Nicola Conte
Encyclopedia
Nicola Conte is an Italian
DJ
, producer
, guitar
ist, and bandleader, known initially for introducing an innovative style of acid jazz
that incorporates bossa nova
themes, melodies drawn from Italian film score
s of the 1960s, easy listening themes, and ethnic India
n music. Recently, he has focused much more of his music on latin jazz
, with both his albums Other Directions (2004, Blue Note
& Schema
) and Rituals (2008, Schema
), and very many remixes he has done for contemporaries stretching across many closely related genres.
Conte, a classically-trained musician, is an innovative jazz revivalist and part of what was termed "The Fez Collective", based in the Italian town of Bari, and the Idizioni-Ishatr/Schema Records
, a record label
known for promoting a distinctly Italian approach to acid jazz as well as jazz music as a whole.
Conte's first album was Jet Sounds of 2000. The single "Bossa Per Due" gained international recognition and was an underground hit. It was used within a short time for a prime-time commercial for Acura
automobiles. The album was licensed for American distribution by Thievery Corporation
's Eighteenth Street Lounge (ESL) label in the summer of 2001 as Bossa Per Due, and was a slightly reconfigured version of the Italian Jet Sounds album. This was followed by the Jet Sounds Revisited remix album in late 2002. Two years later, Blue Note
's French
subsidiary released Conte's next album Other Directions. In November 2008, Conte released his latest album, Rituals.
In November 2009, Nicola released "The Modern Sound of Nicola Conte", versions in jazz-dub, on Schema records. Unlike his 2002 remix album which featured artists largely reworking his songs, this two CD set had Nicola releasing original titles and featured some of his jazz styled remixes of other people's works.
Conte has also produced albums by other artists such as Rosalia De Souza
and Paolo Achenza Trio.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, and bandleader, known initially for introducing an innovative style of acid jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
that incorporates bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
themes, melodies drawn from Italian film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
s of the 1960s, easy listening themes, and ethnic India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n music. Recently, he has focused much more of his music on latin jazz
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is the general term given to jazz with Latin American rhythms.The three main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican:# Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova...
, with both his albums Other Directions (2004, Blue Note
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
& Schema
Schema Records
Schema Records is a prominent Italian record label, specializing in jazz, Brazil, and Latin influenced music. They are a sublabel of Ishtar Recrds and own the sublabels Big Sur Recordings and Milano 2000.-Artists:*Artless*Balanço...
) and Rituals (2008, Schema
Schema Records
Schema Records is a prominent Italian record label, specializing in jazz, Brazil, and Latin influenced music. They are a sublabel of Ishtar Recrds and own the sublabels Big Sur Recordings and Milano 2000.-Artists:*Artless*Balanço...
), and very many remixes he has done for contemporaries stretching across many closely related genres.
Conte, a classically-trained musician, is an innovative jazz revivalist and part of what was termed "The Fez Collective", based in the Italian town of Bari, and the Idizioni-Ishatr/Schema Records
Schema Records
Schema Records is a prominent Italian record label, specializing in jazz, Brazil, and Latin influenced music. They are a sublabel of Ishtar Recrds and own the sublabels Big Sur Recordings and Milano 2000.-Artists:*Artless*Balanço...
, a record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
known for promoting a distinctly Italian approach to acid jazz as well as jazz music as a whole.
Conte's first album was Jet Sounds of 2000. The single "Bossa Per Due" gained international recognition and was an underground hit. It was used within a short time for a prime-time commercial for Acura
Acura
Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. The brand has been available in the United States and Canada since March 1986, marketing luxury, performance, and near-performance vehicles. It was introduced to Hong Kong in 1991, Mexico in 2004, and China in 2006...
automobiles. The album was licensed for American distribution by Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation is a Washington, D.C. based recording artist and DJ duo consisting of Rob Garza, Eric Hilton, and their supporting artists, including current drummer Jeff Franca...
