Judi Jackson pays tribute to Nina Simone
American Jazz vocalist will perform with gospel choir and full live band.
Nina Simone’s most powerful, spiritual compositions will be performed live by jazz vocalist Judi Jackson, a gospel choir and full live band at London's iconic Jazz Cafe on the 10th September.
Across her 44 year career ‘The High Priestess of Soul’ became one of America’s most prolific and influential composers. Her remarkable voice, and virtuosic piano playing allowed her to weave a legacy of liberation, empowerment, passion and love through a magnificent body of work.
Judi Jackson and her gospel choir will cover the breadth of Simone’s career from her 1959 breakthrough ‘I Loves You Porgy’, to 1960s civil rights ballads like ‘Sinnerman’, through to her commercial success with ‘My Baby Just Cares for Me’ in the 1980s.
In Judi’s words: “We want to honour a legend, a hero, an activist, a force of nature, whilst raising awareness to mental health issues and fighting back against the stigma about keeping it quiet.”
Judi has released music with Snarky Puppy and performed alongside Mavis Staples. By revisiting Nina’s compositions, Judi aims to explore how these songs have influenced her life and career so far. Check out the live session she did for us below.