Nina Simone - 'You've Got To Learn'

 

"The High Priestess of Soul," Nina Simone, was a multifaceted artist who excelled as a singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist.  Known primarily as a jazz singer, her music skillfully blended various genres, including gospel, blues, folk, pop, and classical styles. 

Among all popular singers, Nina held a profound and enduring association with the Civil Rights Movement.

"You can't help it. An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times."
—Nina Simone

'You've Got To Learn' was recorded live, Saturday, July 2. 1966 at the Newport Jazz Festival.

This performance has been talked about in jazz circles for half a century.  Tales of her captivating set, which held the audience so captivated that they refused to let the next act perform.  The revamped version of her passionate "Mississippi Goddam" made all made me wish I was there, or at least be able to hear Nina’s performance.

Turns out, Nina's set was recorded, and Newport Jazz Festival promoter George Wein donated the tapes of Simone’s performance to the US Library of Congress, where they remained forgotten until Wein’s passing in 2021.  Historian Nadine Cohodas then rediscovered them.

Across seven songs and 33 minutes in length, this album is short, but very much on the sweet side; in fact, it's utterly sublime.  Not only has none of the material been made available before, it's also of the very highest grade – easily surpassing 'Nina at Newport', the famous live album from the 1960 Newport festival.  While that LP highlighted Simone's instrumental skills, this album's all about her singing, and how it intersects emotionally with her political engagement.

The Newport Jazz Festival had always brought the best out in Nina Simone.  When she took to that famous stage on July 2, 1966, the audience was treated to the full range of her artistry - from the opener, a breathtaking version of “You’ve Got To Learn” to an electrifying performance of her signature protest anthem “Mississippi Goddam”. Unwilling to let her leave the stage, and after sustained applause, her fans were rewarded with the show-stopping encore, “Music For Lovers”.  This previously-unknown and unreleased recording showcasing Nina’s exceptional performance makes it clear why hearing Nina Simone in concert was one cool experience.

While it’s hard to feel like we’ve discovered a new fold, wrinkle, or tear in Nina Simone’s richly cataloged life and music.  But 'You’ve Got to Learn' is a hearty document of how music can motivate a political moment.  The most crucial of these songs reverberate throughout history, particularly today as history coils in on itself, repeating the same cruel pattern.  Nina’s music and voice still have the ability to deliver us toward human decency.

The freeload is a 24-bit/192 kHz vinyl rip.

For the freeload, tells us about your favorite recordings that sat unreleased for years.