High Priestess of Soul

Nina Simone was born on February 21, 1933

When I began appreciating jazz, blues, and soul music, I wasn't very interested in the music of Nina Simone. First, her vocal style seemed too "cool" or "mellow" for my tastes, a bit too understated. Where I was listening for vocal gymnastics, she would deliver pauses and gradual modulation of notes. When I wanted staccato flourishes of scat improvisation, she would segue into spoken word.

Therefore, I was not very enthusiastic over the works of Nina Simone.

Later, when I was forming my feelings towards "authenticity" of performance in classical music, specifically the role of the performer as "re-creator" of a work, rather than "historical reenactor" or impersonator, my attention returned to Simone's works, as a modern example of how a performer can creatively reinterpret a piece creating a new experience and entering into an aesthetic dialogue with past performances. From this perspective, I finally realized her great talent.

Nina Simone did things her way. When she performed a piece, she channeled it through her own unique artistry, shaped by her distinct life experiences and colored by her personal interests and emotions. Each song was created anew through her interpretation.

I am now quite the enthusiast of Nina Simone. ;-)

So, let's celebrate her birth date with a bit of music.

Look of Love

Dusty Springfield was born on April 16, 1939


Another quick hit to celebrate the birth date of a lady with a meltingly smooth and warm voice, Dusty Springfield.

You all should know by now that I adore the "songbirds" of the '50s and '60s, from Julie London to Sarah Vaughan; few things please me more than a female vocalist soulfully winding a song in rich and fervent tones. Whether the piece is uptempo and bright, leisurely and hot, or gentle and slow, the passions are authentically conveyed by the singing traditions of the era.

I have many favorite "songbirds" on my Top Ten, a list that is always changing, but Dusty Springfield is a constant. Her voice became the sound of "white soul", introducing this powerful style of music to a broad audience. Yes, she played up the campiness of her stage persona, but, underneath the mod and glam, there is a powerful expression of life and emotion, from the painful to the blissful.

And that's what I want to consider, this veracity of sensation, to admire in celebration of the day.