Marcos Valle & Stacey Kent feat. Jim Tomlinson. This recording was done in a 2013 show. Their collaboration was materialized in live shows, a DVD and Cd box “Live at Birdland – New York City” and a single.
“Amando Demais” is one of the most beautiful and less known Brazilian songs. Seems to be from the Bossa Nova epoch, but it is somewhat newer. The story goes that a journalist gave to Vinicius de Moraes’s family after his passing, a small poem written in a piece of paper. It had an annotation: “Carlos Lyra.” They handed the paper to Lyra, an accomplished Vinicius de Moraes partner in composing. Instead of writing a song for that lyrics, Lyra kept the piece of paper. In 2013 at a party held by old friends to celebrate Moraes’s 100th birthday, Lyra gave Marcos Valle the text. Valle wrote the tune for those lyrics. Lyra’s generosity enabled the first and unfortunately, only collaboration between Vinicius de Moraes and Marcos Valle. It’s a marvelously simple song.
But I’m not sure if the result would be so marvelous without Stacey Kent’s interpretation. Her voice is perfect for this kind of song. Stacy is an established Jazz singer. A good one with a crisp sound. Besides her voice fitting Bossa Nova songs entirely, she can sing in a very palatable Portuguese, something not that easy for a native English speaker.
It is also necessary to pinpoint Jim Tomlinson’s sax solo, which fits nicely into the arrangement and adds a calm, “summer sunset” mood. Marcos Valle plays with his usual band, a group of talented Brazilian contemporary musicians that keeps the heritage of Bossa Nova: to perform smoothly and precisely. Even João Gilberto would not complain… Feel the chemistry between Marcos, Stacy, Jim, and the band: Tender moments, nothing short of perfection.
Brazil Drops 