With a strong interest in the style of Clifford Brown's playing, which he had heard on some "bootleg" recordings in his native Russia, Valery defected to the United States via Rome in 1972. Naturally he was attracted to Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers and by 1976 he had replaced Bill Hardman in the trumpet chair of "Buhania's" band. From early 1977 until late 1980 Valery appeared on no less than nine Blakey recordings, absorbing the hard-bop sound, learning and developing his own technique.