Interview Transcription
Rob Lemkin
in Live at Ronnie Scott, November 1984
I know, what God is, but I do not believe in any denomination. I think it's necessary, and I know that ritual is necessary. And for whatever people need. Of course they should do it, but I do not believe in any denomination, whatever I am. If I need the solitude, and I often do, and the meditation, and the quiteness, and the communication with God, I go to any church, if I can find that atmosphere. But I will not get eh, hung by it, nor will I get involved in it to the point where it dominates my thinking, and, this one is better than that one. No, I will not do that. Music is my God.
I was born a child prodigy. [Yeah] I was born a genius. Which means that, uhm, at six moths old, my mom says that I knew what notes were. And of course eh, on paper. And it scared her. So three years old I remember a piano playing to the house. That's the way I have to express it, cos I was poor, and I was a child, so I didn't know who bought the piano. And I remember playing a song, 'God be with you, till we meet again.' In the key of F, and of course I didn't know what a key was. So I do that for you too, scramble [laughing]. So I eh, I didn't get interested in music, I was a gift from God. And I know that.
No, no, I had only seen it twice. In my whole life. The first time I was too protected. And my parents did understand that I was a gift, and I had a boyfriend, and I had, was approved by the community, and I played in churches, and I studied. I did what they told me. So I didn't really know very much about that, we were poor. But I didn't know much about that. I knew it existed, but it didn't touch me. It touched me first time when I gave a concert, a, a recital at age twelve, and they wanted to put my mom and daddy on the back row, in the concert, in room of the recital hall. And I remember standing up, quite brave, and I said: "Oh no, my mom and dad will sit up on the front row." That was first. And the second one came, was when I went to, to Curtis, and I, I, I passed the test. I knew I was good. I was at that time a kind of humble – not too much these days. But, uhm, and I didn't understand it. I was playing Czerny and Liszt, and Rachmaninov and Bach. And I know I was good. And eh, but, and we made records and I didn't understand why I didn't get that scholarship of, of, of anything. And eh, there were people all around me who knew about my talent as well, and they said: "Nina, it's because you are black." And I, I, that schocked me. And I didn't take the time to that to sink in. I said: "Well, I just go where I can make some money to have my parents" – who had moved from North-Carolina to Philadelphia at that time, to be with me as I studied. So I was quite aware that they needed some money to help them. So I took a job, two weeks later, in a popular studio, playing for kids who couldn't sing worth a damn, a half, half an hour of popular music. And that's how I creeped in showbusiness. Because later I asked the same agent to get me a job in a supper club. And I didn't know what a supper club was. So I certainly didn't know they served liquor. You see, my mother, uhm, was a very strict methodist minister. And so I remember being in the bar, and I ordered milk and everybody laughed [laughing].
Sometimes I think that musicians all worship music, and they don't. Many of them just do it for the money, and many of them do it for glory or to make a record or something, and I have to be, eh, thrown sometimes to realise that there are very few musicians who actualy listen to someone who hopefuly knows more than they do, and especially if they can follow, that's a rare musicians. So he has that. Paul Robinson has that gift.
... The structure, the cleanlyness, the tone, the – nuances, the implications, the silences, the dynamics, the pianissimos, the fortissimos, all have to do with sound and music, and it's, it's as close to God as I know. Eh, the cleanlyness of, of classical music – not all of it, some of it is too cold – but Bach was a master. And, let me say in this path also many many jazz eh, masters knew what they were doing. Coltrane, Dizzie Gillespie who is still with us, he's, does a lot of comedy, but he's a great master. Miles Davis is a master. Duke Ellington was unquestionably one. And eh, Art Blakey is one – I wished, God I could play with him. Eh, and eh, eh, and I said Coltrane? And we have of course Art Tatum at sometime. And one of the greatest pianists in the world is Oscar Peterson. I can only think of those four, five masters. I only like masters.
Mississippi goddam / Moon over Alabama
I sing it for two reasons. First of all, they are familiar with this one of the biggest songs I ever made. Secondly it's important in 1984, because no one really, eh, commemorated or remembered – in my opinion – enough, Martin Luther King, and, and eh, 'Mississippi goddam' brings him back. Plus! You have a group, a British group here. I heard it eh, four, five days ago. I, they're called – oh dear – something U2, I don't know that British group enough. [Conformation from someone.] U2? And they have made a hit, out of a song called, something about love, 'Out of love' or something. It's a big hit now, and it's about the story of Dr. Martin Luther King – did you know that, snoogy? It's true. And so, so that's not dead in their minds. The youth need to know the history of America, since America is on top. They need to know what we did there. And so I'm happy that I'm still singing it. Because that group obviously have been thinking about it too. And in 1984 they were able to put together a song that became a hit, which means he is still now alive in the eyes and the ears and the brains of many young people. And that's important. And that's my contribution.
They wanted me to be the first black classical pianist in America, for there were none. And there still aren't. Really. So that's got nothing to do with the great jazz masters, but we only – black people in America – only have one, and his name is André Watts, and they don't completely accept him, because he, his mother or his father was German. [Mother was Hungarian, ed.] So that's what I was being prepared to be, and that's all that was on my mind. And when I'd come home I played jazz and gospel and, and folk, and eh, my mom didn't allow it. But I'd play it when she was gone, and my dad would let me know when she was coming home. That was my pleasure, but I studied to become this.
I like to conserve of what I had, ... because it was so little. And to support it with the means of, of these hands. And in so doing, the audience, eh, concentrates on the voice, but without the piano. This ... very much. It has an awful lot of knowledge ... with regard to music, but I have to be always ... of the limitations of it. In fact, with this interview, I'm hoping there's some left ...
Miss Nina Simone and this drummer – Nina Simone!
Well, I love them to love me. And if they're going to have an idol, they should have a good one and that's me. But I would like them when they come and see me to be able to relax enough, to enjoy being one family at that time. And if ... harm, then ... ... But when they're with me, be with me. Enjoy me, let me enjoy them.
[drumming, audience screaming]
Miss Nina Simone, ladies and gentlemen, thank you to Nina Simone, thank you.
Nina Simone, ..., thank you.
There are few people in this world, who I fear, since I am what I call a 'space child.' That people will understand what I've just said, who will see this program. And eh, we, need, staff that's proper, to support Nina Simone, have a great manager – we have some people around us, but we need proper staff. Those of you who hear this, and think you are proper, I'll know that you are. Then be aware of the calling, because I just come from God. I think I said that clear enough. And I do want to get married.
Okay. ..., thank you very much indeed.