Samba "Demais"

by John BushMarcos Valle's first album, Samba Demais, introduced one of Brazil's most refreshing talents of the 1960s and '70s, a subtle interpretive singer and an excellent songwriter (with brother Paulo Sérgio). Still, label and performer hedged their bets by having Valle mix his originals with a few perennials, including Jobim's "Vivo Sonhando" and "Ela é Carioca," plus the ballad "Moça Flor" and the Roberto Menescal set-closer "A Morte de um Deus de Sal." Boasting some easy, breezy help from Tamba Trio and a spring-like atmosphere throughout, Valle makes his debut an umitigated triumph, pausing over and treasuring his words on the Jobim songs and the originals "Amor de Nada" and "Sonho de Maria." If Valle's performance skills were already at an astonishingly high level, though, his compositional skills weren't quite as good as they'd be in 1965.