Nina Simone - The Amazing Nina Simone/Nina Simone at Town Hall

A Mystical phenomenon

I first heard Nina when I had just left university and was travelling with some friends. I was deeply moved by the sound of her voice and have always found her music deeply haunting and very fascinating.
25 years on and I still listen to Nina, particulalrly when I am in my own space. She is not only a legendary musician but a Mystical phenomenon. December 28, 2007

Classic Simone

For Nina Simone fans it doesnt get any better than this two-cd purchase. These are two classic albums that show the wide range of talent, feeling, and soul this woman had. Simone was a consumate artist. I strongly reccommend this purchase!! August 12, 2007

A world legendary live performance.

In what was to become a world legendary live performance, Nina Simone's version of summertime is like a religious experience. It catches you by surprise. Although wonderful renditions of it exist in the repertory of the greats such as Ella and Louie, Lena Horne, and Sarah Vaughan, they don't come close to Nina's hypnotic live, smokey, and magical delivery. Like the Audience, every time I hear this, I slowly fall under the spell of the dreamlike sounds she skillfully weaves out of this piece improvising with her piano and voice and taking it to a level above and beyond other versions I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. I don't think I can say enough good things about it--nevermind the whole live performance. March 4, 2004

great early Nina Simone releases on cd

This collection encompasses Simone's first two releases from the Colpix Label, a division of Columbia Pictures..when Darryl F Zanuck's sister heard Nina Simone's great artistry, she offered the singer a better deal than the one she got with Bethlehem. In fact, after only one recording and her #7 hit "I Loves You Porgy" from "Porgy & Bess", Nina was unhappy. She wasn't being promoted much, and the lucrative deal was just what she needed. With her Colpix years, she was able to establish a reputation as an individual artist who could incorporate folk and blues seamlessly with jazz, while adding a classical flair. Her first recording for Colpix, "The Amazing Nina Simone", includes a haunting rendition of "(Theme from) Middle of the Night", a Columbia Picture. Likewise, other great songs like "Solitaire," "That's Him Over There", "Tomorrow (We Will Meet Once More" and "It Might as Well Be Spring" balance more uptempo numbers like "Stompin' at The Savoy," "Chilly Winds Don't Blow", and "Children Go Where I Send You." Simone's next album, "Nina Simone at Town Hall," showcases her talent as a pianist. Outstanding pieces include "Theme from Samson & Delilah (instrumental), "Black Swan", and "Under The Lowest (instrumental). Vocal standouts are her interpretation of the folk ballad "Black is The Color of My True Love's Hair" and "You Can Have Him". As all of Nina Simone's US releases are now available on cd, this is a great place to start, but don't ignore her first recording for Bethlehem Records, "Jazz As Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club a.k.a. Little Girl Blue." That release includes some songs that were later compiled after Simone had left Bethlehem onto an album featuring other old Bethlehem artists, Chris Connor and Carmen McRae (Nina Simone and Her Friends). Also worth it's purchase is Nina Simone - Forbidden Fruit which is also a double album release on Collectables... September 8, 2003

Passionate Sound From The Magical Nina Simone!

Nina Simone is simply the best. Her extraordinary soul and enormous talent as a musician, vocalist, songwriter, pianist and performer, put her in a league all her own.

Ms. Simone has often been called a musical anomaly because it is impossible to categorize her work. Whether she sings soul, jazz, blues, folk or gospel, she invests old, familiar lyrics with new meaning, and evokes strong emotion with her fierce and unique style. As a performer she is a consummate actress, and displays a range of emotions with her sound. Her training as a classical pianist is evident in much of her work.

"The Amazing Nina Simone/Nina Simone At Town Hall" is one of her very best collections, running the gamut of all genres, and highlighting her many talents. Her torch songs are some of my favorites: "The Other Woman," "That's Him Over There," "Solitaire," and "Blue Prelude" are classics that recall love, loss, and dark smoke-filled rooms. Also included here are some songs made famous by Billie Holiday, "Exactly Like You," and George Gershwin, "Summertime," (a vocal), both favorite artists of Ms. Simone's; and Rogers and Hammerstein's lyrical "It Might As Well Be Spring" - all invested with the Nina touch. The gospel "Children Go Where I Send You," can raise the roof and bring down the house, as can her instrumental numbers that showcase her ability as a pianist, like "Summertime," "Under The Lowest," and "Return Home." The beautiful folk song "Black Is The Color," and the traditional spiritual "Chilly Winds Don't Blow" are included here, as are the bluesy "Willow Weep For Me," and her jazzy version of "Stompin' At The Savoy."

Nina Simone always delivered with artistry, heart and passion. This CD demonstrates all that. Ms. Simone is now a legend. We will miss her. And we will always have her music. July 4, 2003

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