Morgan James Performs Songs from Nina Simone's Repertoire On Debut Solo Recording

By Andrew Gans
November 15, 2012

Singer-songwriter Morgan James, who will be seen in Broadway's Motown: The Musical, will release her debut solo recording next month.

Entitled "Morgan James Live," the recording will be available from Epic Records beginning Dec. 4.

Recorded at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, the album features James' renditions of standards from the repertoire of Nina Simone.

In a statement actress-singer James said, "For a long time I wasn’t sure what to do with the fact that I’ve got this gigantic voice that doesn’t quite match how I look, so I ended up trying out lots of different things to find my way. Nina refused to be pigeon-holed into any one genre, and she wasn’t setting out to impress anyone. That sort of purity and lack of showboating means so much to me as a musician.”

James collaborated with music director David Cook in creating the musical arrangements at Dizzy’s in July 2012.

The complete track listing follows:

1. I Put A Spell On You
2. Little Girl Blue
3. Don't Explain
4. Be My Husband
5. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
6. My Man's Gone Now
7. Funkier Than A Mosquita's Tweeter
8. My Baby Just Cares For Me
9. Tell Me More And More And Then Some
10. Save Me
11. Trouble In Mind
12. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out