SIMONE, NINA – FORBIDDEN FRUIT

Purple 180 gram vinyl. Dutch import. The Oscar Brown Jnr. composition ‘Rags And Old Iron’ was a perfect vehicle for Simone, and its inclusion on this 1961 solo album demonstrated her admiration for Brown’s work as a lyricist, as well as his roles as a singer and activist. When Nina Simone waltzes into a song that exudes such bitter-sweet poignancy, her extraordinary singing voice sends chills down the spine and grips the imagination in a way few others can. It is one of a selection of superb performances that helped establish Nina’s reputation as a singer and pianist whose appeal would extend well beyond the realms of Jazz and Soul.