There’s little left to say about Nina Simone that hasn’t already been recited ad infinitum, in an inevitably more eloquent manner than I have time for at this moment. Yet on a broiling Indian summer afternoon, To Be Free, the recently released Simone anthology sounds magnificent; particularly, the sun-drenched horns of “Poppies,” and the wobbly but slick strut of “Baltimore.” If you’ve never heard the woman born Eunice Waymon, the To Be Free box set provides an excellent introduction to her abyssal catalogue. Plus, it makes you wonder why “The Wire,” never chose “Baltimore” for its theme song.
Buy To Be Free: Nina Simone Story
Download:
MP3: Nina Simone-“Poppies”
MP3: Nina Simone-“Baltimore”
