Nina Simone in Concert is an album by jazz singer Nina Simone. It was her first album for the record label Philips and consisted of three live recordings made at Carnegie Hall, New York City, in March and April 1964. She recorded Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall in 1963 for Colpix. This album marked the beginning of "Nina Simone, the Civil Rights singer" in her recording career; she had already incorporated the civil rights message in her performances. Included on the album are political songs, such as "Mississippi Goddam", released as a single at the time. "Old Jim Crow", "Go Limp", and "Pirate Jenny" contributed to the message in a covert or metaphorical way. The album was rated 94th best album of the 1960s by Pitchfork.[3]
"Old Jim Crow" was a protest song against Jim Crow laws.
"Go Limp" was a humorous folk song about a girl who is warned by her mother not to join the NAACP because it would cost her virginity. Halfway through the song Simone forgot the lyrics and invented some. At the end she received a standing ovation.
"Mississippi Goddam" is a protest song written by Simone after the Alabama Church Bombing.[5] A minute into the performance she addresses the audience, saying "This is a show tune, but the show hasn't been written for it yet..." This is met with nervous laughter as the primarily white audience has realized they're hearing a caustic Civil Rights protest song.
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