She’s expressing the blues-not the blues of old but a more modern moan that shows the depth of her emotion. While I Put a Spell on You is buoyed with strings, Pastel Blues, released four months later, finds Simone leading a subdued quintet through a nine-song set of wit, protest, catharses, yearning and even a touch of fun. In the original liner notes, she says, “We need somebody not to make fun of sex but to praise it.” In 2017 NPR ranked I Put a Spell on You No.3 on its list of “150 Greatest Albums by Women,” She also covers Jacques Brel’s “Ne me quitte pas”, ranges upbeat with the witty “Marriage Is for Old Folks,” leads the band in the instrumental “Blues on Purpose” and zips into the popish swing on “Gimme Some,” which is Simone’s lusty embrace of love. The album opens with her hit title track written by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins whose 1956 recording was selected years later by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a seminal genre shaper. Producer, arranger and conductor Hal Mooney contributes the compelling orchestral support along with Simone’s guitarist Rudy Stevenson in creating the backdrop for Simone to express, sometimes viscerally, sometimes joyfully. Dubbed the High Priestess of Soul, Simone radiantly covers a wide range of emotional territory on I Put a Spell on You, including angst in relationships, true love blooming in the trees, the bluesy acceptance of life, and moody anger.
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