Musicology

Lani Hall - Sundown Lady 1972

The original voice of Sergio Mendes' Brasil '66, singer Lani Hall was also the wife of trumpeter and A&M Records co-founder Herb Alpert. Upon exiting Brasil '66, she made her solo debut in 1974 with the LP Sundown Lady; a series of releases including 1975's Hello It's Me, 1977's Sweetbird and 1979's Double or Nothing followed, but after appearing on the soundtrack to the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again, Hall largely disappeared from the recording scene, resurfacing only to make the occasional cameo appearance on her husband's recordings. However, the rise of Latin pop during the 1990s inspired Hall to return to the studio, and in 1998 she issued Brasil Nativo.
After the commercial failure of Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66's folk-rock opus Stillness, longtime vocalist Lani Hall left the group to pursue a similar approach as a solo act. Produced and arranged by husband Herb Alpert, Sundown Lady is a sublime meditation on folk, funk, and the ties that bind them. The slinky, sun-kissed opener, "Love Song," perfectly establishes the album's mood and scope, marrying Hall's intimate vocals with breezy acoustic guitar and a thick, slow-percolating bassline. Alpert's nuanced production underscores the soulful, supple grooves that push the luminous melodies in new and unexpected directions. A minor classic in desperate need of a digital-era reissue. AllMusic.

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