SIMONE, NINA - The Jazz Diva (Sealed) (LP)

She avoided the term jazz and preferred to speak of "black classical music". Nevertheless, Nina Simone (1933-2003) was one of America's greatest jazz and blues singers and an excellent pianist and songwriter. She made her debut in 1957 and a concert at New York City Town Hall in 1959 made her famous in the USA and Europe. Her fans called her "High Priestess of Soul". In the 1960s Simone was involved in the civil rights movement. With songs like "Mississippi Goddam" and "To Be Young, Gifted, And Black" she became one of the leading musical figures of this movement. Troubled by mental and addiction problems, her private life broke down in the sixties. During the seventies Simone's career - not least because of her political attitude - started to lurch. Their album "Baltimore" (1978) was praised by critics, but sold badly. The song "My Baby Just Cares For Me", which became a world hit in 1987 and thus 30 years after the recording thanks to a Chanel commercial, made Simone even more popular. Besides titles like "Come On Back Jack", "Work Song", "Wild Is The New Wind", "It Don't Mean A Thing" and "Love Me Or Leave Me", he can also be found on the compilation "The Jazz Diva".