1964 · Album
Folksy Nina
Recorded April 12, 1963 (Carnegie Hall, New York) · Colpix Records · Produced by Unverified — detail omitted
Nina Simone, Live and Unbothered
Simone turns a Carnegie Hall stage into a living room — intimate, direct, and completely on her own terms.
Here is what you need to know about Folksy Nina (1964): it comes from the same concert as Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall (1963), recorded on April 12, 1963, at Carnegie Hall in New York. Colpix Records essentially split one night's performance into two separate releases, which means if you own both albums, you have most of that show. The full concert did not appear together until 2005, so for decades listeners were working with pieces of the same puzzle. That context matters because it shapes how you hear this record — it is a document first, an album second.
What makes Folksy Nina interesting is the repertoire. Nina Simone leans into folk and blues material here, which suited her perfectly. She was never a conventional jazz singer in the first place — she came up as a classically trained pianist and brought that seriousness to everything she touched. On a stage like Carnegie Hall she could play it completely straight, no apologies, and the audience was with her. You get that sense of ease and control throughout. She is not performing for the room so much as thinking out loud inside it.
If you are new to Simone, this is probably not the first record to hand someone. Her studio work from this period gives you a cleaner introduction. But if you already love her and want to understand how she actually worked in front of a crowd — how she paced a set, how comfortable she was switching between piano, voice, and sheer presence — then this record earns its place. Think of it as the other half of a conversation that Carnegie Hall started that April night.
Who's playing
Lisle Atkinsondouble bass
Phil Orlandoguitar
Al Schackmanguitar
Roger “Montego Joe” Sandersmembranophone
