Black Gold: Simone Against the Silence
Recorded live in 1969, Black Gold catches Nina Simone at her most combative and most alive.
Black Gold was recorded in 1969 at Philharmonic Hall in New York City, and the room is audible in every track. Simone sits at the piano with a band that includes Emile Latimer and Tommy Smith on guitars, Don Alias on drums, Jumma Santos on percussion, and Weldon Irvine on keyboard. The performance has the looseness and urgency of a live set, with the audience's energy pushing the band forward rather than sitting politely in the background.
What stands out is how direct the record sounds. Simone was working through the tensions of the period, and she does not soften them for the crowd. The arrangements give room to the percussion and the guitars, so the grooves feel heavy and physical, and her voice cuts through with little apology. Listeners coming to her from the more polished studio albums will find a rawer and more confrontational Simone here.
Black Gold is a strong record rather than a definitive one. It is a good place to hear her in front of an audience, especially for anyone interested in her political turn at the end of the decade. Its reception was respectable: it earned a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1971, losing to Aretha Franklin's cover of "Don't Play That Song".
Who's playing
Nina Simonepiano
Emile Latimerguitar
Tommy Smithguitar
Don Aliasdrums
Jumma Santospercussion
Weldon Irvinekeyboard
