Marcos Valle's contribution to the bossa nova and Brazilian music are enormous. The singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist began recording in 1963, and in the 1960s, his songs and arrangements were in huge demand by singers and instrumentalists in Brazil and in the U.S. Marcos's first trip to the States came in 1966. That year, organist Walter Wanderley recorded Marcos's Summer Samba (So Nice), which remained on the Billboard pop chart for nine weeks and reached No. 26. Marcos also teamed with Sérgio Mendes that year in a group that would become Brazil '66. The following year, Marcos played a duet with Andy Williams on the singer's TV show. Then he returned to Brazil, where he has recorded, produced and toured worldwide ever since. Marcos's most familiar bossa nova hits include The Face I Love, Os Grilos, The Answer, Chup Chup, Crickets Sing for Anamaria, She Told Me and dozens of others. [Photo at top courtesy of Marcos Valle]
Starting tomorrow (Tuesday), Marcos and his electric keyboard will be appearing at New York's Birdland through Saturday, Feb. 11 (two performances nightly). Produced by Pat Philips, this year's performance series by Marcos will include special guest, Celso Fonseca, a Brazilian guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for his Slow Motion Bossa Nova. They will be backed by vocalist Patricia Alvi, trumpeter Jesse Sadoc, bassist Itaiguara Brandao and drummer Renato Massa. For information and tickets, go here.
I caught up with Marcos last week for a Q&A while he was still in Rio:
JazzWax: What have you been up to since I saw you last February?
Marcos Valle: A DVD that was taped last year when I was in New York at Birdland with Stacey Kent was released worldwide by Sony in 2016. To promote the release, we performed two big shows in Brazil—one at Vivo Rio in Rio de Janeiro and another in São Paulo at Teatro Bradesco. I also added very special guests—guitarists and singer-songwriters Edú Lobo and Dori Caymmi. All three of us started out together in Rio when we were 21. We had a trio at the time. Then we all went off in different directions. We had not been on the same stage in 50 years, so it was beautiful to have everyone singing together again. Stacey also joined us. It was emotional, and the audience loved it. I also performed outside of Brazil in Portugal, Russia, England and different festivals in Europe as well as shows in Rio. At the same time, I’m composing a lot now because next year I will be recording a new album for Joe Davis's Far Out Records in London.
JW: Your special guest this week at Birdland will be Celso Fonseca. Where did you two first meet?
MV: I first met Celso [pronounced SELL-so] in the house of friends in the early 2000s. That was the beginning. Then one day, friends of Celso had this big idea to record an album of us singing together. They were willing to invest in the project, which would feature a large orchestra. I liked the idea very much. All of the songs were written by Celso and me together, and we sang them as duets on the album—Página Central, which was released in 2009. It came out very very good.
JW: Celso (above) is part of what’s known as the "música popular brasileira” movement, yes? How would you describe that movement?
MV: Yes, that's correct. This post-bossa movement is vast because you have many different styles within the genre, from bossa and samba to pop. They are all “música popular brasileira”—or MPB. The music itself is like a new bossa, eh? Celso is very influenced by the bossa nova and writes new bossa nova and bossa pop songs.
JW: What do you love most about Celso’s guitar?
MV: Celso is a very good musician. When he plays the electric guitar, you can hear the pop influence of George Benson in his solos. But when he sings accompanying himself on the acoustic guitar, he follows the ideas of João Gilberto. He likes João a lot and tries to make his own acoustic music and singing very soft.
JW: You wrote Samba de Verão, or Summer Samba, in the Rio bedroom you shared with your brother, Paulo. What influences played a role in that beautiful song?
MV: When I wrote Samba de Verão in 1964 with my brother, Paulo, I was 21, almost 22. We wrote it in our bedroom at our parents’ house in Rio. What I was listening to at that time was a lot of bossa nova. That meant a lot of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Roberto Menescal and Carlos Lyra. And yes, the birds outside were singing because it was summer. Samba de Verão reflects a lot of the atmosphere we had in Rio at the time. We lived close to the beach, and my brother and I were surfers. So the feeling of surfing, the girls—all of that—is part of our romantic portrait of Rio in that song.
JW: Tell me about writing Seu Encanto, which became The Face I Love? Who did you write it for?
MV: I wrote the song because I very much liked the 6/8 tempo. It’s like a jazz waltz. Even Jobim had written songs with this tempo. I love that sound. I think the 6/8 tempo was important in the bossa nova. I was excited to write one. So in 1964, when it came time to record my second album, O Compositor e o Cantor (1965), I decided to write two 6/8 songs—Seu Encanto [Your Charm in English] and Vem. I didn’t write Seu Encanto for anyone particular, to tell you the truth. I was thinking only about the tempo. My cousin, Carlos Pingarilho, came up with the beginning and then I developed the rest of the song. My brother, Paulo, wrote the original Portuguese lyric. He had this thing of “you are so beautiful” but his words weren’t written for anyone specific. It was more like a dream he imagined. After Ray Gilbert wrote the English lyric in the States, the song was retitled as The Face I Love. Ray wrote the English lyric with his wife in mind, actress Janis Page.
JW: What made Brazilian singer Sylvia Telles so special?
MV: She had a very beautiful voice and different way of interpreting songs. It was a powerful voice but at the same time cool. Also, she had a distinct style on the stage that was highly charismatic and engaging. She knew how to work the audience. She was married then to Aloysio de Oliveira, a popular record producer and actor. He directed her. She had a touch of Judy Garland, with elegance and sensuality. This made her very special, not only on records, with her unusual different timbre, but also on stage during performances. Audiences loved her. [Photo above, from left, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Sylvia Telles and Marcos Valle at RCA Studios]
JW: Did you know Brazilian organist Walter Wanderley? What was he like? He’s such an enigma here.
MV: Yes, I knew Walter well. I had met him in Brazil, but when I came to the States the second time in 1967, he lived close to me. He had a big hit with my song, Summer Samba, in 1966 and he became famous with it. A year later, he recorded four of my songs on his album Batucada—including the title track, The Crickets Sing for Anamaria, It’s Time to Sing and More Beautiful. I wrote the arrangements. Walter was an excellent organist and piano player. But at the same time, he was the opposite of Sérgio Mendes. Sergio was a businessman who knew how to build a career. Those things were difficult for Walter. Sadly, he drank a lot. That was the big problem. If he had been more organized, perhaps he could have followed on the success he had with Summer Samba. Despite his problem with alcohol, he was a very talented, nice man.
JW: Today in Rio, is there still the same romance about the bossa nova that once existed?
MV: Rio today is much different than it was back then. The social situation, atmosphere and culture are all different now. The romance and love are still there but it's less than it was. The music today goes more toward funk and other styles. Young people like pure bossa nova, but Rio still isn't like it was. The culture and vibe are totally different now.
JW: What do you feel inside when you play your music?
MV: When I play music, it’s the best moment of my life. I love to make music and I love performing and recording. I do it with a lot of love and happiness. Really, the happiest moments of my life are on stage. Of course, when I’m with my wife, Patricia, or my sons, who are 22 and 24 now, I am very happy. But music brings me everything that I need and love. It still enchants me. My music takes me back in time, of course, but it also helps me look forward to the future. Music remains a big part of my life.
JazzWax reminder: Marcos Valle and his band with special guest Celso Fonseca will be at New York's Birdland this week starting tomorrow night through Saturday, two performances nightly. For information and tickets, go here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Marcos singing Samba de Verão (Summer Samba)...
Here's Marcos singing Seu Encanto (The Face I Love)...
And here's Celso Fonseca singing his Slow Motion Bossa Nova...
