Marking the 80th anniversary of Nina Simone's birth, this exceptional 2CD set contains all of the singles which Simone recorded for Colpix Records between 1959 and 1963 including Simone's revelatory original, ‘Blackbird’. Waxed at the Van Gelder Studios in Hackensack when Simone was just 26 years of age, the standout singles from her 1959 studio album The Amazing Nina Simone (arranged and conducted by Bob Mersey) include ‘The Other Woman’, ‘It Might As Well Be Spring’ and a luxuriant ‘Willow Weep For Me’, which sees Simone's lustrous timbre supported by subtle muted trumpet interjections and iridescent vibes. We also hear gorgeous interpretations of ‘Summertime’ (a signature song in Simone's repertoire since her July 1956 debut in Atlantic City) and ‘Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair' from the 1959 album Nina Simone at Town Hall, recorded in NYC and one of the brightest jewels in Simone's discography. Both dating from 1960, highlights from Forbidden Fruit and Nina Simone at Newport include superior readings of ‘Gin House Blues’, ‘Memphis In June’ and ‘Trouble In Mind’. Traversing jazz, blues, folk, classical and more, this is an unmissable collection by one of the 20th century's most influential artists. Peter Quinn