's Eighteenth Street Lounge (ESL) label in the summer of 2001 as Bossa Per Due, and was a slightly reconfigured version of the Italian Jet Sounds album. This was followed by the Jet Sounds Revisited remix album in late 2002. Two years later, Blue Note
Blue note
In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. Typically the alteration is a semitone or less, but this varies among performers and genres. Country blues, in particular, features wide variations from the...
's French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
subsidiary released Conte's next album Other Directions. In November 2008, Conte released his latest album, Rituals.
In November 2009, Nicola released "The Modern Sound of Nicola Conte", versions in jazz-dub, on Schema records. Unlike his 2002 remix album which featured artists largely reworking his songs, this two CD set had Nicola releasing original titles and featured some of his jazz styled remixes of other people's works.
Conte has also produced albums by other artists such as Rosalia De Souza
Rosalia de Souza
Rosalia de Souza is a Brazilian bossa nova singer. She was born in Nilópolis in the state of Rio de Janeiro, an area famous for Beija Flor Samba...
and Paolo Achenza Trio.
Albums
- Jet Sounds (2000) Schema RecordsSchema RecordsSchema Records is a prominent Italian record label, specializing in jazz, Brazil, and Latin influenced music. They are a sublabel of Ishtar Recrds and own the sublabels Big Sur Recordings and Milano 2000.-Artists:*Artless*Balanço...
- Bossa per Due (2001) ESL Records
- Jet Sounds Revisited (2002) Schema RecordsSchema RecordsSchema Records is a prominent Italian record label, specializing in jazz, Brazil, and Latin influenced music. They are a sublabel of Ishtar Recrds and own the sublabels Big Sur Recordings and Milano 2000.-Artists:*Artless*Balanço...
- Other Directions (2004) Blue Note RecordsBlue Note RecordsBlue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
/ Schema RecordsSchema RecordsSchema Records is a prominent Italian record label, specializing in jazz, Brazil, and Latin influenced music. They are a sublabel of Ishtar Recrds and own the sublabels Big Sur Recordings and Milano 2000.-Artists:*Artless*Balanço... - Rituals (2008) Schema RecordsSchema RecordsSchema Records is a prominent Italian record label, specializing in jazz, Brazil, and Latin influenced music. They are a sublabel of Ishtar Recrds and own the sublabels Big Sur Recordings and Milano 2000.-Artists:*Artless*Balanço...
- The Modern Sound of Nicola Conte (2009) Schema RecordsSchema RecordsSchema Records is a prominent Italian record label, specializing in jazz, Brazil, and Latin influenced music. They are a sublabel of Ishtar Recrds and own the sublabels Big Sur Recordings and Milano 2000.-Artists:*Artless*Balanço...
- Love & Revolution (2011) Impulz!/Universal Music
Compilations
- Viagem (2008) (Far Out RecordingsFar Out RecordingsFar Out Recordings is a UK-based record label specializing is the music of Brazil.The label released a Milton Nascimento performance of two ballets.-Artists:*Aleuda*Antonio Adolfo*Arthur Verocai*Azymuth*Binario*Celia Vaz*Clara Moreno*Danny Wheeler...
) - Viagem 2 (2009) (Far Out RecordingsFar Out RecordingsFar Out Recordings is a UK-based record label specializing is the music of Brazil.The label released a Milton Nascimento performance of two ballets.-Artists:*Aleuda*Antonio Adolfo*Arthur Verocai*Azymuth*Binario*Celia Vaz*Clara Moreno*Danny Wheeler...
) - Viagem 3 (2011) (Far Out RecordingsFar Out RecordingsFar Out Recordings is a UK-based record label specializing is the music of Brazil.The label released a Milton Nascimento performance of two ballets.-Artists:*Aleuda*Antonio Adolfo*Arthur Verocai*Azymuth*Binario*Celia Vaz*Clara Moreno*Danny Wheeler...
)
Collaborations (selected)
- Putumayo Presents World Lounge- Conte is recorded on the second track: "Missione A Bombay"; (April 9, 2002) Putumayo World Music
External links
- Nicola Conte — official website
- Nicola Conte discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Nicola Conte at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....