Nina Simone
Forever Young, Gifted and Black:
Songs of Freedom and Spirit
(RCA/Legacy)
The Music Box's #1 reissue of 2006
First Appeared in The Music Box, January 2006, Volume 13, #1
Written by John Metzger
Throughout her career, Nina Simone proved to be a superlative interpreter of
other artists’ material, and given that she tackled songs that were written by
everyone from George Gershwin to Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and from Bob Dylan to
Daryl Hall, it’s safe to say that her recorded output was suitably diverse. What
distinguished her from other soul singers, however, was the fire and passion
that she brought to her work, particularly when she delved into socio-political
themes that explored America’s class and cultural divides. This is entirely the
raison d’etre of Forever Young, Gifted and Black: Songs of Freedom and Spirit,
a magnificently designed, newly commissioned compilation that fuses together six
selections that were culled straight from Simone’s back catalogue with three
unedited versions of previously available tunes and a pair of alternate takes.
Appropriately enough, the set begins and ends with two drastically different
incarnations of To Be Young, Gifted and Black — the first, an R&B-tinged
studio rendition; the second, a majestic, gospel-infused concert performance.
The song, which originally was composed in 1969, shares its title with a
posthumously produced theatrical production that was adapted from the notes left
behind by playwright Lorraine Hansberry, author of Raisin in the Sun, and
with its message of strength and solidarity, it became the "Black National
Anthem." Elsewhere, Simone feverishly delivers a scathing indictment of the
South on Mississippi Goddam; dramatically meditates upon Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are A-Changin’; exudes pride on a spirited romp through Ain’t Got No — I Got Life; conjures an hypnotic spirit of healing on the
percussive Westwind; and pays homage to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a
hauntingly mournful, yet ultimately uplifting rendition of Why? (The King of
Love Is Dead) that was recorded just three days after he had been
assassinated. Without question, the injustices that Simone witnessed in her
youth clung to her throughout her life, and although they eventually weighed so
heavily upon her that she entered a self-imposed exile, at the time
the music contained on Forever Young, Gifted and Black: Songs of Freedom and
Spirit was crafted, they still were serving as her muse. 
Forever Young, Gifted and Black: Songs of Freedom and Spirit
is available from Barnes & Noble. To order, Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2006 The Music Box