Simone recorded a first album for Bethlehem Records, released in 1958. This was a great success, and the single from that recording, ‘I Loves You Porgy’/‘He Needs Me’, became a national rhythm and blues hit in the summer of 1959, selling over a million copies. Thanks to the success of these first recordings, Simone signed with Colpix (Columbia Pictures Records) in 1959, beginning a collaboration that lasted until 1964. Nina recorded six studio and four live albums for Colpix.
The first live album, ‘Nina Simone At Town Hall’, forms our second CD. This is based on an appearance at New York Town Hall in September 1959, and was released in the December; some of the songs featured in the concert were re-recorded in the studio for the album. Here she covers both standards and originals in her expressive vocal style and shows off her tasteful piano-playing. ‘Under The Lowest’, an improvised blues, and ‘Return Home’, performed in Afro-Caribbean style, are Simone originals, while standout covers include George Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’, Billie Holliday’s ‘Fine And Mellow’ and the traditional ‘Black Is The Colour Of My True Love’s Hair’ which kicks off the album. Holliday was one of Simone’s idols, and she dedicated ‘Fine And Mellow’ to her.
One feature of this performance is that, although Simone is accompanied by the impeccable rhythm section of Jimmy Bond on bass and Al ‘Tootie’ Heath on drums, these instruments are secondary to the piano and the voice; the piano supports the vocals with minimal intrusion. Nina’s third album for Colpix, ‘Nina Simone At Newport’, reached Number 23 in the Billboard chart in March 1961. Recorded live at the Newport Jazz Festival of the previous year, it opens with ‘Trouble In Mind’, Nina’s bluesy interpretation somewhat faster than the original jailhouse lament.
The ‘Porgy’ on this album is not the musical ‘Porgy’ of her first hit. The character is the same, but the music and lyrics are by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields. ‘Little Liza Jane’ is a rousing Negro folk song, while Nina takes Cole Porter’s ‘You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To’ smooth and easy. ‘Flo Me La’ is an authentic African song developed by pack bearers on safari as a rhythmic chant to set the walking pace; eventually, the chant became a song, the title meaning ‘Walking Along’. Nina begins the American traditional ‘In The Evening By The Moonlight’ with a restrained chorus, but it develops into a band climax to end the disc.
In many ways, Simone’s music defied definitions. Her unique style fused gospel, folk and jazz with classical influences such as Bach, her favourite composer; her classical training showed through no matter what type of song she played.
