Eunice Waymon diventò Nina Simone, una maschera che sul filo degli anni eclisserà il suo nome di battesimo e con la quale entrerà nella storia. Nina per “nina”, “la môme”, il soprannome che le aveva dato un fidanzato latino di cui non si sa niente. Simone per Signoret nel “Casco d’Oro”, un film che la pianista aveva visto in un cinema di Filadelfia e che l’aveva impressionata (David Brun-Lambert, Nina Simone: Un Vie, Editions Flammarion, 2005, p. 53).
In un’efficace scansione biografica Kerry Acker (in Nina Simone (1963-1966); Chelsea House Publisher, Philadelphia, 2004) distingue ed identifica così i momenti della sua vita: il prodigio (1933-1944); la concertista di piano (1944-1954); la “chanteuse” (1954-1959); la stella (1958-1962); l’attivista“The high Priestess of Soul”, che tradurrei come la sublime sacerdotessa dell’Anima (1967-1968); l’espatriata (1970-1978); la diva (1978-2003). Forse in quest’ultimo frammento del ciclo di vita io individuerei anche quello della decadenza della vecchiaia. Una brutta vecchiaia, davvero oltraggiosa per questa meravigliosa creatura.
Quando nel 1957 esce il suo primo disco, Nina, durante le estati, cantava e suonava già da 3 anni al Midtown Bar & Grill di Atlantic City. La sua storia comincia lì. Aveva dunque 21 anni. Le voci corsero subito per le strade (oggi girerebbero sui blog e su DeBaser): “c’è una giovane musicista nera in città e quello che canta è unico”.
21 anni, eppure il carattere temprato negli anni dell’infanzia e dell’adolescenza era ormai pienamente definito, compiuto ed intero nella gamma comportamentale che andava dalla spigolosità insopportabile alla grazia eccelsa:
“quando arrivava alla sedia del piano si faceva silenzio intorno. In un bar di seconda zona, nel cuore di una città bruciata d’insonnia, lei riusciva a far tacere fin dalla prima nota. Non si era mai visto qualcosa di simile qui” (David Brun-Lambert, op.cit. , p. 52)
3 anni di tirocinio così, anche per imparare il rapporto con il pubblico. Canzoni tirate sui tempi lunghi. Lei e il piano. Il piano e lei. Lei con se stessa, lei con il popolo del suo regno.
Quando le si presenta l’occasione di fare il primo disco, nessuno stupore che le bastino solo 24 ore per prepararlo e concluderlo.
1957: 14 tracce musicali tutte riuscite al primo colpo che la collocano nella storia. Tutto il talento che mostrerà negli anni successivi è già concentrato lì in quel disco. La sua unicità, la sua “individuazione” è leggibile ieri e oggi in quelle 14 tracce perfette, durevoli, classiche.
Mi fermo qui. Caro lettore, avrai capito che Nina Simone è uno dei miei tanti punti deboli. Con lei divento fragile ed esposto al sentimento. Mi perdo e mi sento felicemente perso, per riprendermi e ricominciare ad ascoltarla. Sì: è una dipendenza. Una Ninadipendenza.
Dell’intero disco parlerò un’altra volta.
Oggi volevo solo dire che lì si ascolta la ballata “Little Girl Blue” di Richard Rodgers e Lorenz Hart.
"Sit there
And count your fingers
What can you do
Old girl you're through
Sit there
Count your little fingers
Unhappy little girl blue
Sit there
Count the raindrops
Falling on you
It's time you knew
All you can ever count on
Are the raindrops
That fall on little girl blue
Won't you just sit there
Count the little raindrops
Falling on you
Cos it's time you knew
All you can ever count on
Are the raindrops
That fall on little girl blue
No use old girl
You might as well surrender
Cos your hopes
Are getting slender and slender
Why won't somebody send
A tender blue boy
To cheer up little girl blue"
Questo pezzo entrerà sempre nel suo repertorio per i successivi 46 anni.
Ma fra tutte le esecuzioni, quella al Festival Jazz di Montreux del 1976 mi sembra eccezionale, incredibile, bella in un modo indescrivibile. Probabilmente creata così nei 10 minuti di quella sera e solo quella volta così. La presenza corporea sulla scena, gli anticipi preparatori, lo sguardo, i passi da pantera, i silenzi, i giochi linguistici, il pianismo che accenna a quella ferita della carriera stroncata, quel “This is Africa…”, la genialata del doppio finale.
