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Nina Simone

Live at Montreux 1976 DVD

Review by Gary Hill

I had heard the name Nina Simone, and knew that the lady was talented. Until this DVD, though, I had never heard her. Simone was an artist, of this there is no question. She could as easily move from blues and jazz standards to classical music. While her sound may not be for all, it seems to me that there would be few people who could miss her talent. The vast majority of this DVD is from that 1976 performance. Some of the older videos in this series seem to be lacking a bit in terms of production (video and audio both). This one does not have that problem. There are also bonus tracks included here from 1987 and 1990. Simone’s performances, all of them, are top notch. Interestingly enough some of her personality shows through, too. Supporters would probably paint the behavior as “feisty,” while detractors might say “difficult.” The thing is, she had the talent to back it up. This is a solid DVD and would be a great introduction to the work of this talented artist. I, for one, plan to learn more about her life and music.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2006 Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.
 
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