Name: Pastel Blues
Brand: Nina Simone

Tax rate EU

Default:19

Supplier EU

Universal Music GmbH

Total Cap

Format detail

Colour details

Discogs ID

Limited edition

Colour

Format Music EU

Extended format

Extended format: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Download code

Download code: No

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Release date

2006-02-14

Format multiplier

Catalogue number

9888700

UPC / Barcode

602498887004

Acoustic Sounds

2020-11-13

719082

602507190828

Artist

Nina Simone

Label EU

Verve

Genre EU

Classical

Nina Simone was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Born on February 21, 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, she began giving piano recitals at a young age after playing at her local church. Her talent impressed her mother's employer and a local fund set up by her music teacher, who funded her childhood piano lessons.

At the age of 17, Nina moved to Philadelphia where she taught piano and played to raise money for her studies at New York's renowned Juilliard School Of Music. To support her family financially, she worked in a bar in Atlantic City where she gained a devoted following through singing.

Nina's career took off when she recorded Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy," which became a US Top 40 hit. This success led to performances at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival. Throughout her career, Nina embraced numerous Civil Rights anthems and was a passionate supporter of the movement.

In the 1970s, Nina left the US and lived in various places including Barbados, Africa, the Netherlands before settling in France where she passed away from cancer in 2003. Known for drawing heavily on gospel blues soul jazz R&B folk music forms within her voice; it found wider popularity late in life when "My Baby Just Cares For Me" became an unlikely UK chart hit featured in a TV ad campaign.

Verve Records, also known as Verve, is a multinational record label that was founded in 1956 by jazz impresario Norman Granz. The label originated from the consolidation of Granz's earlier labels, Norgran Records and Clef Records. In 1960, Verve was sold to MGM Records and became a subsidiary of the company. Throughout the 1960s, Verve expanded its music genres to include comedy, pop, R&B, rock, and folk music.

During this time, Verve had successful jazz recordings from artists such as Stan Getz, Kai Winding, Astrud Gilberto, Ella Fitzgerald, and Jimmy Smith under the direction of Creed Taylor. In 1972, MGM sold its record division to Polydor which brought Verve into the newly formed PolyGram family of record labels. As a result of this transition, Verve focused primarily on jazz reissues while other non-jazz releases were absorbed into Polydor.

In the late 1980s, PolyGram decided to revive Verve with both reissue programs and new artist signings. This revitalization led to strong sales for both new material and remastered classic recordings. With the merger of PolyGram and Vivendi Universal in 1999 creating Universal Music Group (UMG), Verve Records became part of The Verve Music Group alongside other influential labels such as Blue Note Records and Impulse! Records.

Newest Listed Items

10% OFF when you buy 4 or more Rough Trade Essential albums from our curated selection of must-have records. Use the code: ESSENTIAL10.*

*Terms apply (<a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/best-of/promotion-terms-and-conditions">UK</a> | <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/en-us/best-of/promotion-terms-and-conditions">US</a> | <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/en-de/best-of/promotion-terms-and-conditions">EN-EU</a> | <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/de-de/best-of/promotion-terms-and-conditions">DE-EU</a> | <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/fr-fr/best-of/promotion-terms-and-conditions">FR-EU</a>).

Rough Trade Essential

The raw and forthright energy of Nina Simone hits you like a tsunami on the opening track of Pastel Blues. Nina Simone’s rendition of Be My Husband to the tune of an old African American work song, Rosie, is everything you need to know about Simone. Her voice so full of power and resistance, accompanied by nothing but the hammer strike of the percussion. It sends your spine tingling. Like much of her music it has its roots African American tradition and unabashed levels of pride and suffering in equal measures. The album is a collection of jazz and blues standards played by Simone in New York between 1964 and 1965. Her arrangements are relatively understated, the beauty of the album pours out of her fingers and her rich mahogany voice. Her conversational piano- play is beyond charming throughout, like a knowing look from an old friend, but her classical training glistens with glorious melancholy on End of the Line and later explodes on Sinnerman (arguably the greatest piano riff in pop music). Nothing is as arresting as the haunting threat and seething anger of Strange Fruit but the album's crescendo, Sinnerman, a riveting rearrangement of a traditional gospel song, comes awful close. One part spirited resistance, one part finessed beauty and wholly emblematic of the plight of African American’s at the time. Pastel Blues is archetypal Nina Simone and a crucial record in understanding one of the 20th Century's most majestic figures.

Pastel Blues

Music EU

Discover Pastel Blues by Nina Simone on Verve. Experience the raw power and beauty of Nina's jazz and blues standards. Available in CD and LP formats.