Marcos Valle – Túnel Acústico
It’s his twenty-third album. The 81-year old Marcos Valle just completed another European tour. And he’s currently on tour in the US throughout mid October. He sounds as good as ever and his new album is once again produced by Daniel Maunick. It’s another impressive, stunning LP (yes it’s out on vinyl too), with a slightly different sequence compared to the CD. Patricia Alvi, his longtime vocal partner and wife, can be heard on the opener “Assim Não Dá”, a bubbling, feel-good number setting the tone for this totally blissful album of strong soulful grooves and boogie tunes. Two tracks are actually from his time in LA in the 70s. “Feels So Good” was written with Leon Ware back in 1979. It was sort of an unfinished demo. Until now. Leon can be heard on this newly restored version. It’s a scorching boogie tune and one of the highlights of the album. A real winner.
The other late seventies piece, “Life Is What It Is”, was written by Marcos and Laudir De Oliveira from Chicago for the band’s “13” LP which came out in 1979. Marcos’ own version is faster than the original and continues the ingenuous summer vibe. On the album, Marcos has two members from Azymuth on board: bassist Alex Malheiros and drummer Renato Massa. Singer Céu wrote the lyrics for the nicely swaying midtempo “Não Sei”, which also includes a trumpet solo by Jesse Sadoc, adding some more color to the mix. We also like “Todo Dia Santo”, a percussive jam which instantly has you grooving along. “Thank You Burt” is a nod to Burt Bacharach. Rhodes and trumpet caress Marcos’ sweet vocals.
The Rhodes are there again on the title track, a svelte instrumental which also grooves like hell. Joyce Moreno wrote the lyrics for “Bora Meu Bem”, which was already out as a single and still resonates big time, with its early 80s boogie vibes compellingly transported to the present. “Palavras Tão Gentis” has lyrics by Moreno Veloso. Another really fancy and sexy, somewhat melancholic midtempo piece which turns into a jazzy jam towards the end. The CD includes two instrumental versions of both of the 70s tracks and an additional piece. All three of them are not on the vinyl version. So check out “Para De Fazer Besteira”, a new version of the title track to his still brilliant 2001 album “Escape”. The vinyl concludes with “Tem Que Ser Feliz”, another track which features Patricia Alvi and actually the only piece on this otherwise brilliant album, which doesn’t really catch up to the rest of the tracks.
