Taking choice tracks from the High Priestess of Soul and embellishing them with beats, horn blasts, hooks-a-plenty and a contemporary production standard on an original voice that is forever ingrained in the collective American music psyche is a risky endeavor to begin with. Does Nina's already outstanding "O-o-oh Child" really need Nickodemus to mess with it? Isn't her cover of George Harrison's "Here Comes The Sun" already a slice of pure musical perfection? Does "The Look of Love" actually require a Madison Park vs. Lenny B remix? Thankfully, every song on this release is treated with obvious sensitivity, as the respective DJs retain the original soulful impact of the audio gold they¹ve been given, add their own distinctive arrangements and further polish them off with the improved studio techniques developed since the halcyon days of Nina's reign when these cuts were first laid down. Although make no mistake, with more stress on electronic rhythms, samples and weighty bass lines, this ain't your mama's Nina Simone.
Jazzeem's All Styles' remix of "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter" could get some serious playtime in a club, hopped-up with relentless bongos, swirling strings and driving looped drum rolls over Nina's whooping refrains. "Ain't Got No/I Got Life" (from the musical "Hair") was a UK Top 30 hit for Groovefinder, who turned the track into a real soul big band number with increased emphasis on the horn section, thumping bass grooves and an ever-present organ grind. Surprisingly, there's no remix of Nina's signature cover of "My Baby Just Cares For Me." Nor did anyone wade in the deep emotional waters of her take on Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You" or "I Loves You Porgy," the only song she did that cracked the US Top 40. With the notable exception of DJ Wally's "My Man's Gone Now," most of the cuts seem aimed at a trance or groove friendly listening audience. I would have liked to have heard more experimentation with strings, melodies or even brass dissonance. Nonetheless, Chris Coco's explosive handling The Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" via Nina completely turns the tune on its head, contextualizing it back to the Australian group's dance floor success.
Although Nina was an amazingly gifted musician that could easily segue from classical to jazz to soul to folk, bending genres as easily as her adept ivory tickling and breathy voice allowed, the majority of her most famous songs were covers. It is interesting then to note that her interpretations of other singer/songwriters are further interpreted or rearranged by these turntable performers for a contemporary audience that may not have had any previous exposure to this sometimes effusive but consistently remarkable artist. |