At The Village Gate

“The breath-taking originality of the second half of the show is what makes this album great. Opening with Oscar Brown, Jr.’s “Brown Baby” and then Michael Olatunji’s “Zungo” and delivering a long version of another traditional song “Children, Go Where I Send You”, Simone makes a profound stand on the black musical tradition, drawing on her deep reading in Frantz Fanon’s auto-theory and Leopold Senghor’s ideas on negritude to create a body of work that transcends jazz styles and critical pigeonholes. She was unique, but only because she drew on multitudes.” Brian Morton

Tracks: Just In Time / He Was Too Good To Me / House Of The Rising Sun / Bye Bye Blackbird / Brown Baby / Zungo / If He Changed My Name / Children Go Where I Send You / Summer me / Exactly Like You / The Other Woman* / Fine And Mellow* / Trouble In Mind* / You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To / My Baby Just Cares For Me * (CD Bonus tracks *)

Line-up : Nina Simone, vocals and piano (on all tracks), with Al Shackman, guitar; Chris White, bass; and Rob Hamilton, drums.