Samba '68

The only album released on the Verve Label by prolific Brazilian singer Marcos Valle, Samba'68 has him recording his Brazilian hits in English in order to capitalise on the then-huge Getz-Gilberto-Jobim-Mendes-Astrud market. Marcos' rapid and stunning artistic growth is apparent on this Bossa Nova classic. Fans of Sérgio Mendes and Astrud Gilberto (both of whom recorded tons of Valle's tunes) will enjoy it immensely, for Samba '68, with brilliant arrangements by Eumir Deodato, is definitely one of the ultimate "loungey" records. The album received a 4 1/2 star rating on AllMusic，with reviewer John Bush stating that "Samba'68 is a vibrant set of Brazilian pop, indebted to bossa nova and samba but undeniably Americanised for a domestic audience. The result is a joyous album throughout. One of the best Brazilian crossovers of the 1960s."