Don’t worry, Nina. She’s gotcha covered!!
That’s what I was thinking as I listened to Lizz Wright‘s newly released cover of Nina Simone‘s song called, “Seems I’m Never Tired Lovin’ You”, a song Lizz has included on her new CD, “Grace”, coming out on September 15.
(You can pre-order her CD on the Lizz Wright link above.)
If you’ve never heard of Nina Simone (shown above, in a picture I downloaded from Nina’s official website), or this song, click on the link below to hear Nina as she sang it years ago. She had a most unique and special talent.
……Seems I’m Never Tired Loving You…..
Then continue reading and listen to Lizz’s cover of the song.
When I first became aware of Lizz, three years ago this month, I heard her mention Nina’s name in some interview. Her name sounded vaguely familiar to me but I couldn’t picture Nina in my mind. So I googled her and read all about her and listened to her youtube videos and songs. I liked her. I wondered why I hadn’t heard of her.
I came to the conclusion that, back in the day, when she was most popular, I was a young teenager, living in my own little white bubble, in awe of Elvis and the Beatles.
I hadn’t yet expanded my horizons to include very many other genres of music.
So I missed out on all that she had to offer at the time. But, it’s never too late, as they say. Now my iTunes library includes almost everything she’s ever done.
Subsequently, I made a “Nina Favorites” playlist and that song is one of my favorites, along with “I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl”, “I Got It Bad”, “Wild Is The Wind”, “Come Ye”, “He Ain’t Coming Home No More”, and “Four Women”, to name just a few.
(You can probably find all of those on youtube.com, if you are interested to learn more about her music.
Lizz’s version of Nina’s song attests to, honors, and reveres Nina’s enormous and rare gift for music, and reminds us of the “young, gifted and Black” legacy she left behind.
If Nina was alive today to hear Lizz’ version of “Seems I’m Never Tired Loving You”, I think she would be pleased with it and flattered by it.
(Click on the link above to hear Lizz’s version.)
Basking in the Glory of Lizz’s Artistry
So I’ve been listening to Lizz’s cover of Nina’s song, virtually every waking hour, since July 13, when she announced that the song could be downloaded from Amazon, prior to the release of her new CD, “Grace”.
I think I’ve listened to this new song more than 4000 times (I’m not kidding) and I still want to listen to it again and again. She doesn’t just sing it beautifully, but she also added a whole angelic choir and church-style piano accompaniment to it. I think the whole arrangement is genius and amazing.
It evokes childhood memories of being in church, and the solace I felt being exposed to the Word and the gospel music in the church, and in having an awareness of that blend of humanity and Divinity that is in all of us. Yet it also stirs those feelings of desire to love and be loved by someone so unconditionally. I think it’s what Lizz calls being at the intersection of the sensual and the sacred.
Each and every song that she does, whether it is an original she wrote, or whether it is a cover, like this one, is so compelling to me. In my eyes, Lizz can do no wrong.
And it seems I’m never tired of listening to anything she does.
“I got it bad and that ain’t good” but it’s ok. It ain’t hurt me none.😊
In a previous post, called “Heartless in Seattle”, I said I think Lizz is a National treasure and I playfully referred to her as “LiZ2” (Lizz, with two Z’s), a precious and essential element here on Earth, similar to gold (Au), or silver (Ag), for example.
So in the “Bask’ing In The Sun” video clip below, I’m wearing a shirt that I asked my neighbor, Sandy, to make for me, just for this occasion. I simply wanted to promote Lizz and her new song and encourage those of you who are reading, to check her out. You won’t be disappointed if you do.
Oh and at the very end of the song, I like the finishing touch she adds, as she softly coos, “Oooh…yeaaah!” 🙃
The launch of Lizz’s newest CD, “Grace”
On September 15, 16 and 17, she will be performing at the Highline Ballroom in New York, the Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut, and the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Massachusetts, respectively, to officially launch the new CD.
I made arrangements to be in Ridgefield and Rockport for those two shows. When I made the reservations, I didn’t know that she was going to officially release the new CD on September 15. I had another reason for attending the two shows that weekend.
In September, 2016, while I was in Paris with my kids, I saw a Facebook entry Lizz made where she said that she thought it was cool that the Ridgefield Playhouse had their own basketball court, right by the Playhouse and that she had “settled some important matters with the brothers, on the court, before doing the show” 😄.
(I wrote about that in my post entitled, “Summer Moments In Seattle”. Click on this link and then scroll down four-fifths of the way until you see a gorgeous picture of Lizz in a red top.)
So I decided that if she ever sang there again I would go see her performance there, but I would also take advantage of the court, since I take my own basketball everywhere I go so I can play when I get there.
Speaking of basketball………..
Bask’ing In The Sun
We’ve had a string of glorious sunny days here in Seattle this summer as we usually do.
So I’ve been out there every day, after work, “basking in the glory of Lizz’s artistry” while “bask’ing in the sun”. (Bask’ing is short for basketballing.)
The following is a video clip of me “bask’ing in the sun” to Lizz’s new cover, “Seems Like I’m Never Tired Loving You”.
Hope you enjoy it (her song)!
I feel like a King, when I’m listening to her Highness sing.
Oh! Also check out my own “finishing touch” in the video.
“🏀🏀🏀h……Yeaaah!” 😂
