Free Souls

Italian guitarist/DJ/songwriter Nicola Conte works at the same swanky intersection of lounge, pop, acid jazz, hard bop, soul, and world music as folks like Thievery Corporation (who released Conte’s *Bossa Per Due*). The six different singers featured on *Free Soul* are the first thing to jump out. Rising-star singer Jose James is positively killing on the uptempo Conte original “Goddess of the Sea,” and Bridgette Amofah (of the dubstep outfit Rudimental) makes three appearances, pulling off the near-miracle of recording a version of Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe” that doesn’t sound kitschy. Conte is well known for his bossa nova work and offers up “If I Should Lose You” and “Sandalia Dela” in that vein. Other highlights include Hoagy Carmichael’s “Baltimore Oriole” remade as a Latin groove burner (with another great appearance from Amofah), while the African-ized bop of “Uhuru” is an original that sounds like a Blue Note classic. All in all, it\'s an excellent effort from a musician whose work continues to impress.

An accomplished juggler when it comes to play with styles, capable to invent modern structures, Nicola got us used to his ability to blend harmonically different musical worlds and create cooperation between great musicians. Deepness is the added value of his new album, something in between consciousness and spirituality. Nothing to share with futile trends, this record is a result of an urgent need to research in the depth of the soul and his musical influences. The album features the talents of José James, Marvin Parks, Heidi Vogel, Melanie Charles, Tasha’s World and Bridgette Amofah, accompanied by a team of incredible jazzmen like Teppo Makynen, Magnus Lindgren, Greg Osby, Timo Lassy, Francesco Lento, Logan Richardson and Fabrizio Bosso.

Italian guitarist, producer, arranger, and composer Nicola Conte may have issued Free Souls as a follow-up to 2011's Love & Revolution, but its recording actually preceded it.