Music Without Labels
It's really difficult to pick a stand out track on this album. Each tells it's own journey, but each is felt deep within your soul and vibrates outward into joy and seen by the smile on your lips. I will be playing a few tracks over the coming weeks on both my Music Without labels radio shows on Soulpower-radio.com and totallywiredradio.comFavorite track: Heritage.
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 will be released on the 30th June 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.
credits
released June 30, 2023
Zara Mcfarlane - Lead Vocals On Arise/life Forces/freedom & Progress
Bridgette Amofah - Lead Vocals On Dance Of Love & Peace/soul Of The People/flying Circles
Myles Sanko - Lead Vocals On Into The Light Of Love
Timo Lassy - Tenor Saxophone
Teppo Makynen - Drums
Pietro Lussu - Fender Rhodes , Wurlizter, Acoustic Piano
Alberto Parmegiani - Guitar
Abdissa Assefa - Congas & Percussions
Ameen Salim - Fender Bass & Double Bass On Freedom & Progress/Flying Circles/Umoja Unity
Marco Bardoscia - Electric Bass On Dance Of Love & Peace/Arise/Life Forces
Luca Alemanno - Fender Bass & Double Bass On Soul Of The People/Heritage/Into The Light Of Love
Simon Moullier - Vibraphone On Arise/Heritage
Dario Bassolino - Fender Rhodes Piano & Moog On Soul Of The People/Into The Light Of Love
Magnus Lindgren - Flute On Into The Light Of Love
Fernando Damon - Drums On Heritage
Milena Jancuric - Flute On Heritage
Pasquale Calo’ - Tenor Saxophone On Flying Circles
Hermon Mehari - Trumpet On Freedom & Progress
Paola Gladys - Vocals On Flying Circles/Freedom & Progress
Chantal Lewis - Vocals On Into The Light Of Love
Jaelee Small - Vocals On Into The Light Of Love
Produced By Nicola Conte
Music Composed By Nicola Conte & Alberto Parmegiani
Except Into The Light Of Love By Conte/Parmegiani/Sanko
Arise By Conte/Parmegiani/Mcfarlane
Soul Of The People By Conte/Parmegiani/Amofah
Recorded In Bari At Sorriso Studio
Sound Engineer Tommy Cavalieri
Overdubs:
Daniele Zazza in London
Milan Jancuric in Belgrade
Mastered By Stuart Hawkes @ Metropolis Studios
Artwork & Design By Mzwandile Buthelezi
Nicola Conte is an Italian spiritual jazz master, DJ, producer, guitarist, and bandleader. He has released on Blue Note,
Impulse!, Far Out Recordings and Schema. 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....more
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