Posts Tagged Nina Simone
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November 8, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 18: Nina Simone – “Wild Is The Wind”
I’ve listened to a lot of Nina Simone – compilations and albums – and there are so many gems still to find. I had never, until this challenge, heard Wild Is The Wind (the album). I know the song, of course and many of the songs on here, but this album is still pretty wonderful […]Archive
May 28, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 551
The Modern Jazz Quartet, Plays The Music of Porgy and Bess (1965) I’ve never seen a production of Porgy and Bess, never seen one of the filmed versions either…but I know the music well, from so many different records and renditions. I think I first heard it through my grandfather; one of the only ways […]Archive
December 8, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Music Biopics Usually Get It Wrong: The Problem Is Taking The Page To The Stage
The music biopic has a tough job I guess – it has to satiate the fan, someone who might know it all or be pretty sure they do. It has to also introduce people to the music, it has to explain why there is a narrative fictional film about this person – or at least […]Archive
July 27, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Five Albums I’m Loving Right Now: Josh Hetherington
Josh Hetherington is a DJ (Josh On Decks), photographer, Super 8 filmmaker and musician. His current band, Show Me Where It Hurts will release their new EP this weekend, Friday, July 29 with a launch at The Thirsty Dog in Auckland, Saturday, July 30, 8pm featuring special guests Cold Harvest Trust. Previously, he was the […]Archive
May 11, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Nina: Film
Nina Director: Cynthia Mort Ealing Studios Entertainment/Londinium Films In a new low for the music biopic Nina makes the recent James Brown-mess, Get On Up feel like Coal Miner’s Daughter. The film, shot four years ago and sitting on the shelf all this time, had to weather a storm of bad publicity around the choice of […]Archive
November 9, 2015 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 796
The Roots, …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (2014) My least favourite album by The Roots – easily. But a bad Roots album is still good, right? Well, er, nearly…in the case of this there are really only a couple of decent songs (rather worrying, especially when one is actually a Nina Simone song they’ve […]Archive
September 11, 2015 by Simon Sweetman
Nils Frahm: Late Night Tales
Various Artists Late Night Tales: Nils Frahm Late Night Tales The Late Night Tales series, when it works properly (and it usually does) gives some insight into the artist’s influences, more than that though it’s a mixtape of hopes and dreams. And also it’s designed – the very concept of it is – to suggest […]Archive
January 19, 2015 by Simon Sweetman
Stubs: # 41 – Sing The Truth: Nina Simone Remembered, Wellington, 2010
The 2010 Arts Festival was hard work for me – I reviewed loads of shows and copped grief almost every second day it seemed. The Jazz Police started a campaign to get me canned from reviewing jazz gigs – and it worked. I had to return tickets to Branford Marsalis (and was super fucked-off). It […]Archive
August 24, 2014 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 1052
Nina Simone, Baltimore (1978) I dig a lot of Nina Simone music – she was certainly something else. That voice. That playing. The hardship – the intensity – it can’t have been nice living in her head, or with that head. But so much of the music is wonderful. In recent years I’ve become hooked […]Archive
December 4, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
Xiu Xiu: Nina
Xiu Xiu Nina FKLG/Graveface Jamie Stewart is prolific and uncompromising – both are admirable and dangerous qualities. And at some point the game has to be up, at least momentarily. And here, with a creepy set of Nina Simone covers/vandalism Stewart – as Xiu Xiu – finally serves up a varnished turd. Perhaps the most […]Archive
July 24, 2013 by Simon Sweetman