I was on my rocking chair on my porch in East Oakland, and I was depressed. This was after I recorded two albums, but I had bills, just got divorced, hated the area, and felt like I was not growing. So I decided, 'OK. This is the day. I’m going to leave this earth.' [After hearing Nina Simone's "Trouble in Mind"] It jumped me out of my skin.
After hearing Nina Simone's cover version of "Trouble in Mind" on the radio, Ledisi repudiated her thoughts of suicide and revived her career.[4][5] In 2006, she secured a record deal with major label Verve Forecast Records and went on to release a total of seven albums during her duration on the label. In 2017, she incorporated songs from Simone's repertoire into her concert with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO Pops) at the Kennedy Center.[4] In 2018, she headlined a tribute concert to Simone in New Orleans with the drummer Adonis Rose and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.[4]
On November 28, 2020, American television network PBS aired Ledisi Live: A Tribute to Nina Simone, a con.[7] The concert was recorded at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas.[8] A cover version of Nina Simone's interpretation of "Feeling Good" was released as a single on July 9, 2021.[9]
On July 17, 2021, Ledisi held a virtual listening party for the album.[10] In collaboration with BMG Rights Management, Ledisi Sings Nina released by Listen Back Entertainment on July 23, 2021.[1] Shortly after the release of the album, PBS began airing reruns of the concert special Ledisi Live: A Tribute to Nina Simone. On April 15, 2022, the album was released on vinyl.[11]
In 2019, Ledisi headlined the Nina and Me Tour.[12] The tour ran from May 10, 2019, to October 18, 2019. During her concert performances at Powell Symphony Hall in St. Louis, Missouri, she was joined by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. She was joined by the Metropole Orkest for the performances at Royal Albert Hall in London and The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.[13] After the release of Ledisi Sings Nina, Ledisi embarked on the Ledisi Sings Nina Tour, which featured spot dates from July 2021 to late 2023.[14][15][16]
Commercial performance
Ledisi Sings Nina debuted at number two on Billboard's Classical Crossover Albums chart, spending a total of fifthteen weeks on the chart.[17] The album spent one week on the US Classical Albums chart, peaking at number twelve.[17] It peaked at number thirteen on the Jazz Albums chart, while peaking at number eleven on the Billboard's Traditional Jazz Albums chart.[17]
Andy Kellman of AllMusic felt Ledisi Sings Nina was "most appealing because that Ledisi is herself at all times, empowered by Simone yet utterly distinct."[1] Kellman also considered the album as "crucial to Ledisi's discography as any of her [past] four Grammy-nominated albums."[1] He also selected "Feeling Good", "Four Women", and "I'm Going Back Home" as the album's highlights and standout songs. Salamishah Tillet of The New York Times felt the album "showcase both the diversity and depth of Simone’s musicianship and the breathtaking range and reach of Ledisi’s own voice.[4] LZ Granderson of The Los Angeles Times remarked that "although some of the lyrics were penned more than half a century ago, Ledisi molds them with contemporary hands, creating a stunning piece of art. It is a thank-you to the voice that led to her salvation. It is a note of encouragement for those who may find themselves in a dark space. It is a prayer for fewer dark spaces for us all."[5]
