Nicola Conte – Other Directions

Something surprisingly uncommented upon.

Track "Other Directions" is an ode to The Tubby Hayes Quintet "Down In The Village", from album of same title "Down In The Village" (Fontana, 1963).

Also, "Le Départ" is a cover of Krzysztof Komeda's track of the same name, taken from the OST of the Jerzy Skolimowski film "Le Départ (Bande Originale Du Film De Jerzy Skolimowski)" (1967).

More mature than his previous outings, on the whole this is more straight ahead jazz, fairly enjoyable, the title track is my favourite.

Nicola Conte moves from his electronic-jazz hybrid to a more full-on jazz album with _Other Directions_. The summery vibe still remains, but Conte eschews the exotic locales of _Bossa Per Due_ for a more straightforward groove (though the Brazilian vibe lives on "Sea and Sand". "Wanin'Moon," for example, has a classic structure, replete with sailing vocals, while "Impulso" surges forward with a quick step rhythm. "Kind of Sunshine" brings in the house kick-drum, it's only appearance on an otherwise sedate album. If anything, Nicola Conte and Koop have the same aesthetic: keep it mellow, keep it pleasant, keep it sensuous. And that's always a step in the right direction. "Aphrodite’s Dream" soothes like a Swedish massage, while "The Dharma Bums" feels like a summer drive along the Italian coastline. The title track takes its own journey on the double bass and sax. But it’s Conte’s cover of Krzysztof Komeda’s "Le Depart" that really travels the distance, stretching, as it does, from Poland to France. Any direction is a good one to take with this album.