ROSIE VELA – ZAZU (1986)

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Former model Rosie Vela jumped into music in a big way here, enlisting Gary Katz as her producer. The result is a release with a decidedly ’80s feel. Vela also wrote or co-wrote all nine songs, which are hooky and quirky at the same time. “Magic Smile” features Donald Fagen and Walter Becker on synthesizer, their first in-studio meet-up in years; elsewhere, Becker pulls out his guitar for a whacked solo on “Interlude.” Even more stunning is the song “Boxs,” which manages to be weird and wonderful. It’s a shame the album didn’t garner much airplay in the U.S. Vela’s second album, “Sun Across the Altar,” ended up going unreleased.