Nina Simone was many things: a pianist, a mother, a civil rights activist, and an incredible songwriter. At her core, though, she was a jazz musician. Despite her most recognizable compositions leaning more towards pop and soul, Simone openly resented the music industry for pushing her in this direction. Consequently, her earlier jazz-oriented work, like 1959’s Little Girl Blue, contains some of her finest musical moments. Even during her pop era, Simone never lost her deep-rooted adoration for the vibrant world of jazz, particularly jazz pianists.
Simone’s earliest roots in musical expression began in childhood when she started learning piano at a young age. This early start ingrained in her a love and appreciation for classical music. However, she faced significant racial prejudice and oppression during these years, which could have stunted her musical development if not for her unwavering dedication. Excluded from the classical music world, Simone began singing and playing piano in jazz clubs around New Jersey.
Jazz, therefore, provided Simone with her first real steps into a music career. The release of Little Girl Blue in 1959 helped establish her as one of the most promising new jazz musicians in the country, but this status was short-lived. In the years that followed, Simone was continually pushed towards pop and soul, limiting her ability to share her love of jazz and classical music.
Nevertheless, Simone remained eager to promote the joys of jazz in interviews and live performances. In a 1968 interview with Down Beat Magazine, she highlighted her favorite jazz musicians, saying, “As far as piano players are concerned, Oscar Peterson is my very favorite. I also like McCoy Tyner.” Simone’s impeccable taste is evident here; Peterson is considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, while Tyner’s work, particularly with John Coltrane, helped define modern jazz piano.
Simone continued to express her appreciation for jazz, saying, “I think that the big jazz stars, both now and in the past…how shall I say it? These guys are as great as Bach, Beethoven; all of them. People don’t know it yet,” adding, “If jazz survives and is put on a pedestal as an art form, the same as classical music has been through the years, a hundred years from now the kids will know who they were, with that kind of respect. This may or may not happen.”
She continued, “In the meantime, unfortunately, as they get older, some of them get bitter.” It’s unclear if Simone was speaking from personal experience, but her documented bitterness over being pushed away from jazz suggests she might have been. Although classical music was her first love, it was jazz that truly captivated her. “That music,” she shared, “it’s something else. It really gets you.”
The world of jazz has been graced by many incredibly talented pianists, and Simone is undoubtedly a defining figure among them. Her appreciation for musicians like Peterson and Tyner underscores her deep and enduring dedication to the vibrant world of jazz.
