At Newport – NINA SIMONE****

Trouble In Mind/Blues For Porgy/Little Liza Jane/You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To/Flo Me La/Nina’s Blues/In The Evening By The Moonlight

Nina At Newport registered an acclaimed live performance by jazz legend Nina Simone at the Newport Jazz Festival, Rhode Island, recorded in June 1960. Includes a mixture of traditional songs coupled with more recent tunes. (US:23)

“A consistently very good album. It makes me wish I'd been there in Newport. Trouble In Mind starts and I get hooked. But its her version of You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To that leaves me speechless.”

“Some of these tracks are original tunes, some re-workings of traditional songs. All of them showcase her immense passion, her stellar voice and her fantastic piano playing.”

“I don't need to write about how amazing Nina Simone was, and how much wonder she brought into the world of music. Every listener has heard her voice, even those who haven't realized it.”

“To call Nina Simone a jazz singer is to neglect the depth and range of her artistry. A classical pianist, folk singer, protest singer and songwriter, her arrangements are harmonically rich, varied, and rhythmically experimental, while her voice can go from lounge singer-smooth to raw and exposed in the space of a verse.”

“The performances here are simply electrifying, one highlight being Simone's heartbreaking and soul baring version of I Loves You Porgy."

“At Newport was by far Nina's highest charting album, featuring stellar performances of Trouble In Mind, Porgy, Nina's Blues and more.”

“To me, she was the last of the very great jazz singers. Just one of the most beautiful voices ever.”

“You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To is one highlight. Night club jazz played with style and grace, flowing in and out of time, with a commanding vocal.”