Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth Is “A Masterclass In Soul Interpretation” (Record Collector), Out Today

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Today marks a musical double comeback story, as Billy Valentine, “one of Black American music’s more quietly influential figures” (CLASH), releases his new album Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth, a record that marks the official return ofFlying Dutchman Records after 40 years of dormancy. Valentine’s protest soul covers of everyone from Prince and Stevie Wonder to Gil Scott-Heron and Leon Thomas are embellished with an intricate, sharp backing from a veritable who’s who of modern jazz — including Pino Pallodino, Jeff Parker, Immanuel Wilkins and more — that elevate the emotional punch and modern context of these classic songs.

Early press concurs: The BBC's Gilles Peterson already deemed the album"incredible," while MOJO calls it “a powerful protest album…an exquisite collection of R&B message songs subtly reframed with a jazz twist.” Uncut praises“Valentine’s elastic voice that ranges from a smooth baritone to a Curtis-like falsetto,” while The Times (UK) commends his “sensitive but authoritative presence” and “persuasive protests that hit the mark with gentle force." Glide sums it up succinctly: “This recording will likely emerge as one of the year’s most important."

Listen to Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth here.

Flying Dutchman Records was founded in 1969 by legendary producer Bob Thiele. He’d already put his stamp on some of the 20th century’s most notable records: Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, Buddy Holly’s debut solo album, and records by Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Quincy Jones, and Pharaoh Sanders. He even composed Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World.”

Flying Dutchman not only put out stars — Duke Ellington, Ornette Coleman — but also operated on music’s bleeding edge, releasing Gil Scott-Heron, Leon Thomas, and even a spoken-word album from Angela Davis before shuttering in the 80s. It’s since become a hallowed institution, beloved by music fans the world over.

Listen to Billy’s “inspired” (Clash) version of Eddie Kendricks’ “My People…Hold On.”

Bob Thiele, Jr. — the son of Bob Thiele and caretaker of Flying Dutchman — hand-picked longtime friend and collaborator Billy Valentine to release the first record for the Flying Dutchman relaunch. The LA-based singer and songwriter’s career has been a wild journey.

Valentine got his break at a Jersey cocktail lounge opening for Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway (who were en route to and from The Apollo) and toured in the original road cast of The Wiz. His group The Valentine Brothers scored minor hits like the Reaganomics-critiquing UK cult smash "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)"or the quiet storm classic "Lonely Nights.”

In the late 80s, he linked up with Bob Thiele Jr. and Phil Roy to try his hand as a songwriter, ultimately writing songs that were recorded by Ray Charles, The Neville Brothers, and both Pops and Mavis Staples. Over the years, Valentine’s voice continued to pop up in surprising places, including television (as part of the soundtracks for shows as varied as Boston Legal and Sons Of Anarchy) and in pop hits by Nas (“Legit”) and Axwell (“Nobody Else”).

“It was Billy’s voice that sold our songs,” says Thiele Jr., “Billy would become the secret weapon of nearly every songwriter in L.A. His vocal performances on demos made their songs (and ours) irresistible to Bonnie Raitt, Joe Cocker, Bette Midler, and countless others. And yet, no one outside of the privileged few knew who Billy Valentine was.” Luckily for music fans, Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth looks to rectify that.

Listen to a recent podcast interview with Billy Valentine over at Bandcamp Daily.