Nina Simone in Concert

Nina Simone in Concert
Live album by Nina Simone
Released	1964
Recorded	New York City live at Carnegie Hall March 21, April 1 & 6 1964
Genre	Vocal, soul, jazz, folk
Length	35:31
Label	Philips
Producer	Hal Mooney
Nina Simone chronology
Nina Simone with Strings (1966) Nina Simone in Concert (1964) Broadway-Blues-Ballads (1964)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Nina Simone in Concert is an album by singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone. It was her first album for the record label Philips and was made up of three live recordings in Carnegie Hall, New York City in March and April 1964 (previously, she had recorded Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall in 1963 for Colpix Records). This album marks the beginning of "Nina Simone, the Civil Rights singer" in her recording career (she had already incorporated the civil rights message in her performances). Included on the album are politically laden songs, most notably the self-written "Mississippi Goddam", released as a single at the time. But also "Old Jim Crow", "Go Limp" and the haunting "Pirate Jenny" contributed to the message in a covert or metaphorical way.

Information about songs on this album

• Nina originally recorded "I Loves You Porgy", "Plain Gold Ring" and "Don't Smoke in Bed" on her debut album Little Girl Blue (1958).
• "Pirate Jenny" was originally from Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht's The Threepenny Opera. Simone used the story within the song as a metaphor for the civil rights situation at that time. She performed it only rarely, even though the theatrical piece became one of her signature tunes.^[2] It took too much of her energy, stating once that one time after singing it, she had to recover from the performance for about seven years.
• "Old Jim Crow", a protest song against the Jim Crow Laws.
• "Go Limp", a humorous Folk song about a girl who is warned by her mother not to join the NAACP because it would cost her virginity. Halfway through the song Nina forgets the lyrics and makes up some in return, being given a standing ovation by the crowd at the end.
• "Mississippi Goddam", a self-written protest song. Nina states a minute into the song after a chorus, a verse and a chorus:

This is a showtune but the show hasn't been written for it yet...

While laughing, the primarily white audience realizes that it is far from a happy showtune, but a cynical Civil Rights protest song, talking about the death of Medgar Evers and the killing of four schoolgirls at the Alabama Church Bombing in 1963.^[3]

Track listing

1. "I Loves You Porgy" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward) - 2:30
2. "Plain Gold Ring" (Earl Burroughs) - 6:21
3. "Pirate Jenny" (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, Marc Blitzstein) - 6:37
4. "Old Jim Crow" (Nina Simone, Jackie Alper, Ron Vander Groef) - 2:38
5. "Don't Smoke in Bed" (Willard Robison) - 5:28
6. "Go Limp" (Alex Comfort, Simone) - 7:04
7. "Mississippi Goddam" (Simone) - 4:54

Personnel

• Nina Simone – piano, vocals, arranger
• Bobby Hamilton – drums
• Lisle Atkinson – bass
• Rudy Stevenson – guitar

Charts

References

1. ↑ Allmusic review
2. ↑ Hampton. Break Down And Let It All Out. pp. 196–197. 
3. ↑ full lyrics of "Mississippi Goddam" at boscarol.com
4. ↑ "Nina Simone". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-01-07. 

Nina Simone Studio albums Little Girl Blue Nina Simone and Her Friends The Amazing Nina Simone Forbidden Fruit Nina Simone Sings Ellington Broadway-Blues-Ballads I Put a Spell on You Pastel Blues Nina Simone with Strings Wild Is the Wind High Priestess of Soul Nina Simone Sings the Blues Silk & Soul Nina Simone and Piano To Love Somebody Here Comes the Sun Baltimore Fodder on My Wings Nina's Back A Single Woman Compilation albums Nina's Choice The Rising Sun Collection Released Gold Anthology Nina Simone's Finest Hour The Soul of Nina Simone The Very Best of Nina Simone Songs to Sing: the Best of Nina Simone To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story Live albums Nina Simone at Newport Nina at the Village Gate Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall Folksy Nina Nina Simone in Concert Black Gold Backlash Live & Kickin Let It Be Me Live at Ronnie Scott's A Very Rare Evening The Great Show Live in Paris Live and studio Nina Simone at Town Hall Let It All Out 'Nuff Said! Emergency Ward It Is Finished Remix albums Remixed and Reimagined Forever Young, Gifted & Black: Songs of Freedom and Spirit Related articles I Put a Spell on You (book) What Happened, Miss Simone?   Songs and singles "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" "Alone Again (Naturally)" "Angel of the Morning" "Ballad of Hollis Brown" "Baubles, Bangles, & Beads" "Black Is the Colour (Of My True Love's Hair)" "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" "Cherish" "Cotton-Eyed Joe" "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" "Exactly Like You" "Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)" "Feeling Good" "Fine and Mellow" "For All We Know" "Four Women" "Go Limp" "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" "Here Comes the Sun" "The House of the Rising Sun" "I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)" "I Loves You, Porgy" "I Put a Spell on You" "I Shall Be Released" "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" "If I Should Lose You" "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" "It Might as Well Be Spring" "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" "Just Like a Woman" "Lilac Wine" "Little Girl Blue" "The Look of Love" "Love Me or Leave Me" "Mississippi Goddam" "Mood Indigo" "The More I See You" "Mr. Bojangles" "My Baby Just Cares for Me" "My Sweet Lord" "My Way" "Ne me quitte pas" "Nobody" "Nobody's Fault but Mine" "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" "The Pusher" "Rich Girl" "(In My) Solitude" "Satin Doll" "Sea Lion Woman" "Sign o' the Times" "Since I Fell for You" "Sinnerman" "Someone to Watch Over Me" "Something Wonderful" "Spring Is Here" "Strange Fruit" "Summertime" "Suzanne" "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" "That's All" "That's All I Want from You" "The Times They Are a-Changin'" "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" "To Love Somebody" "Trouble in Mind" "Turn! Turn! Turn!" "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" "Wild Is the Wind" "Willow Weep for Me" "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" Book:Nina Simone