Nicola Conte, an Italian producer/dj, is known for her loungey brand acid jazz. She heavily relies on bossa nova but is also heavily influenced in part by the swinging soundtracks to Italian films of the ’60s or ’70s. There are also touches of ethnic music and easy listening kitsch reminiscent Japan’s Pizzicato Five. Conte, a classically-trained musician, was part of the loose-knit Fez group of artists who are passionate about acid jazz revivalists. He worked with artists such as the Paolo Achenza Trio and the Fez Combo. Conte was also the mastermind of Schema, which provided a home for many artists and encouraged an Italian-inspired approach to acid jazz. His first single, “Bossa Per Due”, was a hit in underground music. It was also licensed to the U.S. by Acura for a commercial. Bossa Per Due was Conte’s first album in America. It was a slightly modified version of the Italian Jet Sounds. It was released on Thievery Corporation’s ESL (Eighteenth St Lounge) label in summer 2001. In late 2002, Jet Sounds Revisited was released as a remix. Conte returned to Blue Note’s French subsidiary two years later with Other Directions, a confident jazz date. After Quiet Stars, a number of singles, Conte returned to Blue Note’s French subsidiary with Viagem. This was his 2008 curated collection of classic Brazilian recordings. He then followed up with four volumes in 2009 and 2013. In early 2009, a two-CD set with electronic recordings called The Modern Sound Of Nicola Conte: Versions of Jazz Dub followed. Rituals In the same year, Conte used Latin jazz, Brazilian pop and John Coltrane’s early senses of experimentation as inspirations for Rituals. This exotic, broad-ranging jazz album featured five vocalists. Love 2011 saw eight singers added to the mix.
