Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You (1965-2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of her most pop-oriented albums, but also one of her best and most consistent. Most of the songs feature dramatic, swinging large-band orchestration, with the accent on the brass and strings. Simone didn't write any of the material, turning to popular European songsmiths Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, and Anthony Newley, as well as her husband, Andy Stroud, and her guitarist, Rudy Stevenson, for bluesier fare. There are really fine tunes and interpretations, on which Simone gives an edge to the potentially fey pop songs, taking a sudden (but not uncharacteristic) break for a straight jazz instrumental with "Blues on Purpose." The title track, a jazzy string ballad version of the Screamin' Jay Hawkins classic, gave the Beatles the inspiration for the phrasing on the bridge of "Michelle."  by Richie Unterberger

Tracklist:

1 I Put A Spell On You 2:34

Written-By – Jalacy Hawkins

2 Tomorrow Is My Turn 2:48

Written-By – Charles Aznavour, Marcel Stellman, Yves Stephane

3 Ne Me Quitte Pas 3:34

Written-By – Jacques Brel

4 Marriage Is For Old Folks 3:29

Written-By – Earl Shuman, Leon Carr

5 July Tree 2:41

Written-By – Eve Merrian, Irma Jurist

6 Gimme Some 2:57

Written-By – Andy Stroud

7 Feeling Good 2:53

Written-By – Anthony Newley, Leslie Bricusse

8 One September Day 2:48

Written-By – Rudy Stevenson

9 Blues On Purpose 3:16

Written-By – Rudy Stevenson

10 Beautiful Land 1:54

Written-By – Anthony Newley, Leslie Bricusse

11 You've Got To Learn 2:41

Written-By – Charles Aznavour, Marcel Stellman

12 Take Care Of Business 2:03

Written-By – Andy Stroud

Credits:

Arranged By, Conductor – Hal Mooney (tracks: 1, 3 to 5, 7, 8, 10), Horace Ott (tracks: 2, 6, 11, 12)

Guitar – Rudy Stevenson

Piano – Nina Simone

Vocals – Nina Simone (tracks: 1 to 8, 10 to 12)

NINA SIMONE - Baltimore (1978-2001) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

After an uncharacteristic (for her) four-year hiatus from recording, Nina Simone returned to the fringes of the pop world with Baltimore, the only album she recorded for the CTI label. While it bears some of the musical stylings of the period -- light reggae inflections that hint of Steely Dan's "Haitian Divorce" -- the vocals are unmistakably Simone's. Like many of her albums, the content is wildly uneven; Simone simply covers too much ground and there's too little attention paid to how songs flow together. As a result, a robust torch piano ballad like "Music for Lovers" is followed immediately by one of Simone's more awkward moments, an attempt to keep up with a jaunty rhythm track on a cover of Hall & Oates' "Rich Girl." Still, one must give her credit for always being provocative in her cover song choices, as she clearly scores on the Randy Newman-penned title track and a dramatic reading of Judy Collins' "My Father." Her voice throughout is in fine form, even when she phones it in on the album-closing traditional gospel tunes, but arranger David Matthews is a mismatch for her: He blows the arrangements with excessive string overlays and needlessly blaring background vocals. Simone herself all but disavowed the album shortly after its release, testament to her eternally contrarian, iconic nature. Despite her misgivings, though, Baltimore is an occasionally spellbinding if erratic album, a challenging and worthwhile listen for people ready to dip into the lesser-known entries in Nina Simone's vast catalog. by Joseph McCombs  
Tracklist:
1 Baltimore 4:37
Piano – Al Schackman
Written-By – Randy Newman
2 Everything Must Change 3:57
Written-By – Bernard Ighner
3 The Family 4:57
Guitar – Jerry Friedman
Piano – David Matthews
Written-By – John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins
4 My Father 4:54
Written-By – Judy Collins
5 Music For Lovers 3:40
6 Rich Girl 3:11
Bass – Will Lee
Drums – Andy Newmark
Guitar [Solo] – Jerry Friedman
Written-By – Daryl Hall
7 That's All I Want From You 2:52
Written-By – F. Rotter, M. Rotha
8 Forget 2:54
Piano, Written-By – David Matthews
Written-By – Ralph Colucci
9 Balm In Gilead 2:24
Written-By – Trad.
10 If You Pray Right 3:17
Tambourine – Al Schackman
Written-By – Trad. 
Credits:
Arranged By – David Matthews, Nina Simone
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor – David Matthews
Backing Vocals – Albertine Robinson, Babi Floyd, Debbie McDuffie, Frank Floyd, Joshie Armstead, Maeretha Stewart, Milt Grayson, Ray Simpson
Bass – Gary King
Cello – Alan Shulman, Charles McCracken, Jonathan Abramowitz
Double Bass – Charles Israels, Homer Mensch, John Beal
Drums – Jim Madison
Guitar – Eric Gale
Other [Music Director For Nina Simone] – Al Schackman
Percussion – Nicky Marrero
Producer, Liner Notes – Creed Taylor
Viola – Alfred Brown, Emanuel Vardi, LaMar Alsop
Violin – Barry Finclair, Charles Libove, David Nadien, Harry Glickman, Harry Lookofsky, Herbert Sorkin, Marvin Morgenstern, Max Ellen, Richard Sortomme
Vocals, Keyboards – Nina Simone