supportive friendship. Recognizing Valdes’ enthusiasm and commitment, Obiedo suggested taking him into the studio and producing an album. He also offered to assemble the musicians. For Valdes, it was an invitation he couldn’t afford to pass up.

“Ray gave me the confidence to take a chance and do the full-band record I had always wanted to make,” he says. “I had been thinking about doing a trio or quartet, but I wasn’t getting a lot of opportunities to play in those settings. Ray said, essentially, let’s go to the studio, and he put this whole thing together.”

The resulting ensemble was exceptional. Horvath’s imaginative piano work, Feiszli’s resourceful bass lines, and Lewis’ rhythmic versatility established an ideal foundation, while guest appearances by saxophonist Bob Mintzer, flutist Norbert Stachel, percussionists Peter Michael Escovedo and Phil Hawkins, and Rolando added an expansive palette of colors. Mintzer, in particular, represented a dream collaboration for Valdes, who had previously admired the saxophonist’s playing on recordings and instructional videos.

Entering the studio with musicians of this caliber could have been intimidating, but the experience proved liberating. Valdes had spent years practicing the material, working through chord changes, experimenting with different keys, and refining his rhythmic vocabulary. When the musicians gathered at Opus Studios in Berkeley, however, much of the music developed organically. Basic charts provided melodies and chord progressions, but arrangements, transitions, breaks, and endings frequently emerged through spontaneous interaction.

The album opens with Joe Henderson’s “Recordáme,” an exhilarating showcase for the guitarist’s rhythmic imagination. A bustling Latin percussion introduction establishes an infectious pulse before Valdes launches into fluid, sharply articulated tuneful passages. Lewis’ propulsive drumming and colorful keyboard accents provide a constantly shifting backdrop, while the additional percussion lends the performance an irresistible forward momentum.  Valdes was initially attracted to the composition’s chord progression and melodic structure, which offered particularly inviting possibilities for improvisation. The specific rhythmic treatment, however, evolved in the studio.

Wayne Shorter’s “Witch Hunt” brings a different kind of excitement. A smoky saxophone introduction from Mintzer establishes a relaxed, Latin-inflected atmosphere before Valdes and the saxophonist begin exchanging captivating ideas. Their interplay creates an engaging musical dialogue, with Horvath’s colorful piano contributions and Rolando’s percussion adding further dimension. The easy rapport between the players and their spontaneous exchanges make this one of the album’s most engaging ensemble performances.

Valdes offers a more introspective side of his personality with his original composition, “I’ll Get Around to It.” Written at home, the piece had never been rehearsed or performed with a band before he brought the chart into the studio. After briefly discussing its general direction, the musicians essentially created the arrangement on the spot. The result is an unhurried mid-tempo jazz ballad that develops from a restrained, lyrical guitar statement into a more animated dialogue between guitar and piano. Its relaxed swing provides a welcome contrast to the album’s more energetic selections.

One of the most imaginative transformations comes with Duke Ellington’s “Satin Doll.” At Obiedo’s suggestion, the familiar standard receives a romantic Bossa Nova treatment, with Stachel’s airy flute creating an elegant counterpoint to Valdes’ warm, expressive guitar. The two musicians trade lyrically inventive ideas and embark on individual improvisational excursions before returning to a beautifully intertwined closing dialogue.

Coltrane’s “Mr. P.C.” brings Valdes back to the music that initially challenged and ultimately inspired him. A buoyant, funk-inflected introduction gives way to an vibrant straight-ahead swing, with the guitarist navigating the composition’s changes through intricate, rapidly unfolding passages. Horvath contributes a particularly explosive piano solo, while Feiszli and Lewis maintain the driving momentum. For Valdes, interpreting this composition represents a personal connection to the Coltrane music he has spent so many years studying.

The atmospheric beauty of Bill Evans’ “Blue in Green” provides another highlight. Obiedo suggested opening the arrangement in 6/8 before allowing it to shift into swing, creating an unusual rhythmic framework for Valdes’ thoughtful and evocative exploration. Subtle percussion, gently rolling bass, and Horvath’s sensitive harmonic accompaniment give the guitarist room to explore the composition’s emotional depths without overwhelming its character.

The closer “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be,” Mercer Ellington’s celebrated composition, brings the collection to a spirited conclusion. Anchored by an effortless straight-ahead swing, the performance gives Valdes ample room to uncover fresh and fluid possibilities from a familiar tune. The piano, bass, and drums each enjoy opportunities to shine, while the guitarist’s increasingly adventurous improvisations bring the album to a satisfying finish.

For Valdes, Standards & Conversations is both a personal milestone and an invitation to continue exploring. He speaks with gratitude about his father, the musicians who inspired him, the teachers who helped shape his development, and the extraordinary history of jazz itself. He remains fascinated by the way each generation builds upon the discoveries of those who came before, from Jim Hall and Wes Montgomery to contemporary players such as saxophonist Mark Turner. He also recognizes the importance of documenting his own evolution rather than spending every available hour practicing in isolation. The album gives him an opportunity to share the results of that private exploration with a wider audience while opening the door to further recording and performing opportunities.

Standards & Conversations captures a musician finally stepping into the spotlight with the confidence to share what he has discovered, and the humility to know that the best conversations are always the ones that continue.

“It’s a dream come true in a lot of ways,” Valdes reflects. “I love practicing, listening, and learning this music. It’s something that never ends. The more you learn, the more you realize how much there is still to discover. It’s a lifelong learning situation. You can always go back and listen to these musicians and be humbled by what they do. That’s what I love about this music. There’s always something more to learn.”