By Ron Wynn, rwynn@nashvillecitypaper.com
September 29, 2006

Nina Simone’s style and sound couldn’t be confined in any single category or explained by labeling her a particular type of vocalist. She was simply a wonderful singer who covered the broad spectrum of American and world music, picking and choosing those selections that fitted her and doing them in her own expressive and special fashion. The new DVD Live at Montreux 1976 (Eagle Rock) offers visual and aural evidence of Simone’s great thematic flexibility. It covers her complete ’76 performance, plus cuts from additional dates in 1987 and 1990. The 1976 set opens with a defiant, moving version of “Little Girl Blue” that sets up the audience for a series of demonstrative numbers, among them “Backlash Blues,” “Be My Husband,” her signature piece “I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)” and the stirring final cut (of that set) “African Mailman.” Simone’s piano work could be just as rhythmically charged as her vocals, or she could lay back and just offer sparse, yet impressive chords and licks. “African Mailman” and “Stars/Feelings” were the songs where her piano playing was at its strongest, especially in the melodic exposition on “African Mailman.” Those looking for more familiar Simone material will be satisfied by the bonus cuts, with “My Baby Just Cares For Me” from 1987 and “I Loves You Porgy” from 1990 among the finest works. But there’s also the anguished, longing Simone presented on “Someone To Watch Over Me,” the enticing persona depicted in “Ne Me Quitte Pas” (Don’t Leave Me)” and the proud, confident one presented on “Liberian Calypso.” Other than “Baltimore,” this set contains most of the prime Simone material, and the accent’s on musical presentation rather than crowd shots and extra’s. It’s an exceptional performance DVD, one that fully shows the greatness and majesty of Nina Simone.

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