Grammy-nominated Guitarist, Composer Vinny Valentino continues to redefine musical genres, to the acclaim of audiences worldwide. From his debut recording, The Distance Between Two Lines, to his latest 2016 recording Groove Blue Vinny continues to expand the confines of the guitar, composition, and recording. His international debut recording, The Distance Between Two Lines, shot straight up the charts to #2 and stayed on the national charts for more than 14 weeks. Paul Anthony of Jazz Unlimited called it “one of the top five albums of 1993.”

Versatile is an understatement when describing guitarist and composer, Vinny Valentino. Playing guitar since age six, this native Virginian began touring in a progressive rock band while still in high school. At age 16, influenced by the music of George Benson, Vinny began pursuing Jazz as a career. He recalls, "The turning point for me was hearing George Benson in concert; I had never heard anybody play like that. He single-handily changed the way I listen to music and played guitar."

Vinny earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at Howard University. In 1988, he released his first solo recording entitled, Vinny Valentino, and now has twelve recordings to his credit. Vinny appeared with his band as the featured performers on BET’s jazz cable program, “Bet on Jazz.” This one-hour feature program became one of the top five requested programs on “Bet on Jazz”. One of the first musicians to perform live on the World Wide Web, Vinny continues to pioneer on the Internet with online clinics, performances, and lessons at http://www.vinny.com. Vinny’s compositions have been recorded by Steve Smith and Vital Information, John Benitez, George Benson, Sunny Sumter, and Steve Haas and are featured in the “All Jazz Real Book.” The National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Commission for the Arts have recognized Vinny’s talents as composer, arranger, and recording artist with a grant for a series of works entitled "New Music for Three Guitars."

A significant part of this innovation is Vinny’s new PlayAlong Tunes website (www.playalongtunes.com) where aspiring musicians can download various tracks minus the instrument they play. These recordings will offer fans and students alike the chance to play along with many genres of music from their favorite musicians.

Simplified Grooves for Cory Henry’s “Switch”

General practice

Working with a metronome