Jazz Review: Nina Simone’s Protest Anthology

    Jazz singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone once said, “An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” Nothing reflects the turmoil of Nina’s times or her commitment to improving those times than her newly released album, Protest Anthology. This collection of eleven previously unreleased live recordings and interviews offers fervent fans and newcomers alike a glimpse behind the polished stage singer and into her raw heart of darkness regarding her hatred of racial and gender inequality. Yet, it also displays her versatility as a singer who could cross-pollinate genres creating hybrids of unequaled grace and power. Jazz, blues, soul, folk, gospel—Nina wore all those labels with pride and disdain. Pride in her success in such a variety and disdain for being labeled at all.

    Protest Anthology features some potent songs that reflect her days performing and speaking at civil rights marches throughout the 1960s. In fact, it’s practically a chronology of many of the major civil rights milestones of that time. Despite it’s sprightly tempo, “Mississippi Goddamn” (1964) addresses her horror at the 1963 murder of activist Medgar Evers and the bombing of the Birmingham church that killed four black girls. (The record was boycotted in several Southern states.) “Old Jim Crow,” released that same year attacks the Jim Crow laws that perpetuated segregation and hostility. Her cover of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” about lynching, is angrier and grittier than Billie’s eerie, more languid version. “Four Women,” written by Simone, laments the stereotypes of women of color. The simple melody played by the accompanying piano accents her increasing outrage as the song progresses. Her performance of “Why? (The King of Love Is Dead),” about the impact of Martin Luther King, Jr., is as heartfelt and touching as any song you will ever hear.

    Several of her standards are featured, including “Backlash Blues” (1967) by her friend Langston Hughes, and her adaptation (with Weldon Irvine) of her friend, Lorraine Hansberry’s play, “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.” This 1970 song had such an emotional impact that it became a civil rights anthem later covered by Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, and even Elton John. Although her performance doesn’t have the polish of her earlier recording, it does convey her inner passion and frustration.

It’s a shame that this magnificent album appears five years after Nina’s death. On the other hand, as she herself says in one of the interviews in this collection,

“When I go, I’m going to know that I left something for [my people] to build on. That is my reward.”

Fortunately, this is a reward we can all share.

(Album cover: Protest Anthology; Nina Simone)

Comments

[Chet Howard]

Wow, this is such a karma thing for me....first because I've wanted to contact you for a long time about a product from your past and facilitated by finding your blog today. Second the fact that this topic on Nina Simone, who I have recently became a fan of after watching the movie "Kinky Boots" which features two of her wonderful songs, making me look for the cd you mention and others. Wow, yes for anyone who loves passion I strongly reccomend her music. It spans well beyond race and gender and has a quality that could touch anyones soul.
As for my question to you... who can I contact to get information about "Big Lew" sneakers. I have a backboard that advertises them from your early days... I've searched for many years and have only found one pair of shoes and no other similar items. I have thought that I would like to loan it to some KAJ museum, UCLA or BUCKS display for others to see, due to its rarity. It has a long history with me going to my childhood and the love between a father and son. Thank you for this forum.

[Abogada Adelante]

Kareem, Nina Simone has been one of my favorites since introduced to her music over thiry years ago. You forgot to mention that she is a trained classical pianist. She does sing a hole in your heart. You can't help but feel the anger. She knew like most commentators who belonged to the civil rights movement and appeared to discuss the 40th anniversay of Martin Luther King's assasination that the man accused of his murder was not solely responsible for his death. Her words are still relevant. Women of Color face double elimination in their struggle to survive. Generally, the women's movement has yet to come to terms with the upward mobility afforded them, often to the detriment of their sisters of color.

[Andrew B. Stroud, Jr]

Kareem - I have been a fan of your for years...like yourself I am a native NYer growing up in Jamaica, Queens...and I can remember hearing about your legend playing ball at Ajax park. I appreciate your giving props to Nina's work. My father, Andy Stroud was Nina's husband and producer...it's no secret that his energy is what took Nina's career "to the next level". I have fond memories of watching Nina perform live and listening to her opine on the racial inequalities of the 60s.

[junebee]

I e-mailed this to my mom, she's a huge Nina Simone fan.

[Rico.Mars]

This is a great post, Cap! I'm 32 and was recently introduced to Nina Simone's within the past six months by a friend of mine. Her music blows me away and I haven't been able to stop listening. She conveys a deep-rooted pain in a lot of her songs, some of which can really hit home for the listener if they've experienced something similiar in their own lives. For me, when she's singing "Hush now, don't explain... there is no one to blame... don't want to hear folks chatter because I know you cheat.. right or wrong it doesn't matter when you're with me my sweet," I'm telling you I get a knot in my throat EVERY SINGLE TIME because I've been there. I know I just met her music, but love that woman.

[fred warrick]

one of my favorite female vocals was her cover of Bob Dylan's BALLAD OF HOLLIS BROWN

[Eric Jung]

Honorable Kareem: I saw you (in high school) and Nina Simone live in the same year. Saw your first game against Dematha at Cole Fieldhouse. Saw Nina as opening act at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre in D.C. Wish I'd known then what I know now, just a dumb young kid going to my first live jazz concert. Nina did her 4 Women number, among other things. She was followed by Mongo Santamaria. Then Cannonball Adderley, who was just introducing "Mercy Mercy" and Joe Zawinul to the world. Then the headliner, Jimmy Smith. What a lineup! In college, a dormmate of mine claimed to have been in the same dorm with you at Power, his name was Dimitri Deviatkin. He said you were a good guy with a great jazz record collection. Right! I hear you're still a good guy with a great record collection. Cheers!