There has always been something effortlessly cool about Nina Simone – that deep soulful voice, coupled with those lush piano tones and band arrangements, whether performing her own tunes or interpreting other people’s songs, there was no one remotely close to her when it came to captivating song deliveries.
This treasure trove of delights pulls together the recordings she did for the Colpix label from 1959 to 1963, with both studio albums and some of most famous live performances captured on record in this collection. Having arrived at Colpix Records already with a major hit under her belt (‘I Loves You Porgy’) she worked with a team of producers to select an eclectic bunch of songs which, under Nina’s soulful delivery manage to seamlessly fit together into a coherent album forming her Colpix debut ‘The Amazing Nina Simone’ “Men cluster to me, like moths around a flame, and if their wings burn, I know I’m not to blame” she sings on ‘Falling In Love Again’ one of the stand out tunes on this debut, Simone delivering the joyful yet remorseful ode to romance. There’s always a darker edge to Simone’s choice of songs, their tone matching her soulful heartfelt vocal performances perfectly as on ‘Spring Is Here’ “why doesn’t the breeze delight me, stars appear why doesn’t the night invite me, maybe it’s because nobody love me, Spring is here, I hear” she exclaims.
The second album ‘Nina Simone At Town Hall’ captures Nina live in New York in 1959, and finds her singing a fine set of jazz standards, including ‘Black is The Colour Of My True Love’s hair’ and a brilliantly laidback ‘Summertime’ by Gershwin, along with a couple of her own stunning instrumentals, the sultry groove of ‘Under The Lowest’ and a fired up tune called ‘Return Home’ with Simone pounding the piano keyboard to sculpt a dazzling array of jazz inspired melodies.
Album number three is a live recording of her performance from Newport Jazz Festival in 1960 and includes her own tunes ‘Flo Me Lah’ and ‘Nina’s Blues’ both showing her flair for composing jazz and blues tunes, nestling alongside her own brilliant arrangements of other people’s songs such as ‘Trouble In Mind’ by acclaimed jazz composer Richard Jones from Louisiana and the traditional jazz standard ‘Little Liza Jane’.
‘Forbidden Fruit’ is album number four in the box set, and Nina’s third studio album, containing some gems as the blues standard ‘Gin House Blues’ with Nina playing and singing the old blues standard “I don’t want no pork chops and beans just give me gin instead” and the jazz tune written by Hoagy Carmichael, ‘Memphis In June’ with its relaxing summer vibes and Simone dreaming of ‘Memphis in June, a shady veranda, under shady blue sky’. The title track ‘Forbidden Fruit’ is another rocket of a blues tune with a humorous twist on the tale of Adam and Eve by songwriter and civil rights activist Oscar Brown Jr.
As ever with these boxsets, there are extensive sleeve notes written by David Nathan who founded the first UK Nina Simone Appreciation Society back in 1965, helping to build a fuller picture of Nina’s life around the time these recordings were made.
We get Nina’s live set from The Village Gate, Greenwich, NY in 1962 on album five, featuring a set of more folk based tunes such as her version of ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ her own brilliant arrangement of the gospel classic ‘Children Go Where I Send You’ and one of her most well known tunes ‘Sinnerman’, whereas big band jazz is the style of album number six, with Nina singing her interpretations of a selection of Duke Ellington tunes. Albums seven and eight feature Nina’s live set from Carnegie Hall in 1963, a jubilant set of covers, alongside one of her own ‘If You Knew’ and ‘Folksy Nina’ a selection of traditional folk tunes given the Simone treatment.
Nina Simone’s unique talent shines through this whole boxset, capturing a snapshot of her esteemed recording career in the late 1950s to mid 1960s, and is another fine addition to the ongoing legacy of this great musical goddess.
Nina Simone: Blackbird – The Colpix Recordings 1959-1963 – Out Now (Cherry Red Records)
From the early days of creating handmade zines, in a DIY paper and glue style, interviewing bands around town, then pestering Piccadilly Records to sell them, to writing for various independent mags such as Chimp and Ablaze, writing about the music I love is still a great passion. After testing the music industry waters in London with stints at various labels, being back in my hometown again, writing about this city’s vibrant music scene is as exciting as ever. All time favourite bands include Sonic Youth, Nick Cave, Patti Smith although anything from electro to folk via blues and pysch rock will also do nicely too. A great album, is simply a great album, regardless of whatever musical cage you put it in.
