Music: Valle / Deadato

Loungey samba jazz instrumental heaven

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 July 2006

Eumir Deodato frequently recorded the compositions of Marcos Valle, one of the chief composers in the second wave of Bosssa Nova. The two met as a result of Tom Jobim being too busy to do arrangements for Valle, and a long-term collaboration got underway.

This CD collects early Brazilian recordings by Deodato, many released under the ‘Os Catedraticos’ name. At this time Deodato was as much a player as arranger, playing keys throughout. As well as the bossa and jazz feels you’d expect there’s also a hefty dose of samba, with strong insistent beats and frequent use of congas and tambourine/pandeiro etc. Deodato was also in love with the phat sound of the Hammond, which he brings to bear on many of these (all instrumental) readings of Valle’s songs.

As well as Valle’s better known tunes, like ‘Os Grilos (Crickets Sing For Ana Maria)’ (the versions heard here are all built on a big, beefy Samba rhythm, nice! Sadly, one of the Spice Girls covered this as a solo release, but it goes to show that it’s one of Valle’s better known pieces), and ‘So Nice (Summer Samba)’, there are lesser known gems like ‘The White Puma’, ‘Flap’ (very chunky Hammond and attacking horns on this one) and ‘Land Of Nobody’ (the songs Brazilian title is ‘Terra de Ninguem’, there are some great unusual harmonies employed here).

‘The White Puma’ is a track I haven’t heard the Valle version of, and it’s a fabulous slice of meaty yet gentle easy listening. The horns are superbly arranged, and, as with much Brasilian stuff of this type, flute and trombones are favoured over the more typical (in the U.S.) combo of trumpets and saxes. Some people might think this is cheesy music, but really this is the blueprint for that kind of sound, and it’s actually quite lean and raw.

Since many of Deodato’s early Brazilian dates aren’t that easy to lay hands on, this is a good ‘themed’ way in, and Marcos Valle is deserving of wider recognition in his own right too, so it’s a good theme. Recommended highly!

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