Nina Simone – Nina Simone And Piano!

A good rule of thumb if you want to dive into an enormous artist discography and don’t know where to begin: trust the artist’s own recommendation. In this case, Nina Simone said she’d rather be remembered for Nina Simone and Piano! than for a commercial hit like “My Baby Just Cares For Me.” The simple, stripped down album showcases Nina’s most powerful natural instruments: her lungs and her fingers, as they weave timeless sentiments into poetry with the utmost conviction. Without her band’s accompaniment we experience a more soft, intimate side of Nina: pure, delicate, and reflective. And yet her gift for emotive, visceral vocal delivery still shines, showing she doesn’t require volume to amplify her power.

– Lauren Fay Levy

Recommended -A4 Everyone’s Gone to The Moon, A5 Compensation, B4 I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes), B5 The Desperate Ones