Paolo Conte (born 6 January 1937) is an Italian singer, pianist, composer, and lawyer notable for his grainy, resonant voice. His compositions are evocative of Italian and Mediterranean sounds, as well as of jazz music and South American atmospheres.
Paolo Conte was born in Asti, Piedmont. His parents were avid jazz fans and Conte and his younger brother Giorgio spent their formative years listening to a lot of early jazz and blues recordings. After obtaining a law degree at the University of Parma, Conte started working as an assistant solicitor with his father, simultaneously pursuing his musical studies. He learned to play the trombone, the vibraphone and the piano,[1] and formed a jazz band with his brother on guitar. Conte’s skill for composing music and original arrangements was noted by music producer Lilli Greco, who paired Conte with lyricist Vito Pallavicini. They wrote songs for Adriano Celentano (“Azzurro”, 1968), Caterina Caselli (“Insieme a te non ci sto più”, 1968), Fausto Leali (“Deborah”, 1968) and Enzo Jannacci (“Messico e nuvole”, 1970). In 1974 Conte recorded his first album, Paolo Conte. The following year, he released another eponymous album. Following a series of well-received shows at Club Tenco in Sanremo in 1976 and the commercial success of his third album, ‘Un gelato al limon’, Conte concentrated almost exclusively on his solo career.
Some of Conte’s most popular songs have been used as film soundtracks, including “Come Di” in I Am David (2003) and Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), “Via con me” in French Kiss (1995), Mostly Martha (2001) and Welcome to Collinwood (2002). In addition, Conte’s song “L’orchestrina” is featured during the end credits for episodes 3 and 4 of the television series The New Pope (2020). In 1997 Conte won the Nastro d’Argento for Best Score for the film La freccia azzurra.
On 24 March 1999, Paolo Conte was awarded with the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, by President Giorgio Napolitano for his “outstanding cultural achievements”. On 15 May 2001, France ordered Paolo Conte Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 2015, Conte was awarded a Premio Galileo for contemporary music.
Has also received several honorary doctorates, including one from the University of Macerata (1990) (wikipedia)
And here´s his 14th album:
The musical lawyer from Asti goes on another nostalgic journey of discovery. His destination is the “900” (“Novecento”), the “Twentieth Century”, more precisely: the time of elegant entertainment in the European metropolises. The gentleman from the Mediterranean Piedmont has absorbed tango fever, swing and French chanson like an elixir of life since childhood – and he passes this inspiration on to his audience in fascinating performances. After Paolo Conte wrote love letters on the typewriter for his last work (“Parole D’Amoure Scritte A Macchina”), this time he reached for the fountain pen again. The accompaniment of the 13 new chansons obeys the acoustic purity rule. Only a synthesiser is occasionally allowed to intersperse flat harmonies, otherwise double bass, bandoneon, saxophone, vibraphone, guitars and violin create an ideal framework for the rhetoric of this fabulous man in his mid-fifties, who embellishes his wild dreams with imaginative linguistic images. 900″ does not contain compositional masterpieces like “Aquaplano” or “Azzurro”. But that does not detract from the enigmatic magic of this music. From the Dixie arrangement for “Gong-Oh” to the contemplative finale with the double bass-supported “Do Do”, there is a wide stylistic arc. Conte whispers and scratches his way through the lines of verse in his inimitable manner, miming the grief-stricken senior as well as the risk-taking airhead. Here is an original at work that has become rare in the European music scene. (Stereoplay Magazine)
If you like, you can breathe the air of a circus or a fairground, cuddle with your cuddly beloved or tango in a jazz bar at blue hour, brood over your umpteenth whisky alone and forlorn at dawn or ponder on a park bench in the sunshine. Italian chansonnier Paolo Conte conveys such and similar moods with a smoky voice and this time again without any synthetics. So double bass, piano, sax or accordion can swing all the more sensual and relaxed. (Audio Magazine)
Personnel:
Paolo Conte (vocals, piano, kazoo)
Daniele Di Gregorio (drums, percussion, vibraphone)
Davide Di Gregorio (saxophone)
Leo Martina (synthesizer)
Eleonora Nervi (bass tuba)
Daniele “Pirri” Dall’ Omo (guitar, ukulele, trumpet on 01.)
Massimo “Max Pitz” Pitzianti (bandoneon, accordeon, saxophone, clarinet)
Jino Touche (bass)
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Massimo Barbierato (violin)
Roberto Caviglione (viola)
Claudio “Dado” Dadone (guitar on 07.)
Sergio Gavioli (violin)
Luciano Girardengo (violoncello)
Marc Laferrière (saxophone on 08.)
Renzo Marino (guitar on 07.)
Massimo Dall’Omo (drums on 10.)
James Thompson (saxophone on 11.)
Jino Touche (vocals on 13.)
Tracklist:
01. Novecento 3.35
02. Il Treno Va 3.43
03. Una Di Queste Notti 3.16
04. Pesce Veloce Del Baltico 3.49
05. La Donna Della Tua Vita 3.35
06. Per Quel Che Vale 3.48
07. Inno In Re Bemolle 3.14
08. Gong-Oh 3.17
09. I Giardini Pensili Hanno Fatto Il Loro Tempo 3.30
10. Schiava Del Politeama 3.21
11. Chiamami Adesso 2.56
12. Brillantina Bengalese 3.14
13. Do-Do 3.13
All songs written by Paolo Conte
More from Paolo Conte:
Paolo Conte’s star was on the rise throughout the ’80s, yet at the same time that his ineffable stage persona was triumphing all over Europe, his records from the period — while always eminently enjoyable — were becoming slightly less consistent than before. Benefiting from the break granted by his 1985 live release Concerti, Conte sounds definitely inspired in Aguaplano, his first studio album in three years and a strong contender for his best work ever. The only double album in Conte’s discography, Aguaplano is logically the longest, but paradoxically one of the most focused projects of his entire career. One of the main reasons for this is Renzo Fantini’s production,which wisely maintains a similar instrumental palette for the entire record. Compared with previous records such as Appunti di Viaggio and Paolo Conte [1994], the sound of Aguaplano seems stripped down to the bare essentials. Backed up by the familiar rhythm section of Ares Tavolazzi, Ellade Bandini, and Jimmy Villotti, Conte’s trademark piano and vocal stylings take center stage in virtually every song. Impeccable horn arrangements render this already impressive set positively exquisite. Rather than individual efforts, Conte’s songs in Aguaplano seem conceived as parts of an organic suite of sketches or miniatures. There may not be any immediately recognizable hits in Aguaplano, but that is a consequence of its uniform quality of mood and content. This is the rare double album worth listening to in its entirety, where the sum is greater than the parts. Which is not to say that, taken individually, the songs are not of the highest Conte standard: “Anni,” “Blu Notte,” “Gratis,” “Ratafià,” “Les Tam-Tam du Paradis…” — it is almost unfair to look for highlights in such a cohesive collection, one that seems to get better with every listening. If anything, in another rare occurrence for a double album, the second disc is probably superior to the first.
ManyFantasticColors 