The classical artist whose music Nina Simone thought was “better than sex”
Nina Simone might have done more for unification through the power of music than any other artist who ever lived, but her heart was always guided by jazz and classical music. Her soulful crooning and rhythm and blues influences were always carried by her appreciation for the intricacy and depth of classical and jazz, creating a blend that enabled her to explore the struggles and challenges of her time.
Even some of Simone’s more commercial or accessible moments, like Wild Is The Wind, incorporate her love for jazz and classical with songs that hinge on immense emotional intensity, like ‘Lilac Wine’, ‘I Love Your Lovin’ Ways’, and ‘If I Should Lose You’. Her nuanced lyricism, dynamic vocal range, and rawness make her songs feel deep and meaningful, infused with the richness of a woman who knew what it was to feel love and loss.
She also explored her appreciation for jazz and classical in her earlier works, like Little Girl Blue, and remained enamoured with the greats throughout her life and career. She had wanted to pursue a career in classical music before she was forced to pivot after her admission to the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia was rejected. However, in many ways, she still managed to live her dream.
In her mind, there was no greater force for emotional connection than classical, and when emotional connection is formed, it enables the precursor for change. This—in Simone’s world—was the power of music, so long as it mirrored struggle like the flow of a river: soft and unchanging but purposeful and confident still. As she once said, “An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.”
This influenced her artistry and allowed her to better judge the messages within others’ works. Pinpointing what makes a good song is difficult for many, but to Simone, the principles were simple. In 1984, at Ronnie Scott’s in London, she explained her take on musical excellence and the appeal of classical music: “The structure. The cleanliness. The tone. The nuances. The implications. The silences. The dynamics all have to do with sound and music. It’s as close to God as I know. The cleanliness of classical music; not all of it, some of it’s too cold.“
Simone also discussed her personal favourites, picking out a specific list of jazz innovators who left an unmatched mark on the musical landscape. “Bach was a master,” she said. “Many jazz masters knew what they were doing. Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, who is still with us, he’s a great master. Miles Davis is a master. Duke Ellington was unquestionably one. Art Blakey is one. I wish to God I could play with him. One of the greatest pianists in the world is Oscar Peterson.”
The singer took this a step further years later, laughing like a giddy, impassioned musical aficionado when she said Bach’s music “is better than sex,” saying it “reaches such a climax that I feel like I’m reaching as well. When I hear it now, it’s too much.”
As someone who began her classical journey enamoured with Bach, it’s no surprise Simone would revert to such comparisons when discussing his music. Bach also possessed the kind of melodic and harmonic intricacy that made Simone’s soul sing, knowing that emotion in music is an incredibly nuanced affair that only so many have the power to master so effortlessly.
