Celebrating Nina Simone!!
A tribute to the musical genius of Dr. Nina Simone and the turbulent times in which she created her artistic and reflective body of music. Four Women, Mississippi Goddam, I Wish I Knew How It Feels to be Free, To Be Young, Gifted & Black, to name a few.
“Vocalist Valerie Stephens gave a full house at the Gallery at the Piano Craft Building a sensational night of all Nina Simone songs. Stephens was as comfortable with Bess's confessional "Porgy," a jazz classic from Gershwin, as with the Bessie Smith standard "Sugar in My Bowl."Simone was very much the griot as amply evidenced in original compositions such as "Four Women… Stephens' interpretation binds her to Nina Simone. Stephens sang the bubbly "My Baby Just Cares For Me" as exquisitely as Bobby Short at the Carlyle. What a rare night in annals of Boston jazz!”