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| Nicola Conte's new archival comp Viaggio presents some amazing lesser known Italian film and television soundtrack swingers. |
Viaggio compiled by Nicola Conte
Following his acclaimed five-part Viagem compilation series celebrating Brazil's forgotten bossa nova and samba jazz, Far Out, Blue Note and Schema recording artist and international DJ Nicola Conte turns his curatorial attention homeward with Viaggio, an extraordinary exploration of Italy's library music renaissance 1970-79.
Unlike commercial releases designed for mass consumption, library music was created specifically to accompany images on screen. This meant creative freedom for composers who imagined scenarios, feelings and worlds to soundtrack. Pressed in limited quantities, these recordings were distributed only to internal circles of music supervisors, journalists, and television professionals – making them virtually invisible to the general public for decades.
This is a journey through a largely forgotten world, explains Conte. While major jazz recording opportunities were scarce, an incredible network of small labels owned by publishing companies – often created by the composers themselves – began to flourish. This created an open space where musicians could express more experimental and free thinking sounds.
At the heart of Viaggio stands Amedeo Tommasi, the sophisticated jazz pianist who emerged in 1960 backing international stars like Chet Baker, Bobby Jaspar, and Jacques Pelzer. Tommasi was among Italy's earliest artists to introduce Black US modal jazz influences, and when traditional recording opportunities dwindled, he pivoted to soundtrack and library music, helping define a distinctly Italian sound that bridged experimental jazz with the emerging possibilities afforded by developments in synthesizer and recording technologies.
The compilation features rare gems from small label outputs, namely the Girraffa, Cenacolo and Rotary label catalogs. Tommasi's contemporaries include the great Alessandro Alessandroni and his vocalist wife Giulia De Mutiis (Kema), Stefano Torrosi (under the alias Farlocco - meaning fake/phony), and Belgian composer Joël Vandroogenbroeck. The recordings capture the technological evolution of the era as beguiling synthesis often combines with global influences spanning Brazilian rhythms, jazz-funk explorations, and Middle Eastern scales.
You can hear both the haunting melodies and sun-kissed atmospheres so typical of Italian culture from that era, Conte observes. Some of these albums could have been proper artist releases, while others were specifically designed for accompanying images on screen, yet all were crafted with exploratory creativity that still resonates powerfully today.
Nicola Conte Presents Viaggio releases on Vinyl LP, CD and digitally on November 28th, via Far Out Recordings. Get a copy via Bandcamp right here. Watch Nicola's preview clip right here.
TRACKLIST: Side A: Amedeo Tommasi - Brasilia (The Sound) Max Rocci & His Friends - Colorombo (Il Mondo Dei Giovani, Vol. 4) Max Rocci & His Friends - Niagara Falls (Il Mondo Dei Giovani, Vol. 4) Alessandroni E Il Suo Complesso - Via Mare (L'Ora Del Cocktail) Joël Vandroogenbroeck - Electronic Jungle (Images Of Flute In Nature) Kema - Pescatori (Canto Femminile) (La Natura E L'Uomo)
Side B: Desert - Leaving (Desert) The Swingers - Depressione (Jazz Video) Latrudi - Feeling (Teleobiettivo) Narassa, Amedeo Tommasi Trio - Lalo (Made In The USA) The Swingers feat. Marco Di Marco - Meditazione (Il Mondo Dei Giovani, Vol. 1) The Swingers - Nostalgia (Il Mondo Dei Giovani, Vol. 3)
