Along with a version of João Donato's "Naquela Base," Nicola cut a new tune inspired by Glauber Rocha's film Terre Em Transe.
Here's the scoop...
Fresh from the recording sessions of his new album due for release in early 2027, Nicola Conte has blessed us with a spectacular double A side 7” for this year’s Record Store Day. The A-side is a new original composition "Terra Em Transe" inspired by Glauber Rocha's Brazilian cinema novo classic Terre Em Transe (Entranced Earth) from 1967 (watch it below) while the flipside features a live-in-the-studio update of João Donato's hard bossa gem "Naquela Base" (listen below) which originally appeared on the 1962 album Muito À Vontade which everyone should own. Limited to 1000 copies, these have been moving fast, but if there’s any left by May 15th, they’ll be available from the Far Out website and Bandcamp. Nicola discusses the new single following the credits.
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.
The 12-track compilation spotlights the remarkable creative explosion that occurred during the seventies: when some of the greatest yet most historically overlooked composers, including Amedeo Tommasi, Alessandro Alessandroni and Max Rocci, were composing and recording huge amounts of original music for film and television libraries.
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)
Nicola Conte's "Love & Revolution" album is getting a long overdue vinyl release. Check out "Ghana" with Gregory Porter.
Here's the scoop...
“Do You Feel Like I Feel” and “Ghana” are two tracks which originally appeared on Nicola Conte's “Love & Revolution” album released on Impulse! back in 2011. While producing that record, Nicola Conte was joined by an impressive cadre of guests, both Italian and international, a rich collective invited by the artist to enter the studio of his long-time friend Tommy Cavalieri and participate in the creation of a diverse and modern jazz album. However, “Love & Revolution” has never been released on vinyl – until now. Soon a brand new 2-LP version will see the light of day on Schema Records, preceded by 45rpm single featuring two of the most significant tracks and the main ingredients of the entire work: the soul of “Do You Feel Like I Feel” and the Latin-jazz of “Ghana”.
Both tracks are further embellished by Magnus Lindgren’s arrangements and, in particular, by the voice of Gregory Porter, here still at the beginning of his career, recognized by Nicola Conte as a rising star of the contemporary vocal jazz scene. Get a copy of Nicola Conte's new single with Gregory Porter right here here. Have a listen to "Ghana" below along with Nicola and crew's stellar live performance of the Bubba Thomas classic "All Praises To Allah" originally by the Lightmen Plus One.
Nicola Conte's uplifting Umoja recording gets a slammin' percussive enhancement from Joe Claussell. Check it out.
Here's the scoop from Nicola Conte...
𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗝𝗔 reimagined by Joaquin Joe Claussell it has been truly a work of Art, a work of Love, a work blossomed out of Friendship. Yes it is about Unity and togetherness lighting up the soul of the people in a time where our communities are under the pressure of the darkest minds. Thanks Joaquin Joe Claussell, thanks Joe Davis and all at Far Out, thanks to the musicians involved.
Peace & Understanding.
𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲 - 𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗝𝗔 | 𝗝𝗼𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝙎𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙍𝙝𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙢 𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘 & 𝘾𝙤𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙭𝙚𝙨 releases on double vinyl LP, CD and digitally. Get it from your platform of choice right here. Have a listen to the remix followed by the original below.
Well-connected DJ.and guitarist/composer Nicola Conte brought together musicians from around the world for the epic Umoja.
Here's the scoop...
Renowned Italian spiritual jazz master, DJ, producer, guitarist, and bandleader Nicola Conte proudly presents his new album Umoja via London based label Far Out Recordings.
A joyous exultation across ten tracks, Umoja taps into the abundant well of knowledge Conte has amassed over his career as connoisseuring compiler and archivist of deep jazz, latin, afrofuturist, bossa-nova and soul music from around the world. Expressing unity, oneness and harmony in Swahili, Umoja coalesces universal feelings through the multifaceted global music Conte has spent his life studying and researching.
