18AGENDADECEMBER 1998 RECORDED MUSIC REVIEWS by William Shea again, repeating For hours and hours verses, changing of excellent listening order of the words, this holiday season, It was fun.” And her singing is very I recommend the impressive, in- following recordings: deed! Although Ms. The Complete Hank Williams Simone has been Mercury 572:44 recording since the late 50’s, now In American popular music Hank Rhino Records has Williams has reached the level of my- released “Nina thology which rivals Elvis Presley and Simone Anthology, The Beatles. Although other great and The Colpix Years,” important country artists were around a cd collection of before Williams (e.g. Jimmy Rodgers, her music that ad- Roy Acuff), in the country field his mu- mirably shows the sic and persona hails from the highest power and bril- of stages. Certainly after listening to Wil- liance of Simone— liams’ musical output, from his first re- her jazz, soul, pop, cording in December, 1946 until his hear a solo acoustic version of Williams’ classical-trained music. This anthology death on January 1, 1953, one can clearly “Honky Tonk Blues” (boy oh boy, Dylan will make a wonderful gift for anyone cial material (“Work Song,” Brown hear both the early markings of Elvis’, claims Woody Guthrie as his mentor; who enjoys listening to first rate mate- Baby”), this recording presents Simone a Jerry Lee Lewis’, Johnny Cash’s brand from this rendition, there is no doubt that rial, performed by an authentic voice of her best. of 1950s rock’n’roll (and I’ll add even he listened to Williams as well)—confi- the time. Although not recorded when she was the Beatles early work), and the country dence yet restraint. By 1952, Williams Taken from Simone’s catalog be- with Colpix, I wish the producers could conventions found in the music of Patsy plays a version at the Grand Ole Opry, tween 1959 to 1964, the 40 songs clearly have found a way to include on this re Cline, early Willie Nelson, Buck Owens, replete with squealing women and rau- shows her extraordinary talent. During cording her magnificent “Mississipp Merle Haggard. One can even hear cous cheering, that is fast, powerful, this period much of her record repertoire Goddam” and “I Put a Spell on You” William’s influence in the singing of loose and commanding. It is quickly ap- was taken from live concerts—Nina at Even without them this is a must recording some of today’s purer country musi- parent from the versions that Williams Town Hall, Nina at Newport, Nina at the which will make a fine holiday gift. Pick both R cians—George Strait, Randy Travis, went from an artist who could write a Village Gate, Nina Simone at Carnegie these worthy records up today. Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam—and in very good song to a star who could rock Hall. It is in these live recordings that pretty damn near every artist who has with the best of them (and the connec- we hear the inimitable style of Simone— ever sang a cry-in-your-beer, down- tion to Elvis and rock’n’roll is obvious). her soul, musical power, and political hearted ballad, including the likes of alt- This excellent set adds two high- stance. Although all the cuts have been country performers like Robbie Fulks lights: all the songs Williams sang with technically upgraded for today’s CD and Joy Lynn White. From a musical- his wife Audrey—no other collection has standards, there still are some technical influence perspective, it comes as little ever included them; and two brilliant glitches which were on the original re- surprise that Williams is a member of booklets that outline Williams’ life and cordings—sound fading in and out, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the each recording session. Coupled with over sonic imbalance. But instead of inter- Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame. 140 pictures (some very rare), The Complete fering with the ambiance of the perfor- The new box set of Williams’ mu- Hank Williams is a great holiday gift. mances, they only add to the immediacy sic entitled “The Complete Hank Will- and vibrancy of Simone’s work. One iams” is about the best box set one could Nina Simone Anthology: The hears Nina Simone not re-dubbed and give as a holiday gift. Produced by Colin Colpix Years Rhino 150:45 manipulated but undiluted as she played Escott, Kira Floritia and the Country Mu- and sang before a reverent audience. And sic Foundation, and executive producer Born and raised in North Carolina, the result is often outstanding. Luke Lewis, this collection on 10 cds by the time Nina Simone started playing Billie Holiday was too tragic; brings together virtually every studio re- piano professionally in Atlantic City, NJ Aretha Franklin too gospel; Diana Ross cording, radio and television show, ev- in the early fifties, she was already an didn’t get it; Odeta chose not to be ery demo and recorded concert Williams accomplished pianist. Trained at the overtly and aggressively political. But ever performed. In 225 recordings, 53 Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and Nina Simone, she is the quintessential previously unissued in the US, one will Juilliard, her family’s ambition was for soul singer. The power in her deep alto, hear Williams like never before. Of Simone to be the first classical concert the power of the material she performed course on the first four cds all the great pianist. But, as she put it, her race the perfectionist attitude she pushed on standards are here:”Honky Tonkin’,” stopped her from ever getting the chance. her audiences, the stage she used to pro- “Move It On Over,” “I Saw The Light”, Instead she started playing in “joints” in mote her black feminism and black “Lovesick Blues”, “Long Gone Lone- Atlantic City, earning twice the money power, all made Simone the hallmark of some Blues”, “Hey Good Lookin”, she had been making giving piano les- Soul Music during the sixties. And the ”Jambalaya”, “I’m So Lonesome I Could sons. It was in Atlantic City where she range of material on this anthology Cry” ,“Your Cheatin’ Heart,” but more first sang. clearly shows Simone’s prowess in this importantly on the final six cds one gets “It wasn’t hard to [sing], to fit it to role. From standard saloon-music fare to hear most of them played live. This is the improvisation because I used my (”Willow Weep For Me,” “The Other where the power and presence of Will- voice as a third layer, complementing the Woman,” “Fine and Mellow”), through iams comes out—his true influence. other two layers, my right and left hands. her folk repertoire (“Black Is the Color For instance, in the Montgomery, ...I would simply sing the lyric and play of My True Love’s Hair,” “Little Liza Alabama demos recorded in 1947 we around it, repeating single lines over Jane,” “Cotton Eyed Joe”), to her so-