Search - Nicola Conte :: Viagem

Musically sophisticated...and cool !

latejazzlover | San Francisco , CA | 02/19/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Viagem" is a compilation of Brazilian bossa nova and hard edged samba jazz from Blue Note's recording artist, DJ and producer Nicola Conte.

This unique collection compiled by Italian acid jazz innovator and eclectic champion of all things stylish and laid back, Nicola Conte, come from a defining era in Brazil's musical and cultural history.

All tracks featured derive from the independent labels who helped develop the sound of the bossa nova coming out of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in the 60s.

The album offers prime examples of the hi-octane jazz-influenced bossa nova and African-tinged samba that made Brazil the global centre of all that was musically chic, sophisticated and oh-so-cool for an all too brief period in the Sixties.

"It opens with a sound familiar to fans of Giles Peterson, DJ Phat Kev and the Brazilian Beats series -- the almost hypnotic piano of Tenorio Jr's "Nebulosa".

It's a true classic and one that conjures up images of uber cool Rio and watching girls walk by on the patterned pavements that mark the boundaries of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.

It is very much a look back at days gone by with Trio Maraya's "Canto De Ossanha" recalling images of a dusty, black and white Rio and Zimbo Trio's "Zimbo Samba" of the huge bailes that both Rio and São Paulo played host to in the late 60s.

As well as jazz infused bossa "Viagem" also documents the more anthemic African influenced sounds of samba and tracks such as "Bambe Lo" fit most easily with the world music view of Brazilian rhythms. The album provides a snapshot of Brazilian music at a time when the rest of the world was just starting to pay attention.

One of the artists at the forefront of taking Brazilian music to a wider audience was Tenorio Jr and his influence can be heard throughout.

As well as penning the opener, it is he who provides the virtuoso piano arrangements on Wanda Sá's persuasively tongue-in-cheek take on the Tom Jobim-penned classic, "Vivo Sonhando", and, as if that were not enough the album closes with "Samadhi", a gentle and emotive Tenorio cut".(Joe Kent).

This is the first in a series of DJ compiled albums for 2008 from Far Out Recordings and coinciding with the celebration of 50 years of bossa nova (1958 - 2008), "Viagem" pays testament to some of the seminal jazz inspired bossa nova and experimental music circa 1962 - 1970.

From its graphic comic, Lichtensteinesque, cover through all of its 15 tracks "Viagem" is a piece of pure history, and one that everyone should own.

Go on, treat yourself.



Track listing:

1. Nebulosa-Tenorio Jr

2. Canto De Ossanha-Trio Maraya

3. Tokio-Hector Costita Sexteto

4. Vivo Sonhando-Wanda Sa

5. Balanco Do Mar-Ana Lucia

6. Zimbo Samba-Zimbo Trio

7. Cidade Vazia-Djalma Dias & Sambossa 5

8. Samblues-Octeto De Cesar Camargo Mariano

9. Pregonceito-Yvette

10. Vamos Embora Uau-Bossa Jazz Trio

11. Samba Em Blue-Sansa Trio

12. Bambe Lo-Edgard & Os Tais

13. Gusto Deser Tomo Sou-Claudia & Brazilian Octopus

14. Margarida B-Som 3

15. Samadhi-Tenor Jr"

The real thing

Noel A. Hodda | Sydney, Australia | 11/03/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For a while there in the late 1950s and early 60s it seemed that everyone outside Brazil was playing in the Bossa Nova style - Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd, Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Mann et al - even the likes of Frank Sinatra and others of his ilk jumped on the infectious Bossa/Samba bandwagon. This particular cd is one way to redress the balance, containing as it does a range of original Brazilian Bossa/Samba artists chosen by Nicola Conte to give us an authentic breeze-filled journey into the genre. The music swings and sways, sometimes lilting bossa, sometimes harder edged jazz samba but always good. A great overview of oft-neglected original artists."