Having released music with Blue Note, Impulse! and Schema records, Nicola Conte’s relationship with Far Out began over a shared love of hard-edged bossa-nova and swinging samba-jazz. Between 2009-2013 Nicola Conte compiled five volumes of forgotten 60s Brazilian music for his Viagem series. He then released his critically acclaimed Natural album: a collaboration with vocalist Stefania Dippiero, featuring jazz standards alongside covers of lesser known Brazilian gems.
The music of Umoja draws on the deep-dug 70's independent spiritual and free jazz sounds, private-press soul records, and African and Afro Caribbean rhythms in Conte’s collection. But he equally recognises his debt to many of the decade’s more celebrated musical icons, such as North American cosmic jazz masters Lonnie Liston Smith and Gary Bartz, and Afrobeat originators Fela Kuti and Tony Allen.
Since founding the Bari-based bohemian cultural movement and club night Fez at the dawn of the nineties, Conte has proven to be a pillar of the contemporary, international soul-jazz scene. Composed alongside his long time friend, guitarist Alberto Parmegiani, Conte brings together a dazzling host of guests from around the world, including award winning British vocalist Zara Mcfarlane, acclaimed Finnish saxophonist Timo Lassy, french vibes player Simon Mullier, US vocalist Myles Sanko, rising South African drummer Fernando Damon, former Roy Hargrove bassist Ameen Saleem and Serbian flute sensation Milena Jancuric.
Proudly revivalist, Umoja was recorded direct to analog tape, with just two takes for each track. “Searching for an unadulterated, spontaneous, almost improvised feeling”, Nicola made sure that the few overdubs were also transferred to tape in order to retain the colour and warmth of the analog sound. “Very little post production or editing has been added, so what you hear is largely what happened in those magical live sessions”.
Umoja is now available via Far Out Recordings on double vinyl LP, CD and digital. The vinyl release has been cut at 45rpm for, super-loud, high definition sound. Get Umoja via Bandcamp right here. Have a listen following the tracklisting below.
Umoja – Nicola Conte
1. Arise (feat. Zara McFarlane) 04:25
2. Dance Of Love & Peace (Part 1) 03:57
3. Life Forces 05:54
4. Flying Circles 05:42
5. Freedom & Progress (feat. Zara McFarlane) 08:12
6. Soul Of The People 05:10
7. Heritage 05:09
8. Into The Light Of Love (feat. Myles Sanko) 04:13
Here's another stellar selection of vintage spiritual jazz from Nicola Conte & Cloud Danko.
Tracklist: Intro - The Voyage Horace Tapscott With The Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra - Desert Fairy Princess Uele Kalabubu Et Sa Tribu - Tara Din Din The Yoruba Singers - Ojinga's Own Anthony 'Reebop' Kwaku Bah - 200 To 500 Years Ago Smahila & The S.B.'s - African Movement Spirit Konekson - Kini Hewu Abeti - Bibile Hedzoleh Soundz - Tsui Sitoo (Patience) Archie Shepp - Song For Mozambique / Poem: A Sea Of Faces La Mont Zeno Theatre feat. Masequa Myers - Black Land Of The Nile Kuumba-Toudie Heath - Kamili McCoy Tyner - Asante
Nicola Conte's new archival collection Cosmic Forest: The Spiritual Sounds of MPS will be out September 21.
"Cosmic Forest" takes us on a spiritual journey through the musical universe of Musik Produktion Schwarzwald aka MPS, the most important German jazz label of the 1960's and 70's. Alongside such younger firms as ECM, Enja, and ACT, its catalogue of around 500 albums remains to this day one of the most interesting, comprehensive, multi-textured collections of "jazz made in Germany". German businessman Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer (HGBS), owner of the German electronics company SABA in Villingen/ Schwenningen, founded a record company in 1965 under the same name and equipped it with its own recording studio. Three years later he renamed the company MPS. The exceptional recording equipment and premium-quality record pressings, which were usually made in editions of 500 to 1000 LPs, are to this day regarded as "state of the art". Consequently, SABA/MPS remains one of the most important jazz labels for both vinyl collectors and fans.
