Before reaching the age required to obtain a Florida driver’s permit, José Valentino Ruiz, aka-Joe Ruiz, was playing flute with passion and dexterity. José Valentino was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, and lived with his family in Laurel, Maryland during the first eight years of his life prior to moving to Tampa, Florida. Frequent trips with his family to Puerto Rico infused fervor in his soul for his Hispanic heritage and excitement for Latin rhythms. José Valentino values his heritage and refers to Puerto Rico as a place where music is like water, it’s a necessity. As a toddler, while visiting his grandparents, he was very impressed by some of the Island distinctive sounds, particularly: “el gallo” (rooster) and “el coquí” (singing frog). No question that his young ear was detecting nature’s musical notes.

Diligently practicing for hours a day, José honed his skills. He performs as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist in his concerts bringing art music from around the world to his audiences. José Valentino primary instrument is the flute. In addition, he plays saxophone, EWI, bass and piano. In his freshman year of high school, José was introduced by his band director the African-American art form called Jazz. It was the essence of freedom, its complexity fused with communicative virtuosity that compelled him to get deep within this music, thus changing his life forever. José is inspired from the innovators such as John Coltrane Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Wayne Shorter to the more recent innovators: Richard Bona, Victor Wooten, Herbie Hancock, Chris Potter, Chris Botti, Terrence Blanchard, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Michael Brecker, etc.

In his performances, José captures the audience’s attention because he brings music from all parts of the world and fuses it all together. José has different bands which vary on what the setting is and the musical genres he is asked to perform. "Overall I just want to bring people together with music....it's something that all people of all ages seem to agree on and if I have made someone's day better, I know I'm doing something right.” Some awards and accolades José Valentino has received include: Yamaha Young Performing Artist, NFAA Merit Award winner, Downbeat Magazine Jazz Soloist Outstanding Performance Award, 1st place award for Film Scoring "Breaking Point", etc. José Valentino has shared the stage and/or opened up for Chick Corea, Aaron Neville, Larry King, Eddie James, Giovanni Hidalgo, John Clayton, Bobby Valentin, Andy Montanez, Domingo Quinones, Roberto Roena, Willi Rosario, Limite 21, Juan Velez, Eric Alexander, Ed Calle, Hubert Laws, Danny Gottlieb, Kenny Drew Jr., John Lamb, Slide Hampton, Rickard Drexler, Dayve Stewart, Akira Tana, Dave Steinmeyer, Pancho Irizarry, Dayve Stewart, Ken Navarro, Jim Walker, Eric Darius, David y Abraham, Voices of Lee, and many more.

José's first CD which was released in 2005. The CD is a reflection of José's graditude for his influences on the flute (Dave Valentin, Nestor Torres, and Hubert Laws). FLUTE ON FIRE brings an array of styles from around the world fused together to make a listening journey worth while! Aside from recording various instruments (Flute, ethnic flutes, soprano saxophone, and percussion), José demonstrates his arranging skills with the various instruments throughout the CD.

José's latest CD "ALL ABOUT YOU" released in September 6 of 2008. "ALL ABOUT YOU" is a special album that will take you on a sonic trance like never before! This CD has been noted by many to be the instrumental album that sets a new standard in demonstrating maturity, simplicity fused with complexity, virtuosic playing by all musicians, and reaching new territory in music as a whole. It features many special guests such as: legendary percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo, cuatro virtuoso Alvin Medina, Spanish guitar phenomenon Pancho Irizarry, Grammy Award winners Marcos Sanchez and Lannie Battistini, eclectic vocalist Christina Valerie, and so many more!!!!!!! This album has flavors for everyone; Whether it's Funk, Ballads played with conviction, Firey Latin Jazz, Burning Post-Bop, Groovin' Soul, or the international sounds of World Music, you DO NOT want to miss out on this album! With a collection of original pieces and re-arranged masterpieces by many legends such as Tina Turner, David Foster, Miles Davis, El Grand Combo, John Coltrane, Armando Manzanero, and Juan Luis Guerra, it will be sure to leave your ears hungry for more. Most of all, this CD is a personal reflection of Jose Valentino and his growth from his previous album "Flute on Fire." When listening to the "ALL ABOUT YOU", you will hear and read about Jose's journey as a young individual seeking to unite and inspire people through the art form called music. Be sure to keep update with the website for more information about Jose's upcoming events!