O Compositor E O Cantor

O Compositor e o Cantor, one of Marcos Valle's earliest albums, presents the composer and singer working through a collection of songs (many written with his brother, Paulo Sergio) that would later become Brazilian standards and Valle favorites on his later LPs. But since one of the most important elements of Valle's later artistic successes was his mastery of production and arrangement, these rather spare recordings never quite reach the peaks of his late-'60s and early-'70s material. However, the seeds of his production style are clearly visible on several tracks, including the highlight, "Preciso Aprender a Ser So." He strains a bit with the vocal parts on "Gente" and "Seu Encanto," but for the most part these are incredibly well-conceptualized songs for 1965. Fans of Astrud Gilberto will recognize the early versions of songs she later recorded with added English lyrics, including "Seu Encanto" ("The Face I Love") and "Samba de Verao" ("So Nice"). ~ John Bush