The newest release from our friends at Putumayo features artists inspired by the jazz influenced songs that can be heard as soundtracks in many cafes and bar scenes in Rome, Milan and other Italian cities in the 50’s. This album has a focus on the contemporary singer-songwriters who have taken the sounds of those cafes & bars and changed them slightly to reflect the times, the global differences since the 50’s and the forward moving land that is Italy. There are tangos, sambas and rich gypsy rhythms combined in this collection, which is a sequel of sorts, and the songs selected remind us of the carefree energy and optimism of Italy’s postwar years. It is always difficult to recommend tracks for you to check out and I will be spinning songs off of Italia soon for your sampling pleasure, but some of my immediate favorites are: Il Mare Mi Salva by Rossomalpelo, Il Vaaggio by Gianmaria Testa and Iquique by Rocco De Rosa. Think the Spirit of la dolce with contemporary flair.
