Italian spiritual jazz dance pioneer Nicola Conte releases superb new album ‘Umoja’ on Far Out Recordings
Since founding the Bari-based bohemian cultural movement and club night Fez at the dawn of the 90s, Italian producer, composer, guitarist, DJ, and bandleader Nicola Conte has been at the forefront of both today’s modern jazz dance and cosmic spiritual music scenes with 30 albums/EPs, 10 compilations and over 200 remixes to his name. He returns with a superb new album, titled Umoja on the London-based label Far Out Recordings.
This incredible 12-track recording brilliant blends spiritual vibes with jazz dance grooves, soulful cosmic melodies, adventurous soaring horns, and African and Afro Caribbean rhythms. The record has an overall uplifting and fresh sounding approach, while still capturing the spirit of pivotal musical icons from the 70s and 80s, such as cosmic jazz legends Lonnie Liston Smith and Gary Bartz, and Afrobeat originators Fela Kuti and Tony Allen.
The album, which was recorded direct to analog tape with only a few over dubs to maintain a spontaneous improvisational feel, was composed by Conte in collaboration with his long time friend, guitarist Alberto Parmegiani and includes some of the best musicians from around the globe, including Finnish saxophonist Timo Lassy, french vibes player Simon Mullier, rising South African drummer Fernando Damon, former Roy Hargrove bassist Ameen Saleem, and Serbian flute sensation Milena Jancuric. The full-length also features an impressive cast of guest vocalists out of the UK, including the Zara McFarlane, Myles Sanko, and Bridgette Amofah, whom Conte worked with on his acclaimed 2014 album, Free Souls.
With Umoja, Nicola Conte has put together another remarkable release that continues to fuse together different influences and musicians from around the globe. The recording works just as well on the dancefloor as it does in a listening session setting. Definitely one of the best albums of 2023!
Nicola Conte’s ‘Umoja’ will be officially released on Far Out Recording on June 30, 2023.
Nicola Conte — ‘Umoja’
(Far Out Recordings)
- Arise (feat. Zara McFarlane)
- Dance Of Love & Peace (Part 1) (feat. Bridgette Amofah)
- Life Forces (feat. Zara Mcfarlane)
- Flying Circles (feat. Bridgette Amofah)
- Freedom & Progress (feat. Zara McFarlane)
- Soul Of The People (feat. Bridgette Amofah)
- Heritage
- Into The Light Of Love (feat. Myles Sanko)
- Umoja Unity
- Dance Of Love & Peace (Part 2)
- Arise (Instrumental)
- Into The Light Of Love (Instrumental)
