Silk and Soul

After moving from the blues to soul for her second RCA album, Nina Simone's extroverted, confident delivery proved a natural match with the ranks of soul shouters working the crowds during the late '60s. A plane ticket to Memphis or Muscle Shoals could've resulted in one of Simone's best works; unfortunately, this set was recorded in New York, and it shows. Simone does well taking on Dusty Springfield for 'The Look of Love,' though the sedate supper-club backing doesn't quite jive with her smooth, studied performance. Better are the less familiar tunes, like the highlight 'It Be's That Way Sometimes' (written by Simone's brother Sam Waymon), 'Go to Hell,' and 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free,' a trio of songs Nina Simone has no trouble making her own.