Viagem [Import]

Nicola Conte | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 19, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Far Out UK
• ASIN: B0011B9W4C
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #291,132 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Musically sophisticated...and cool !, February 19, 2008

By 

latejazzlover (San Francisco , CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Viagem (Audio CD)

"Viagem" is a compilation of Brazilian bossa nova and hard edged samba jazz from Blue Note's recording artist, DJ and producer Nicola Conte.

This unique collection compiled by Italian acid jazz innovator and eclectic champion of all things stylish and laid back, Nicola Conte, come from a defining era in Brazil's musical and cultural history.

All tracks featured derive from the independent labels who helped develop the sound of the bossa nova coming out of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in the 60s.

The album offers prime examples of the hi-octane jazz-influenced bossa nova and African-tinged samba that made Brazil the global centre of all that was musically chic, sophisticated and oh-so-cool for an all too brief period in the Sixties.

"It opens with a sound familiar to fans of Giles Peterson, DJ Phat Kev and the Brazilian Beats series -- the almost hypnotic piano of Tenorio Jr's "Nebulosa".

It's a true classic and one that conjures up images of uber cool Rio and watching girls walk by on the patterned pavements that mark the boundaries of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.

It is very much a look back at days gone by with Trio Maraya's "Canto De Ossanha" recalling images of a dusty, black and white Rio and Zimbo Trio's "Zimbo Samba" of the huge bailes that both Rio and São Paulo played host to in the late 60s.

As well as jazz infused bossa "Viagem" also documents the more anthemic African influenced sounds of samba and tracks such as "Bambe Lo" fit most easily with the world music view of Brazilian rhythms. The album provides a snapshot of Brazilian music at a time when the rest of the world was just starting to pay attention.

One of the artists at the forefront of taking Brazilian music to a wider audience was Tenorio Jr and his influence can be heard throughout.

As well as penning the opener, it is he who provides the virtuoso piano arrangements on Wanda Sá's persuasively tongue-in-cheek take on the Tom Jobim-penned classic, "Vivo Sonhando", and, as if that were not enough the album closes with "Samadhi", a gentle and emotive Tenorio cut".(Joe Kent).

This is the first in a series of DJ compiled albums for 2008 from Far Out Recordings and coinciding with the celebration of 50 years of bossa nova (1958 - 2008), "Viagem" pays testament to some of the seminal jazz inspired bossa nova and experimental music circa 1962 - 1970.

From its graphic comic, Lichtensteinesque, cover through all of its 15 tracks "Viagem" is a piece of pure history, and one that everyone should own.

Go on, treat yourself.

Track listing:

1. Nebulosa-Tenorio Jr

2. Canto De Ossanha-Trio Maraya

3. Tokio-Hector Costita Sexteto

4. Vivo Sonhando-Wanda Sa

5. Balanco Do Mar-Ana Lucia

6. Zimbo Samba-Zimbo Trio

7. Cidade Vazia-Djalma Dias & Sambossa 5

8. Samblues-Octeto De Cesar Camargo Mariano

9. Pregonceito-Yvette

10. Vamos Embora Uau-Bossa Jazz Trio

11. Samba Em Blue-Sansa Trio

12. Bambe Lo-Edgard & Os Tais

13. Gusto Deser Tomo Sou-Claudia & Brazilian Octopus

14. Margarida B-Som 3

15. Samadhi-Tenor Jr

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The real thing, November 3, 2008

By 

Noel A. Hodda (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Viagem (Audio CD)

For a while there in the late 1950s and early 60s it seemed that everyone outside Brazil was playing in the Bossa Nova style - Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd, Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Mann et al - even the likes of Frank Sinatra and others of his ilk jumped on the infectious Bossa/Samba bandwagon. This particular cd is one way to redress the balance, containing as it does a range of original Brazilian Bossa/Samba artists chosen by Nicola Conte to give us an authentic breeze-filled journey into the genre. The music swings and sways, sometimes lilting bossa, sometimes harder edged jazz samba but always good. A great overview of oft-neglected original artists.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Sampling of Classic Brazilian Vinyls, April 7, 2009

By 

bordersj2 (Boston) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Viagem (Audio CD)

I've never really been disappointed by anything Schema's Nicola Conte has worked on. Whether it be his countless remixes or his own individual albums, he has a tendency to add his own spin and influence to whatever it is he wants to release. Following him and his music through the years, it's been very clear that Brazilian musical culture are one of the strongest sources or influences in his musical career. That Far Out Records would request for him to put together this album in what was celebrating 50 years of Bossa Nova, I think it was an excellent choice. Far Out Records themselves have done justice to Brazilian music and musicians, with stunning releases from Marcos Valle, Joyce, Os Ipanemas and Azymuth all in their cataloge; along with the future in Sabrina Malheiros, Democustico and loads of other promising musicians. When you have a quality producer with a classy label, the project should be bound for success.

And this album doesn't disappoint in the slightest. It is a tribute to some of the lesser known bossa nova and Brazilian Jazz musicians that may fly under the radar. What it looks like Nicola Conte did was comb his (and maybe Gerardo Frisinas) extensive vinyl collection, looking through different labels for their top artists. Som Livre being one of them. The album starts out very well with Tenorio Jr's "Nebuloso", which sets the mood perfectly with dancing keys and cymbal. Wonderful piano work, so light. It's followed up with Trio Maraya's particularly dark version of "Canto De Ossanha", but with wonderful harmonizing, which also makes me think of Os Cariocas. I also really dug Wanda Sa's "Vivo Sonhando". Big band bossa nova with her silky soft yet slightly raspy voice. You're transported to the 60's in Brasil when you hear her sing. "Balanco Do Mar" by Ana Lucia's another of my favorites on the album. Other songs on this one that were stand-outs from the past were "Preconceito" by Yvette, which was pretty much the publicized song for the album, "Vamos Embora Uau", "Samba Em Blue" "Gosto De Ser Como Sou" and "Samadhi", which was a fantastic outro, although it actually reminds me more of a cool day in autumn.

This is a very good sample of 50's & 60's Brazilian jazz and Bossa Nova. It reminds me more of a jazz club and darker, cooler days, but the sound will really transport you to that time-period. This is unique when you consider how many bossa nova compilations there are and that they usually consist of the more obvious staples. However it's not entirely unique at all, as more than anything, it reminded me of a very old vintage vinyl compilation called "Velha Bossa Nova", which featured the likes of Walter Santos, old works by Flora Purim, Mario Castro Neves and Alaide Costa among others. Exact same feel and vibe, and I assume Nicola Conte was channeling that approach and nostalgia. Also, Nicola Conte's label-mate, Gerardo Frisina, did a compilation for the Deja-Vu label called 'Rio Evolutions' which was similar in approach to this compilation. Claudia's track can be found there too, along with a few general latin-jazz songs that were also quality. Speaking of Claudia, some of her songs are particularly hard to find through the years since they never made the transfer to vinyl, and this could be said of a lot of the other artists here. To me, it's a gift to be able to hear them again - or for the first time.

Be on the lookout for Viagem 2 in late Spring of 2009.