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Nicola Conte: Other Directions

By Chris May
August 22, 2019
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Since debuting with the quintessential acid-jazz suite Jet Sounds on the Milan-based label Schema in 2000, the composer, arranger, producer and guitarist

Nicola Conte

multi-instrumentalist

" data-original-title="" title="">Nicola Conte has released another ten exquisitely beautiful albums exploring acid jazz, spiritual jazz, soul jazz and bossa nova, often all on the same disc. Conte also produces other artists and has curated rare-groove bossa nova compilations for Far Out and modal-jazz compilations for Blue Note and MPS. Everything he does is erudite and lustrous and certain to bring the sun out (do not be misled by the sombre duotone designs of some of his sleeves).

Conte's albums are usually released on Schema, but he has also put out one apiece on the European wings of Blue Note and Impulse. Both companies missed opportunities by not securing the albums for their US-based home labels. Other Directions, which was in 2004 simultaneously released on CD by European Blue Note and as a 2xLP by Schema, is among Conte's creme de la creme. In 2019, Schema have vinyl and CD editions available, each with exclusive tracks.

Other Directions is the most straight-ahead of all Conte's releases. He has written that it is his tribute to, among others,

Horace Silver

piano
1928 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Horace Silver,

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane,

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis,

Cannonball Adderley

saxophone
1928 - 1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Cannonball Adderley, the

Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band,

Bill Evans

piano
1929 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Evans and

Yusef Lateef

woodwinds
1920 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Yusef Lateef. It is performed by a mid-sized band assembled from A-list Italian jazz musicians. The arrangements are sumptuous and world-class soloists abound, including but not confined to alto saxophonists

Rosario Giuliani

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Rosario Giuliani and

Gaetano Partipilo

saxophone, alto
b.1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Gaetano Partipilo, tenor saxophonist

Daniele Scannapieco

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Daniele Scannapieco, flautist Nicola Stilo, trumpeter

Fabrizio Bosso

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Fabrizio Bosso and trombonist

Gianluca Petrella

trombone
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Gianluca Petrella. The roll call of vocalists who top and tail most tracks is equally high-end.

Twelve of the fourteen tunes are Conte originals. Some of these, such as the "So What"-ish title track, wear their historical inspirations on their sleeves. Coltrane's reading of "My Favourite Things" chimes on a couple of other tracks. The two non-originals are, as is typical with Conte, out of the left field. Both were originally included in the soundtracks of European art-house films. "All Gone," composed by British saxophonist

John Dankworth

saxophone
1927 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">John Dankworth with lyrics by playwright Harold Pinter, is from Joseph Losey's The Servant (1963). "Le Depart," by

Krzysztof Komeda

piano
1931 - 1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Krzysztof Komeda, is from Jerzy Skolimowski's The Departure (1966). Other cross-art references include Beat novelist Jack Kerouac, whose eponymous book inspired Conte's "Dharma Bums."

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Track Listing

Sea And Sand; Wanin' Moon; Nefertiti; Impulso; A Time For Spring; Kind Of Sunshine; Aphrodite's Dream; Several Shades Of Dawn; The Dharma Bums; All Gone; Other Directions; The In Between; Le Depart; Charade; Danubian; Bohemian's Dilemma; Nefertiti (Alternative Version); Waltz Of The Sirens; Teardrop Painted Blues; Quiet Stars; Kind Of Sunshine (Extended Version); Wainin' Moon (Alternative Take).

Personnel

Nicola Conte

multi-instrumentalist

Gianluca Petrella

trombone

Daniele Scannapieco

saxophone, tenor

Fabrizio Bosso

trumpet

Rosario Giuliani

saxophone, alto

Till Bronner

trumpet

Pietro Lussu

keyboards

Pietro Ciancaglini

bass

Lorenzo Tucci

drums

Nicola Stilo

flute

Pierpaolo Bisogno

percussion

Cristina Zavalloni

vocals

Bembe Segue

vocals

Luciano Minetti

keyboards

Lisa Bassenge

vocals

Album information

Title: Other Directions | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Schema Records

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