"Vital Changes
Heart condition forces musician to re-examine his life and his sound."
North County edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune
By Marcia Manna
July 6th 2003

Before Jaime Valle discovered he had a heart condition known as the "widow maker," he decided the title of his sixth CD would be "Groovin' High."

"No symptoms, but it affects the whole left main artery," said the guitarist, who will perform Friday in Carlsbad's Magee Park.

"I was going to have an angioplasty, but they found out I was a candidate for triple bypass."

Known for playing fast-paced Latin grooves that prompt dancing with wild abandon, Valle's anxiety level peaked when he was told a vein would be removed from his arm to repair his heart. Even more disturbing ‹ surgeons told him they would forgo operating in the still, serene environment that befits intense concentration.

"The doctors who opened me up are fans," he said. "Right before I went under anesthesia, they told me, 'We are going to play your albums, and listen as we go.'"

Luckily, the physicians proved competent in an exhilarating musical setting, and Valle returned to work six weeks after surgery. He just had to change his lifestyle.

"Basically, I'm on the Ornish diet," he said. "I was a big meat-eater and a heavy-duty partier. I loved drinking tequila. Adios to all that."

But hello to a new, stronger perspective.

The memory of his recovery inspired Valle to rename his album and rethink his persona. The title of his new CD has been changed to "Vital Signs," and it's due for release next month.

He prefers to drop the Latin label and be considered a jazz player, plain and simple. "It will have a few things people aren't used to," he said. "But I needed to move on and do other things. It will be more jazzier, rather than Latin. I'll superimpose jazz harmonies over Afro-Caribbean rhythms."

Born in Tapachula, Mexico, Valle's evolution as a musician began when he moved with his family to Tijuana at age 10. He began playing guitar, fashioning his style after the music he heard on Avenida Revolucion.

He describes the thoroughfare as a hotbed of blues and says his playing was influenced by the likes of B.B. King and the Bobby Blue Band. Valle, now in his 50s, recalled the first time he heard an English band named the Beatles.

"I remember listening to 'Love, Love Me Do' and thinking, 'They will never make it,'" he said. "They went on to make millions, and here I am, writing jingles."

Valle jokes, but his album sales and frequent performance schedule underscore his popularity. He has won seven San Diego Music Awards in the Best Latin Jazz category and two for Best Jazz Album.

When he performs Friday with his four-piece band Equinox, the audience will hear the textured rhythms and guitar work that have made Valle a veritable San Diego institution. The group plays again July 27 at Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas. Ticket information is available at (760) 436-3036, Ext. 206.

Wednesday evenings, Valle performs with acoustic bassist Bob Magnusson, pianist Allan Phillips and saxophonist Tripp Sprague at Tutto Mare Ristorante in La Jolla.

With less instrumentation, Valle feels more daring, and he savors the delicate fingering of an acoustic setting.