Search - Paolo Conte :: Paolo Conte

Polished nonchalance

Eric J. Lyman | Roma, Lazio Italy | 06/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Italians, I think, take Paolo Conte for granted. His raspy voice, playful melodies, and knowing lyrics have been part of the musical landscape in Italy for years, and many local fans have come of age listening to his music. But when a mature listener tunes in to Mr. Conte's music for the first time, that is when the magic happens.



I have seen Mr. Conte play live twice -- once here in Rome, once in Paris -- and his on-stage persona does nothing to district from the cosmopolitan musical image his recordings convey. With a dozen supporting musicians, Mr. Conte sits behind his piano in a tuxedo, surrounded by a cloud of unfiltered cigarette smoke, a stiff drink (grappa?) at his side, on the stage of a dark auditorium filled by his coarse singing voice and intriguing music. He doesn't play to the audience but rather for himself, and that is also part of the charm.



Much of that comes through with his recorded music, as well, and this "Best of" CD is, of course, the best place to start. There is a variety of musical styles on this CD, ranging from his version of tango, to jazz, to songs designed for street musicians, to tunes that at times seem to be aimed at children (I am thinking of Happy Feet). But my favorites are when he mixes those influences with his sophisticated signature cabaret style, as with Sparring Partner, Hemingway, and Sotto le Stelle del Jazz.



One side note: though I am a big fan of Mr. Conte's, and I think that anyone who buys this CD will eventually want to hear more of this man's works, I will caution against buying much of what Mr. Conte recorded before the early to mid-1990s, when he came into his prime (none of the songs here fall into that category). If you do, you will surely miss much of the roundness and polished nonchalance that makes Mr. Conte's music so appealing, though you will be reminded that even someone who makes it seem as easy as Mr. Conte does had to evolve from somewhere."

A Haunting, Mesmerizing Voice with a Beat to Go With It

Eric J. Lyman | 12/18/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having first encountered the haunting voice of Paolo Conte this past summer on one of the Greek Islands, I have found his voice, songs, rythms and arrangements VERY difficult to get out of my head! "The Best of Paolo Conte" is just that! I feel that once the listener hears this album it's only a matter of days (if that long) that he/she orders Mr. Conte's full discography!Mr. Conte's haunting voice and the words (you don't have to understand Italian to enjoy them)and music keep returning to both your conscious and sleep (unconscious?) states. I defy you to ignore his spell!Although there are those that have said Mr. Conte is comparable to other singer/song writers throughout the world (Montand? Cohen? Brel?) I feel he is in a realm of his own as far as memorability of tune and beat. . . ."The Best of. . ." will ONLY lore/entice you to call amazon.com and order "Aquaplano", "Paolo Conte", "900", etc. Paolo Conte is a master 'spell caster' and will, I am sure, DEFINITELY cast his spell on YOU!"

For Mostly Martha Fans

R. I. Berkman | Rochester NY | 03/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just a tip--if you loved the music from the German flick Mostly Martha--there's no soundtrack, BUT the first song on this album is the delightful jazz tune played several times during the movie ('swonderful..'swonderful)"