Al Valenti

Born in New York in 1914, Al Valenti got his start in music by playing the mandolin under the instruction of his father who was a professional musician. A friend of John D’Angelico before he was building his own guitars, Al Valenti found himself an endorsee of the D’Angelico brand by the time he was 20. At that time Valenti was already regarded as a virtuoso on the plectrum guitar and touring with big bands traveling both coasts. Though Valenti performed regularly with Joe Reichman and his Orchestra on WABC in the 30s and was employed as a studio guitarist for Decca Records where he recorded with Bing Crosby, the Andrew Sisters, Connie Boswell, and Tony Martin; he is perhaps best remembered for his pioneering of classical piano and guitar arrangements for the plectrum guitar.