Music Column 2022 – William Price King meets the Music Legends – Nina Simone – High Priestess of Soul and The Early Years

It is eight years since William Price King joined Smorgasbord to share music across the genres. It is six years since we have featured some of the music legends and delighted to showcase them again in 2022.

Nina Simone – High Priestess of Soul and The Early Years

Nina Simone was a singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and a civil rights activist that gifted us with songs that remain classics to this day. As music lovers we appreciate the music and the lyrics but for generations she has been and remains an incredible influence for other artists. Many of the top performers today credit Nina Simone as their inspiration including Van Morrison, Christina Aguilera, Lena Horne, Peter Gabriel, Mary J. Blige, John Lennon and Emeli Sande.

The first performance is My Baby Just Cares for Me which debuted on Nina’s first album in 1958 Little Girl Blue. The song was written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn for the musical Whoopee in 1930. Although not a huge success at the time it became a Top Ten hit when it was re-released in 1987, after it had featured in a UK commercial for the Chanel No.5 perfume.

Nina Simone’s stage presence earned her the title of ‘High Priestess of Soul’ although her musical roots were decidedly classical. In fact Nina’s on stage performances included many styles of music from gospel, blues, jazz, folk and pop most fused with classical elements.

This was not the only unique feature of her performance style as she would incorporate monologues and dialogues with the audience and also use silence as part of her musical delivery. Nina would compare this to ‘mass hypnosis’ and that she used it all the time. Even on video this hypnotic effect can be felt as you listen and watch this consummate performer at work.

The second performance is of the title track of Nina’s first album Little Girl Blue. It is a combination of the Rodgers and Hart melody and lyrics and the melody of the carol Good King Wenceslas

Part of her performance excellence stemmed from the fact that for most of her life and her recording career she was accompanied and supported by percussionist Leopoldo F. Fleming and guitarist and musical director Al Shackman.

Each of these two incredible musicians bought elements to Nina Simone’s music and performances over 31 years. Leopoldo Fleming has a rich background to draw upon with Latin-Afro-Indian roots and decades in the Jazz and music scene. He is renowned for being a superb accompanist and an outstanding soloist.

Al Shackman, Nina Simone’s musical director and foremost collaborator for almost her whole career was also a close friend and the two shared what has been described as a rare, telepathic communication onstage as well as off.

The next performance is Love Me or Leave Me. Another popular hit from the Broadway musical Whoopee written by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn. Classic Mood Experience

The Early Years

Nina Simone was born in 1933 as Eunice Kathleen Waymon, the sixth child of eight to a Methodist minister and house maid Mary Kate Waymon and John Devine Waymon a handyman in Tryon, North Carolina. She began playing piano at only age three and was able to play virtually anything by ear, she was soon studying classical music with an English woman named Muriel Mazzanovich, who had moved to the small southern town. It was from these humble roots that Eunice developed a lifelong love of Johann Sebastian Bach, Chopin, Brahms, Beethoven and Schubert.

‘Once I understood Bach’s Music, I wanted to be a concert pianist. Bach made me dedicate my life to music, and it was that teacher who introduced me to his world.’ Nina Simone.

As her talent developed, her mother’s employer provided funds for her piano lessons and a local fund was set up to support Nina’s continued education. With the help of this scholarship money she was able to attend Allen High School for Girls in Asheville, North Carolina.

At twelve years old she was invited to give a recital at her local church and her parents sat proudly in the front seats. However, they were asked to move to the back of the church to make way for white members of the audience. The young Nina made what was to be a life-long stand against discrimination by refusing to play until they were returned to their rightful seats.

This commitment to civil liberties was compounded when, after studying and attending an interview, Nina was denied a scholarship from the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Later Nina revealed that she had found out from someone within the institute that it was because of her colour.

‘The worst thing about that kind of prejudice…is that while you feel hurt and angy and all the rest of it, it feeds your self-doubt. You start thinking, perhaps I am not good enough.’ Nina Simone.

To make ends meet she taught piano to students and worked as an accompanist for other performers. In 1954 fate would take a hand in her career when she auditioned for a small club, The Midtown Bar & Grill, in Philadelphia. It was also this year that Eunice adopted the stage name Nina Simone. Nina from niña, meaning ‘little girl’ in Spanish and the nickname that a boyfriend had given her. And Simone after the French actress Simone Signoret.

The owner of the club insisted that Nina also sing for the audience and as word got around about her incredible musicality and interpretation of greats such as George Gershwin and Cole Porter, club goers from up and down the east coast began to flock to her performances.

In 1957 after submitting a demo of songs from a performance in Pennsylvania to Nina was signed to Bethlehem Records in Ohio, home to James Brown. The result was her first album Little Girl Blue in 1958.

The final performance today is I Loves You Porgy from George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess. It was the single that would launch Nina’s career and popularity becoming her only Billboard top 20 hit in the United States.renatanassif 

Nina was in her mid-twenties and still intending to follow a career as a classical concert pianist so she sold the rights to the songs on the album for $3,000. Due to the popularity of the songs over the next decades this meant a loss of over a million dollars in royalties.

Nina was not happy with Bethlehem’s promotional efforts for the album and she moved across to Colpix Records. After she left however, Bethlehem released a further album Nina Simone and Her Friends without her permission with songs that were left over from the recording sessions for Little Girl Blue.

Buy Nina Simone Music: Amazon

Additional sources
Nina Simone Website
Wikipedia

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Blog– IMPROVISATION – William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – Facebook – William Price King – Twitter – @wpkofficial
Regular Venue – Cave Wilson

 

As always William would love to receive your feedback… thanks Sally.