The Nina Simone Colpix/Bethlehem recordings have appeared in a multitude of guises over the years. This is a simple compilation of three of the records that made and cemented her reputation: Simone at Town Hall, At Newport, and At The Village Gate. Irritatingly for those who want this material in reasonable quality and in a sensible package, the last two albums are also on the 1960-61 volume of her complete works on the French Chante Du Monde label, which also includes a number of additional singles and the studio Forbidden Fruit album, but which does not include the Town Hall date. So completists need both, or the previous French 1955-59 set, which – amid some studio gems – has some slightly inferior earlier work. That said, this 2CD set is vintage Simone and includes the track she used to say was her favourite of all, namely her original recording of ‘Porgy’. The extended piano solo on ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ is one of the standouts of her slightly later quartet with Shackman, White and Hamilton, but the most consistently dazzling material is the Town Hall concert with Bond and Heath, where her great hits just keep coming: ‘The Other Woman’, ‘You Can Have Him’, ‘Summertime’ and ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’. At this point her piano playing is nimble, brisk and still classically tinged, and her singing has a touch of innocence that would vanish as her range deepened over time. If you don't have this material, this is an extremely well put-together way to acquire it.