No: non ci sono né ci saranno altre o altri come lei.
P.S.: Ho, molto abusivamente, caricato su Youtube un video di "Little Girl Blue" interpretata / recitata / cantata a Montreux. E' qui: . Andate ad ammirarla, ve ne prego.
Sarà come portarle dei fiori. Fiori per Nina.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Mood Indigo (04:04)
You ain't never been blue, no, no, no
You ain't never been blue
Till you've had that mood indigo
That feeling goes stealing right down to my shoes
While I just sit here and sigh
Go along blues
I always get that mood indigo
Since my baby said goodbye
And in the evening when the lights are low
I'm so lonely I could cry
For there's nobody who cares about me
I'm just a poor fool that's bluer than blue can be
When I get that mood indigo
I could lay me down and die
You ain't been blue, no, no, no
You ain't never been blue
Till you've had that mood indigo
That feeling goes stealing right down to my shoes
While I just sit here and sigh
Go along blues
02 Don't Smoke in Bed (03:13)
I left a note on his dresser
my old wedding ring
With these few goodbye words
How can I sing
Goodbye old sleepy head
I'm packing you in like I said
Take care of everything
I'm leaving my wedding ring
Don't look for me
I'll get ahead
Remember darling
Don't smoke in bed
Don't look for me
I'll get ahead
Remember darling
Don't smoke in bed
03 He Needs Me (02:31)
He needs me
He doesn't know it,
But he needs me
And so no matter where he goes,
Though he doesn't care
He knows that I'm there
He needs me
I oughta leave him,
But he needs me
I know that I ain't very bright
Just to tag along
Oh, but right or wrong
I'm his... And I'm here
And I'm gonna be his friend,
Or his lover
Cause my one ambition is
To wake him and make him discover that
He needs me
I've got to follow where he leads me
Or else he'll never know
That I need him
Just as he needs me
04 Little Girl Blue (04:19)
Sit there and count your fingers
What can you do
Old girl you're through
Sit there, count your little fingers
Unhappy little girl blue.
Sit there and count the raindrops
Falling on you
It's time you knew
All you can ever count on
Are the raindrops
That fall on little girl blue
Won't you just sit there
Count the little raindrops
Falling on you
'Cause it's time you knew
All you can ever count on
Are the raindrops
That fall on little girl blue
No use old girl
You might as well surrender
'Cause your hopes are getting slender and slender
Why won't somebody send a tender blue boy
To cheer up little girl blue
06 My Baby Just Cares for Me (03:38)
(1928) Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson
My baby don't care for shows
My baby don't care for clothes
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for cars and races
My baby don't care for high-tone places
Liz Taylor is not his style
And even Lana Turner's smile
Is somethin' he can't see
My baby don't care who knows
My baby just cares for me
Baby, my baby don't care for shows
And he don't even care for clothes
He cares for me
My baby don't care
For cars and races
My baby don't care for
He don't care for high-tone places
Liz Taylor is not his style
And even Liberace's smile
Is something he can't see
Is something he can't see
I wonder what's wrong with baby
My baby just cares for
My baby just cares for
My baby just cares for me
Original lyrics
My baby don't care for shows
My baby don't care for clothes
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for cars and races
My baby don't care for high-tone places
Liz Taylor is not his style
And even Lana Turner's smile
is somethin' he can't see
My baby don't care who knows it
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for shows
And he don't even care for clothes
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for cars and races
My baby don't care for
he don't care for high-tone places
I wonder what's wrong with baby
My baby just cares for
Just says his prayers for
My baby just cares for me
08 Plain Gold Ring (03:56)
Earl S. Burroughs
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
It was where everyone could see
He belonged to someone, but not me
On his hand was a plain gold band
Plain gold ring has a story to tell
It was one that I knew too well
In my heart it will never be spring
Long as he wears a plain gold ring
Oh, oh
When nighttime comes a' callin' on me
I know why I will never be free
I can't stop these teardrops of mine
I'm gonna love him till the end of time
Plain gold ring has but one thing to say
I'll remember till my dying day
In my heart it will never be spring
Long as he wears a plain gold ring
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
09 You'll Never Walk Alone (03:48)
(1945) Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II
Original lyrics (Nina has only an instrumental version)
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
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