(New York) An unreleased recording by legendary artist Nina Simone at the Newport Jazz Festival in July 1966 will be transposed onto an album.
Verve Records and UMe release the album You’ve Got to Learn on Friday, a six-song set that includes a different version of Simone’s famous protest song, Mississippi Goddam.
Also included are the songs You’ve Got to Learn, I Loves You, Porgy, Blues For Mama, Be My Husband and Music for Lovers. Simone, who also plays the piano, is accompanied by guitar, bass and drums.
There are sound issues throughout, but Simone’s power and control is clearly strong. During the encore where she sings Music for Lovers, she can even be heard shouting, “Shut it up!” (“Shut Up!”) to a heckler.
Mississippi Goddam, was written by Simone in response to the 1963 Alabama church bombing that killed four little girls, and the assassination of Medgar Evers in Mississippi that same year.
The version Simone sang that day differs from previous versions, sounding less authoritative, and includes the line “Watts has made me lose my rest”, a reference to the Los Angeles riots of August 11, 1965.
This year marks Nina Simone’s 90th birthday. This civil rights icon recorded nearly 40 albums between 1958 and 1973, featuring famous songs like I Put a Spell on You, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood and Feeling Good.
