Schema

After reuniting Cosmic Renaissance and releasing the album “Universal Language” (SCLP/CD513) in 2022, Gianluca Petrella returns to the future jazz scene 2023 as a protagonist with a new five-track LP, “Universal Message”, again on Schema Records label, keeping the wind section of the original record unchanged. Among the most versatile musicians around today, Gianluca here evolves his style into new forms of futurism afro-jazz with three revisitations in electronic-jazz dance key of “Universal Language” and “Connection”, as well as two previously unreleased tunes, the title-track and “Mutation”, for a final result that is greater than the sum of its parts. And there is no better description of this music than a complete and total immersion in its sonic waves!

Edizioni Ishtar and Schema Records proudly celebrate the 15th anniversary of one of their most successful releases and artists (more than 30 million streams and 300 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify) with the first ever vinyl edition of Toco’s Outro Lugar. Produced by S-Tone Inc., this record includes fan-favourite tracks “Outro Lugar”, “Samba Noir ” and most of all “Guarapiranga”, which was chosen for the soundtrack of “Silver Linings Playbook”, a film that awarded Jennifer Lawrence an Academy Award prize as best actress in a leading role in 2013. The strings at the beginning of the title-track have also been sampled by PinkPantheress for her song “Nineteen”, out of her latest album “To Hell With It”.Outro Lugar hasn’t aged a bit during all these years, for various reasons; first of all it benefits from the outstanding contribution of bossa nova pioneer and inspiration source Roberto Menescal, who played guitar in every track. Most of the album was recorded in Rio De Janeiro at Menescal’s studio, with the participation of some of the best ‘carioca’ musicians, especially double-bass player Adriano Giffoni and pianist Adriano Souza. All these elements gave the album exactly the taste requested by the artist and the producer: inspired from the past yet, through thorough attention, aimed at a sound at the same time fresh and modern, slightly electronic, filled with grooves perfectly blending into acoustic instruments. The second part of the recording was carried out in Milan, with some of the best musicians in the Milanese jazz scene.The album also sees the contribution of Rosalia De Souza, singing in several tracks and standing out in “Bom Motivo” especially. French chanteuse Coralie Clément appears in “Contradição”, her own piece here re-interpreted by Toco.Outro Lugar is an album for any kinds of Brazilian music lovers that showed the world what Toco was capable of: a refined and cultured musician, a gifted performer of a warm and smooth voice able to awaken the emotions of the most sensitive listeners.

Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella’s 2021 brilliant collaborative jazz dance album People Need People channelled a vision of togetherness and used the universal language of music to elevate our spirit during these trying times. This vision can’t be more relevant today and the album’s legacy is kept alive with the same spirit of collaboration that distinguished the project.“Inner Light” - featuring Raashan Ahmad on vocals - is the first song from the album chosen for a series of reinterpretations of the project that will be released throughout 2022. Joaquin Joe Claussell needs no introduction, the Body & Soul founder and Sacred Rhythm label honcho is a true legend and purveyor of spirituality – a cosmic messenger that brings us two versions of “Inner Light”; his work here is not to be solely intended as a remix but, as the title suggests, delivers two new proper versions of the original song.This EP is the first in a trilogy of 12” releases that will also feature further reinterpretations of tracks taken from the “People Need People” album, by none less than Anthony Nicholson, DJ Spinna and Tall Black Guy!