There are still little-known gems to discover within the MPS catalogue. For instance, Cosmic Forest curated by DJ deluxe Nicola Conte. Cosmic Forest is a compilation that highlights some of the most compelling "spiritual jazz" recordings from 1965 to 1975. Conte, a world-renowned Italian musician and producer, as well as a passionate DJ and record collector, is a connoisseur of European jazz with an astounding ability to dig a little deeper when it comes to arranging such a compilation. In this case, he concentrated on the spiritual highpoints of the MPS catalogue, highlighting both well-known and obscure musical treasures, while connecting disparate pieces through a personal common thread. The choice of individual titles and the flowing character of their arrangement lend the album a quality of timelessness, while showcasing the breadth of the entire "cosmic jazz collection" within the MPS archives. Watch the preview clip below followed by MPS classics recorded by Michael Naura, Nathan Davis and George Gruntz.
As part of the 2012 NuFunk Festival, in collaboration with Do Right! Music, jazz sensation José James will play the Great Hall on Friday March 2.
The supremely soulful Minneapolis-born singer combines a deep knowledge of the jazz tradition with a b-boy's respect for hip hop culture (check his creative reinvention of Freestyle Fellowship's Park Bench People below) for a spiritually potent sound all his own. Undeterred by the lack of support from commercial radio and the woefully out-of-touch mainstream jazz media, James steadily built a global following with stellar festival performances, sold-out club dates and profile-raising collaborations with McCoy Tyner, Jazzanova, Chico Hamilton, Nicola Conte, Wynton Marsalis, Flying Lotus, The Heritage Orchestra, Christian McBride, Toshio Matsuura, Simbad and Robert Mitchell.
While James'superb swing through the standards on 2010's For All We Know (Impulse!) served notice to the jazz establishment that the promising young baritone had serious chops, the next album could be the topper. As such, James' return to Toronto to preview material for his forthcoming release No Beginning, No End will make his show at the Great Hall (1087 Queen West) a major event.
Tickets are $20 advance and available at Play De Record (357A Yonge), Soundscapes (572 College) and Rotate This (801 Queen West).
The long awaited Nicola Conte album Love & Revolution is finally finished and it's coming out on the Impulse! label through Universal which seems perfect for the sunny spiritual jazz vibe of the highly collaborative project. Once you get past the festively flowery sleeve art, the first thing you'll notice about the new 15-track recording (there's also a limited-run 2 CD version with six bonus songs) is that it's much more of a vocally-driven affair from the deep-digging DJ turned dancefloor jazz maestro with notable contributions from rising star José James along with Gregory Porter, Alice Ricciardi and Nailah Porter. Their positively smokin' update of the Roy Ayers Ubiquity classic Love From The Sun (see the clip below) will make you forget Alex Attias ever touched it.
Of course, Conte's bold decision to tackle such monumental pieces – including the Lightmen Plus One's majestic All Praises To Allah reissued on Now Again's enhanced US version of the superb Spiritual Jazz compilation – required serious instrumental support so Conte enlisted a stellar cast Timo Lassey on flute and baritone sax, Till Bronner, Fabrizio Boss, and Flavio Boltro on trumpet; Magnus Lindgren and Tim Warfield on tenor sax, in addition to his dependable core group comprising Gaetano Partipilo, Pietro Lussu, Paolo Benedettini, Teppo Makynen, Bridgette Amofah, Fabrizio Bosso, and Pierpaolo Bisogno. There's no telling when (or even if) it will appear in Canada but since Conte just staged a Love & Revolution release party at Teatro Piccini in his hometown of Bari, Italy on May 21, the album will likely be available in some form momentarily. Love & Revolution (Impulse!)
1 / Do You Feel Like I Feel (3:53)
2 / Love from the Sun (4:33)
3 / Here (3:50)
4 / Black Spirits (5:44)
5 / Mystery of You (4:22)
6 / Shiva (5:30)
7 / Ghana (5:09)
8 / Quiet Dawn (4:45)
9 / Scarborough Fair (4:03)
10 / Love and Revolution (3:35)
11 / Bantu (5:59)
12 / All Praises to Allah (4:30)
13 / Ra in Egypt (4:02)
14 / Temple of Far East (6:06)
15 / I'm the Air (4:19)
Love From The Sun by Nicola Conte feat. José James
