John Valerio

John Valerio is a pianist, composer, and author from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has performed with several outstanding jazz artists including: Lee Konitz, Jon Faddis, Stanley Clarke, Chris Vadala, John Swana, Gerald Veasley, Winard Harper, Ralph Bowen, Steve Gilmore, and Jan Metzger. He earned a doctorate in Music Composition from Temple University and has written numerous works for a variety of voices, instruments and ensembles in classical and jazz idioms. His composition for a chamber group, Synthetic Dances, is the featured composition on  an album of new music for oboe by Rebecca Nagel, titled Synthetic Dances (2008). His works are performed throughout the United States. He has played in many concerts and clubs as well as for numerous headliners in Atlantic City Philadelphia, and New York including Robert Merrill, Jerry Vale, Maurice Hines, Robert Klein, Eddie Fisher, Chita Rivera, The McGuire Sisters, Susanne Sommers, Bobby Rydell and Charo. He has published six internationally selling books on jazz piano for Hal Leonard Corporation including Stride and Swing Piano, Bebop Jazz Piano, and Post Bop Jazz Piano, and is currently writing one on Latin Jazz Piano. He gave a clinic on jazz piano playing at the 2004 International Association for Jazz Education Annual Conference in New York. His piano playing ‘’combines the organic approach of Bill Evans with the rhythmic suppleness of Keith Jarrett and the unabashed swing of Ahmad Jamal into an original but highly accessible style.” He has recorded with Kayle Brecher, Bette Midler, Vince Montana, Michael Pedicin Jr., among others. His first album as leader, The Altoona Sessions, with bassist Tom Hildreth for ViVadagio Records was released in 2006 and a new album of all original compositions will be released in the Fall of 2009. Dr. Valerio currently plays throughout the Carolinas and teaches Jazz History, Theory, Piano, Improvisation, Composition, and Orchestration at the University of South Carolina and Newberry College, in addition to giving private piano instruction. He also has taught at Temple University and the University of North Carolina- Charlotte.