"This Is the Moment" was originally released as the B-side of "Lord Please Hear my Prayer", a rare 45 published by Cipiti Records, written by Tony Benn Feghaly and Sante Palumbo, it's an amazing gospel-soul song interpreted by Edith Peters. In only two minutes and a half The Sante Palumbo Orchestra accompanies Peters’ entrancing voice, delivering a groovy and intense interpretation. The original 1973 version of the song is here featured as a B-side, while Gerardo Frisina signs the A-side of this reissue with a rework of the track – doubling the length and adding his signature rhythm patterns.A quite unknown artist, Edith Peters was active between the 50s and 70s, singing as a member of the Peters Sisters, and as an actress, after marrying her Italian agent in 1958, she moved to Italy where she starred in several movies, TV series and ads.In 1973 Sante Palumbo wrote and arranged a couple of songs for Edith Peters, perhaps with the aim of promoting her solo career. It was the same he released “Sway”, which was destined to become a cult LP.“This Is the Moment” was originally released as the B-side of “Lord Please Hear my Prayer”, a rare 45 published by Cipiti Records. On Cipiti she had already released her rendition of “Speak Softly, Love”, a theme from “The Godfather” soundtrack, though her career was at that time orientated more toward her activity as a TV and movie actress. And when the single was released, it was rapidly overshadowed by more important releases like “The Dark Side Of The Moon” by Pink Floyd.And it is a shame, since “This Is the Moment”, written by Tony Benn Feghaly (erroneously credited as ‘T. B. Feghall’ in the original release) and Sante Palumbo, is an amazing gospel-soul song. In only two minutes and a half The Sante Palumbo Orchestra accompanies Peters’ entrancing voice, delivering a groovy and intense interpretation – a richness that requires multiple listen to grasp all the nuances of this stunningly orchestrated piece.The original 1973 version of the song is here featured as a B-side, while Gerardo Frisina signs the A-side of this reissue with a rework of the track – doubling the length and adding his signature rhythm patterns.

"Synthi Time" is perhaps one of the most suitable albums - within Umiliani's incredibly vast discography - to fully appreciate the composing and experimental genius of the Maestro. For once away from the classic soundtracks that made him popular, this project veers away also from refined works of library music such as "Genti e paesi del mondo" (People and countries of the world) or "Problemi d'oggi" (Today's issues), released under the moniker of Zalla. In this case, we like to imagine him absorbed in his Sound Work Shop studio, experimenting with synthesizers with the same enthusiasm of a newbie in search of the perfect sound. Without renouncing to pop(ular) elements, Umiliani seems almost to anticipate (or at least to be fully consistent with) the sound research that will characterize the careers of musicians such as Roedelius and Moebius in Germany.As the same subtitle reveals, this was 'a new way of making music' through the use of the electronic synthesizer - this happening in 1971 - with occasional interventions by the spinet and the Hammond organ. And, with the exception of other little masterpieces such as "Il mondo dei Romani and Tra scienza e fantascienza", the most 'avant-garde' Umiliani can be found here, among tracks such as "Synthi grottesco", the outstanding "Synthetic Water", "Synthi pianola" and "Synthi pastorale", excellent examples of a Maestro exploring new sounds and the future of the music. Often forgotten and overlooked even by those self-proclaimed Umiliani lovers and fans, "Synthi Time" is actually one of his best works.This was 'a new way of making music' through the use of the electronic synthesizer - this happening in 1971 - with occasional interventions by the spinet and the Hammond organ. The most 'avant-garde' Umiliani can be found here, with excellent examples of a Maestro exploring new sounds and the future of the music.

"Angeli bianchi... angeli neri" is one of the best results of the collaboration between Piero Umiliani and director Luigi Scattini. Filmed in Brazil, "Angeli bianchi... angeli neri" (also known as "Witchcraft 70") is one of Scattini's most popular mondo films. However in an exagerated way, as was common at the time, the aim of the movie was to document the world of black magic, devil worshipping and pagan rituals. Through the years it has reached the status of "cult movie" along with "Mondo cane" ("A Dog's World") and "Africa addio".Without any doubt, some of its success is to be attributed to one of the most beautiful soundtracks composed by Umiliani. The soundtrack was recorded in part in Brazil, with local musicians and instruments, and in part in Rome, with the collaboration of the talents of Edda Dell'Orso, Nora Orlandi and Alessandro Alessandroni and his Cantori Moderni. The music reflects samba and bossa nova influences and emphasizes the composer's ability in orchestrating the whole in a new and personal style. A special mention must go to the incredibile psychedelic "Streghe a convegno", which seems to have stemmed from a Tropicalist masterpiece of the time, to "La foresta incantata" in which Orlandi gives a superb vocal interpretation, to the percussive "Macumba" (where it is Dell'Orso's turn) and last to "Toccata e samba" which is a happy and daring mix between Bach and samba.As Scattini himself states in an interview: "I firmly believe that this is one of the most beautiful soundtracks composed by Piero. It is a mix of bossa, samba and ambient music, not aimed at underlying or accompanying the scenes, at times crude and violent, but at arising in the spectator the very same emotions I had experienced while directing". It will be the same for you also ...