Label: Verve

Reissued 12/13/2024, Originally released 1964

"Mississippi Goddam" staked out Nina Simone's support of the Civil Rights movement when this album debuted in 1964, helping make it probably the most personal album that Simone issued during her stay on Philips during the decade. Writes AllMusic in a 4.5 Star review: "On most of her studio sessions, she worked with orchestration that either enhanced her vocals tastefully or smothered her, and she tackled an astonishingly wide range of material that, while admirably eclectic, made for uneven listening. Here, the singer and pianist is backed by a spare, jazzy quartet, and some of the songs rank among her most socially conscious declarations of African-American pride: 'Old Jim Crow,' 'Pirate Jenny,' 'Go Limp,' and, especially, 'Mississippi Goddam' were some of the most forthright musical reflections of the Civil Rights movement to be found at the time. In a more traditional vein, she also reprises her hit 'I Loves You, Porgy' and the jazz ballad 'Don't Smoke in Bed.'" Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve's Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets.

Track listing:

1. I Loves You, Porgy
2. Plain Gold Ring
3. Pirate Jenny
4. Old Jim Crow
   
5. Don't Smoke in Bed
6. Go Limp
7. Mississippi Goddam