Balance in Thinkin' about Ivan Conti
16 August 1946 - 17th April 2023 (age 76)
Ivan Conti (aka Mamao) was regarded as one of the greatest drummers on earth. A true rhythmic innovator, Starting his music career as a session drummer with Odeon Records, Ivan collaborated with artists such as Gal Costa, Roberto Carlos and Jorge Ben
Ivan gained standing as one of the founding members of Azymuth and is Brazil’s answer to Tony Allen, Steve Gadd, Ginger Baker or Trilok Gurtu,
Azymuth is a Brazilian jazz-funk group formed in 1973. The original lineup was a trio composed of José Roberto Bertrami, Alex Malheiros, and Ivan Conti, they gained international recognition in the 1970s and signed with Milestone Records in 1979, where they recorded a number of albums.
I first saw Ivan in Manchester some 20 years ago when Azymuth came to town, Azymuth was not really on my radar but I was taken by a friend of mine, well, as the concert started I was an instant convert, amazing.
Ivan Conti also explored solo ventures and electronic dance music collaborations throughout his career. Known for his unique drumming style blending jazz-funk with Brazilian rhythms, contributing to Azymuth's distinctive sound.
Ivan's career has spanned far beyond half a century’s worth of recordings with the likes of Milton Nascimento, Eumir Deodato, Marcos Valle, Hyldon, Gal Costa and Jorge Ben. More recently Mamao recorded an album with hip-hop giant Madlib under the AKA ‘Jackson Conti’.
Info
website - www.raysroom.org
cardpage - www.raysinfo.org
email - [email protected]
Please enjoy the music I love.
Ray.
Playlist
Mamond. Ivan Conti - Preguicman
Ivan Conti, grassmass, Stephan Feitsma, Andre Bruni, - Mexe
Azymuth – Linha do Horizonte
Mamond, Ivan Conti – O Surdo
Ron Trent, Ivan Conti, Lars Bartkuhn, – Cool Water
Azymuth – Jazz Carnival
Azymuth – In My Treehouse
Marcos Valle – Mentira (Chega De Mentira)
Azamuth - Starchasers – 4 hero Remix
Azymuth – Dear Limmertz
Azymuth – Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser
Azymuth – Villa Mariana – De Tarde
Jackson Conti – Sao Paulo Nights
Jazz Matters
Jazz Matters is a not-for-profit hobby project that I’m extremely proud of.
It began life in May 2021 as NuDirections, a weekly radio show on a London community station. That spirit of discovery still runs through everything I do.
But today, Jazz Matters has evolved into a global podcast platform for Jazz and World music lovers — reaching over 40,000 open-minded listeners across 57 countries on more than 24 platforms.2025/6 marks a new era. My love of music has always gone beyond Jazz, so I’ve created two distinct but connected spaces here
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I’m also preparing a full digital relaunch from my new studio, from 1st May 2026, then every Jazz Matters podcast, mix, and special will stream exclusively from my website—no third-party platforms and no algorithms. Until then, you can listen here and on 24+ podcast platforms.
Alongside the music, you’ll find in Jazz Lines, my platform for blogs, interviews, gallery, and pulse that links to things that catch my ear and eye. A bold new chapter begins soon. New location. New music player. New studio.
Jazz Matters. Because the music — and everything around it — truly does.
Enjoy the music I love