Valerie's new album "Meridian" is now available on Amazon mp3 and iTunes!
“Meridians is a very personal album for me and taps into my desire to take listeners on a subtle, meditative inward journey,” says Valerie. "My ultimate goal is to pull listeners into a different mental state, then bring them back to the present moment. It’s about giving them an opportunity to mentally release any negativity in their day or their lives. Instrumentally I’m trying to achieve certain moods and feelings...the Meridians album flows back and forth from a very rich textural soundscape to the direct intimacy of solo piano.”
Blending her longtime passion for the healing arts with her dynamic background as a classically trained pianist and progressive jazz performer, Valerie invites listeners on a fascinating inward journey with her latest independent recording "Meridians". This new collection balances four hypnotic solo piano pieces with five multi-textured, soundscape-rich tracks (featuring voice, accordion, keyboard and mixing effects).
In recent years, Valerie has become a fixture on the San Francisco music scene, leading her own group Circular Dreaming (which combines live performance with ambient projected visuals) and collaborating with a wide range of musicians. She does everything from performing live silent film soundtracks with Mark Izu to accompanying the hardcore punk group Say Bok Gwai and appearing regularly as the keyboardist for the Eddie Gale Band. She has performed at a wide variety of music festivals and venues, including the Vision Festival (NY), San Jose Jazz Festival, Bach Dynamite Society (Half Moon Bay), Sista's Place (NY), Zebulon Cafe Concert (NY), Afrikan Poetry Theater (NY), An die Musik (Baltimore), Club Jazz Nouveau (SF), The Luggage Store (SF), Community Music Center (SF), 21 Grand (Oakland) and Yoshi’s Jazz Club (Oakland).