Original Album Series: Nina Simone (2014) [5CD Box-Set]

There is a remarkable amount of variety on this disc, Nina Simone's second recording. Her repertoire ranges from a swinging "Stompin' at the Savoy" and an emotional "It Might as Well Be Spring" to an English folk ballad ("Tomorrow"), spirituals, an R&B song ("You've Been Gone Too Long") and the theme song from the movie Middle of the Night. Somehow Simone brings credibility to each of these very different songs. She does not play much piano (just cameos on two songs) and is backed by a subtle orchestra arranged by Bob Mersey that is effective accompanying her vocals. This session finds Nina Simone's voice in top form and with a few exceptions is generally jazz-oriented.

by Scott Yanow, AMG

One of Nina Simone's finest recordings, this Colpix LP features the unique singer/pianist performing classic versions of "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair," "The Other Woman," and "Wild Is the Wind." With supportive work from bassist Jimmy Bond and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath, she also sounds fine on a few instrumentals. "Summertime" is performed twice, once as a vocal. From the start of her career, Nina Simone carved out her own unique niche, meshing together her classical piano technique with folk singing, civil rights protest lyrics and jazz. All of those elements are in evidence on this highly recommended set.

by Scott Yanow, AMG

The best of Simone's earlier albums - at least of those I know. A fine collection of songs: my favourites are the two identified with Billie Holiday - No Good Man and I'll Look Around - but Simone makes them completely her own. As she does with the Bessie Smith number Gin House Blues. As she does with the other songs here, most of which are well known through other earlier versions, but Simone stamps her own personality on them. Oscar Brown's Forbidden Fruit perhaps verges on the cute, but his other two songs, Rags and Old Iron and Work Song are intriguing. Simone is backed by the trio that she toured with at this time: the bass player and drummer do little more than keep time, but guitarist Al Schackman and Simone's own piano playing provide a more imaginative accompaniment to her voice.

by onethink, rateyourmusic

Nina Simone was on her way to becoming a major name by 1962, with her protest and civil rights songs giving her acclaim and recognition far beyond the jazz world. This CD reissue is a change of pace for the singer/pianist, who is heard performing 11 songs written by Duke Ellington and/or Billy Strayhorn. Backed by an unidentified string orchestra (the accompaniment is often sparse) and the Malcolm Dodds Singers, she not only revives the usual Duke hits but such obscurities as "Hey, Buddy Bolden," "Merry Mending," and "You Better Know It." None of these performances sound like the typical treatment of Ellington material, with "I Got It Bad" having a gospel feel, "Something to Live For" being brief but heartfelt, "I Like the Sunrise" sounding like a big production number, and "Satin Doll" being taken as an instrumental. The brevity of this CD is unfortunate and this project should have been combined with another former LP, but what is here is quite intriguing and original.

by Scott Yanow, AMG

Like the 1963 LP Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall, this was recorded at Carnegie Hall on May 12, 1963, but duplicates little of the material found on that prior album. It isn't just unworthy leftovers, but a strong set in its own right, concentrating on material that could be seen as traditional or folk in orientation. It's not exactly strictly folk music, in repertoire or arrangement (which includes piano, guitar, bass, and drums, though not every tune has all of the instruments); "Twelfth of Never" (which had also appeared on the Carnegie Hall LP) certainly isn't folk music. However, there was also an uptempo piano blues, Leadbelly's "Silver City Bound"; covers of the Israeli "Erets Zavat Chalav" and "Vanetihu" which served as further proof that Simone's eclecticism knew no bounds; and the stark, moody, spiritually shaded ballads at which she excelled ("When I Was a Young Girl," "Hush Little Baby"). "Lass of the Low Country" is as exquisitely sad-yet-beautiful as it gets…

by Richie Unterberger, AMG