Nina Simone - Anthology (1 Viewer)

[Ted Lee]

okay, folks ... i know we have some norah jones fans, as well as diana krall fans. and now for something along the same vibe ... yet totally different. i give to you one of my all-time favorite female singers - nina simone!

i'm not sure how to describe her music, but i guess soulful jazzy standards will work. her voice is just awesome -- enough emotion that it almost makes me cry sometimes. i really feel that i'm hearing her sing from her heart.

i first discovered her on the "point of no return" soundtrack, and have always wanted to check her music out. when i discovered how many albums she had, i got gun-shy -- but this anthology is perfect. it spans her entire career (she passed away not too long ago), including some excellent live performances. plus, "sinnerman" is a standout 10 minute thrill-ride.

trust me folks, if you want to listen to true heart-wrenching, yet wonderful songs, this is an album for you.

i give it a solid "A".

sample some tracks over at amazon

 

[Bob Turnbull]

Just had to chime in to agree...

"Sinnerman" is packed full of soul. And not manufactured over-the-top histrionic "soul". This is goose-bump stuff.

 

[John Watson]

Her rendition of STANGE FRUIT was the first time I heard the song - powerful stuff.

She seemed to range widely - from Chuck Berry to Broadway, to blues. But usually an edge to it, she was very strong minded.

Everyone should hear her, tho I'm sympathetic to those who might not like her voice all that much.

 

[Ted Lee]

hmm...that's not a bad assessment.

i would definitely say she's more blues then anything else, but like any artist, i'm sure she was trying to expand herself.

i would definitely say my preference is her soulful jazz stuff.

 

[anthony_b]

I tell a lot of people that if you've ever listen to Nina Simone or any of the other "old school" ladies of Jazz they would throw out all there new stuff. Nina, is simply amazing !!

 

[Ted Lee]

anthony - do you have any recommendations for other "old school" ladies? nina is pretty much the only one i know. :b

 

[Jim Rakowiecki]

Nina Simone was a genius to be sure.
Ted, have you tried Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horn, or Etta James? They were all briliant and I think fit the "old School" jazz description and if the don't fit they are all amazing and worth hearing.

 

[Ted Lee]

thx for the recs jim. i do recognize the names, but that's about it....

 

[John Watson]

For distinctive old school, with VERY distinctive voices, consider Billy Holiday, Dinah Washington, or Esther Philips.

Etta James is a personal fave, but her voice is much more conventional, IMO. In fact she's still recording, whereas the ladies we're speaking of above, had some short (tragically so) lives.

 

[chung_sotheby]

One of the greatest. Too bad almost no one I know really knows her work. I find a simple state of content whenever I hear a sample of her on a rap or neo-soul song and I am the only person who realizes where the hook came from.

 

[anthony_b]

Ted.... John and Jim's recommendations are on the money !!

 

[Ted Lee]

chung, sometimes threads are just so timely.

i just discovered yesterday, on our in-house fm station at best buy, some dj (i think it's paul van dyk) is doing a remix featuring "sinnerman". too funny....

thx for the recs guys ... i'm gonna definitely look into them.