Search - Chris Conway :: Chocolate Bossa

A modern bossa jazz classic

Dorian Morian | United Kingdom | 06/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An exotic selection of bossa novas and Latin jazz grooves created using only the finest ingredients including acoustic songs, electronica, retro, chill-out, lounge, and fusion.



Three years in the making, Chocolate Bossa is multi-instrumentalist Chris Conway's amazing musical love letter to Brazil, and features guest artists Brazilian jazz diva Ithamara Koorax and percussion master Thiago DeMello (recorded in Brazil) on one track.



Chocolate Bossa has all the Conway hallmarks - the lush instrumentation, the cool arrangements and wonderfully varied compositions including influences from his unparalleled musical experience in many genres.



Latin music is a thread that can be traced through much of CCs music over the years, something he puts down to his earliest influence -

"When I was 10, I had hippy older brothers - one was at Woodstock (though he can't remember much about it!) - I picked up a lot of music that was floating around the house. My first 4 albums I bought were Santana albums - from there I heard Flora Purim & Airto, Chick Corea and more recently Marcos Valle and Ithamara Koorax. Like Celtic music and jazz, Latin music got in my bloodstream."



Chocolate Bossa was conceived 3 years ago when CC wrote a song The Answer for Ithamara Koorax, and sent it to her in Brazil. She loved it and recorded her vocal part in Rio bringing percussion master Thiago de Mello to the recording session.



Ithamara says of The Answer - "Each time I listen to that tune I like it more. It's very charming, sophisticated, and enchanting. Few times I like so much my singing in a track the way I do with The Answer."



CC chose in his liner notes to Chocolate Bossa to dedicate each track to an artist or friend who influenced some aspect of the track as a thank-you. Well known artists receiving a dedication include Flora & Airto, Paul Winter, thereminist Barbara Buchholz, Leon Thomas, Pharaoh Sanders, Carlos Santana, Ithamara Koorax of course, bossa master Marcos Valle, plus Brian Wilson, Jimmy Webb, Pat Metheny and the group The Free Design. Whatever the influence, the tracks are all characteristically Conway creations.



Chris Conway - vocals, piano, keyboards, nylon string guitar, electric & acoustic 9 string guitars, tin and low Irish whistles, bamboo flute, theremin, kalimba, samples, loops, electronic and acoustic percussion



Neil Segrott - fretless bass

Zorpinda Zorpin - percussion, temple bells

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special guests on "The Answer"

Ithamara Koorax - vocals

Thiago DeMello - acoustic percussion"