By DAVID GONZALEZ
Published: January 5, 2014
The autographed posters and concert photos in Dave Valentin’s living room attest to his status as one of the pre-eminent flutists in Latin jazz. Tucked among 78s tacked to the wall, they show Mr. Valentin smiling alongside performers like Tito Puente and aficionados like Bill Cosby. Nearby, a bunch of “All Access” stage passes from concerts dangle from a nail like a good-luck charm.
“Dave has played on six continents,” his manager, Richie Bonilla, said proudly. “He is alone in his class.”
Now, he is mostly alone in his home. A stroke during a gig in March 2012 left him paralyzed on his right side, unable to walk, talk or lift his playing hand. Though he has recovered about 85 percent of his abilities, several fingers on his right hand are numb, and he cannot hold up his flute for long. Instead, he spends his days in a rented bungalow in Harding Park, a warren of twisty streets along the East River in the Bronx.
He moved to this neighborhood because it was quiet and secluded, a haven for a world-traveling musician with more than a dozen albums and a Grammy to his name. He shares the home with his cats, Mambo, Bomba and Plena — “good cats, they leave my stuff alone” — and his instruments. He was a familiar sight in the neighborhood, buying a breakfast sandwich at a bodega each morning, then heading home to watch the news and practice.
But for someone recovering from a catastrophic illness, and with no savings or health insurance, living in his dimly lighted bungalow is like being in exile from fans, friends and the rhythms of everyday life.
Some days are good. Some days are not.
“How do I manage?” Mr. Valentin, 61, responded when he was asked how he was coping. “I have to. I can’t play. It’s rough. There’s a lot of depression and stuff like that. Sometimes I pick up my flute and play a few notes. I tried to play ‘Blackbird’ not that long ago. I couldn’t even talk at first. At least now I can.”
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/06/nyregion/latin-jazz-stalwart-struggles-to-make-sweet-sounds-again.html?_r=1&
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