Various Artists - Nicola Conte Presents Viaggio *Pre-Order

Unlike commercial releases designed for mass consumption, library music was
created specifically to accompany images on screen. This meant creative freedom for
composers who imagined scenarios, feelings and worlds to soundtrack. Pressed in
limited quantities, these recordings were distributed only to internal circles of music
supervisors, journalists, and television professionals - making them virtually invisible
to the general public for decades.

"This is a journey through a largely forgotten world," explains Conte. "While major jazz
recording opportunities were scarce, an incredible network of small labels owned by
publishing companies - often created by the composers themselves - began to
flourish. This created an open space where musicians could express more
experimental and free thinking sounds."

At the heart of Viaggio stands Amedeo Tommasi, the sophisticated jazz pianist who
emerged in 1960 backing international stars like Chet Baker, Bobby Jaspar, and
Jacques Pelzer. Tommasi was among Italy's earliest artists to introduce Black US
modal jazz influences, and when traditional recording opportunities dwindled, he
pivoted to soundtrack and library music, helping define a distinctly Italian sound that
bridged experimental jazz with the emerging possibilities afforded by developments in
synthesizer and recording technologies.

The compilation features rare gems from small label outputs, namely the Cenacolo
and Rotary label catalogs. Tommasi's contemporaries include the great Alessandro
Alessandroni and his vocalist wife Giulia De Mutiis (Kema), Stefano Torrosi (under the
alias Farlocco - meaning fake/phony), and Belgian composer Joel Vandroogenbroeck.
The recordings capture the technological evolution of the era as beguiling synthesis
often combines with global influences spanning Brazilian rhythms, jazz- funk
explorations, and Middle Eastern scales.

"You can hear both the haunting melodies and sun-kissed atmospheres so typical of
Italian culture from that era," Conte observes. "Some of these albums could have been
proper artist releases, while others were specifically designed for accompanying
images on screen, y

Tracklisting
1. Amedeo Tommasi - Brasilia (The Sound)
2. Max Rocci & His Friends - Colorombo
3. Max Rocci & His Friends - Niagara Falls
4. Alessandroni E Il Suo Complesso - Via Mare
5. Joel Vandroogenbroeck - Electronic Jungle
6. Kema - Pescatori (Canto Femminile)
7. Desert - Leaving
8. The Swingers - Depressione
9. Latrudi - Feeling
10. Narassa, Amedeo Tommasi Trio - Lalo
11. The Swingers feat. Marco Di Marco - Meditazione
12. The Swingers - Nostalgia