The other day I was driving while listening in the shuffle mode to a large playlist I have on a flash drive. It was a lovely end-of-summer day and what should come up but Nina Simone singing "He Needs Me," It really moved me in ways I can't adequately describe, but I guess "goose bumps" might come close. Of course this track was from the best Nina album ever (and her first) "Jazz As Played In An Exclusive Side Street Club," on the Bethlehem label. This album is more commonly referred to as "Little Girl Blue." Every single song on this album is a treasure, but hearing "He Needs Me" out of the blue was like finding a treasure all over again. The track is a mere 2:30 long but manages to tell a rich story. Check it out, from the original Bethlehem LP, right here.
P.S. I remember the first time I heard this album. I was 20 years old at the Spokane, Washington basement apartment of my friend Michael Lally who played it for me there. I was enthralled. So, Michael, if you are reading this thanks for the first of many, many times you have pulled my coat to better things in life.
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