Hitting the High Notes in Nina Simone Tribute - Sing the Truth - IMN

Hitting the High Notes in Nina Simone Tribute - Sing the Truth

Friday July 17, 2009

By Jack Massarik – London Evening Standard

Truth is a commodity in short supply these days, which might explain why a capacity crowd, and one with more black and female faces than usual, beat a rainy path to the Barbican last night.

Clearly everybody misses Nina Simone, not least the vocal stars who assembled at the Barbican to pay homage to her.

For what other project would Dianne Reeves, Lizz Wright, Angelique Kidjo and Nina’s daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, be happy to tour with equal billing and stage-time?

The only wonder is that it has taken more than six years to organise this authorised tribute to The High Priestess of Soul – but what a good job they’ve made of it.

Reuniting her favourite combo, with guitarist Al Shackman, bassist Chris White, percussionist Leopolo Fleming and British drummer Paul Robinson, was the right start, and the singers, all powerful performers with more than a spark of Simone’s feisty feminism in their souls, found no difficulty in making her anthemic songs their own.

Her daughter, a lithe, catlike figure with dramatic stage presence, lasered out Feelin’ Good and Keeper of the Flame, while I Loves You Porgy and Lilac Wine were perfect for Wright’s stately contralto.

Benin-born Kidjo, who thanked Nina for “showing me that if you stand for something you don’t have to stand for everything”, gave an Afrobeat spin to Young, Gifted and Black and My Baby Just Cares for Me.

Reeves, who delivered a superb version of But Beautiful with only bass and conga-drums, was at her powerful best on Put a Spell on You. And the team’s quadraphonic encore, Four Women, was a real roof-raiser.

Officially their eight-capital tour of Europe ends in Stockholm tonight but they’ve now had a taste of real girl power and they like it.

Don’t be surprised to find some extra dates added soon.

Lilac Wine	4:18
Four Women	4:28

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