Val is a guitar player based in Milan, very active in teaching and performing. 

After studying classical guitar as a kid, he turned into blues fingerstyle and jazz reaching the degree in jazz guitar at the Civica Scuola di Jazz di Milano.

 

Val's guitar style is mainly influenced by a mixture of the sound of the american root music and jazz harmony. As Guitar International (USA) says"… a mix of fingerstyle, blues and jazz, all coming together in such an authentic, yet personal, fashion…"

 

His original compositions "A frog in the kitchen" and "3.25" gained the "new sound of acoustic guitar" prize in 2009 at The International Guitar Meeting in Sarzana (SP Italy). In the same year Val received a prize for the best arrangement with his version of Jaco Pastorius' tune: "Three views of a secret".

All these tunes were included in the debut album "Wait" (2010) which received excellent reviews In Italy Uk, Germany and Usa. "A quiet opus of mind-boggling dexterity.." (Acoustic Magazine, UK)

 

2011 Val Had to stop  for an accident occurred to his left harm, it took one year for complete recovery.

 

2014 is out "Tales". The second album recorded in duo with Cristiano Da Ros on double bass. 

La Nazione (IT)"…Lightnin' and elegant duets will engage the listeners with an unpredictable repertoire and a performance…"

 

2016 Val and Cristiano toured in Great Britain and Ireland showcasing their album.

 

Val performs in clubs, house concerts, ceremonies, and festivals all around Italy and loves busking too. During his career he had the opportunity to share the stage with Beppe Gambetta, Peter Finger, Woody Mann and Duck Baker.

 

2017 is out "Pareto Sketches" a double Cd set of original music written by Duck Baker and performed on guitar by Duck, Michele Calgaro Davide Mastrangelo Luigi Maramotti Massimo Gatti on mandolin and Val Bonetti. 

 

Val is always very active as a session man and involved in many projects. 

He is a member of IlZenDelSwing, the acoustic band of Claudio Sanfilippo, very well known singer songwriter from Milan; has a duo with Aronne Dell'Oro an italian folk singer of traditional southern Italy music. He also has a duo with the harmonica blues player Beppe Semeraro, playing early jazz, blues and ragtime.

 

2019 Val recorded “Hidden Star” nine original tracks including three special guests: Marco Ricci on double bass, Cheikh Fall on kora, and Giulio Brouzet on harmonica. The album was released on sept 2020 by the Italian label Dodici Lune (JAZZIT: “remarkable dynamics interplay and improvisation, an amazing record…”)

 

Between October and December 2020 Val is in studio to record “A World of lullabies”, original compositions and arrangements of traditional lullabies and nursery rhymes from 14 different countries, involving ten musicians as special guests

 A 14 tracks limited-edition CD is produced thanks to a crowdfunding on Produzioni dal Basso, part of the incomes were devolved to Associazione Famiglie LGS to help kids suffering Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. 

 

2021 The book Ninne Nanne Tradizionali per Chitarra Fingerstyle (ed. Fingerpicking.net ) is ready, including full transcriptions of nine lullabies, 90 pages of exercises and 68 videos, in 2022 the English version (Traditional Lullabies for Fingerstyle Guitar) is available

​

November 2021 Val is on the front cover of Chitarra Acustica with a nice featuring and interview about A World of Lullabies

 

2022 “A World of Lullabies” is published by Felmay Records in a new packaging, with a selection of 11 tracks. Available in CD and on every digital store.

​

March 2022 again Val hits the cover of Axe Guitar Magazine featuring AWOL

 

Val has established his own guitar school in Milan, to know more about his guitar courses please visit www.goodthumb.com