4080Records Presents: Simone

Simone.  Does the name ring a bell?  It should.  Simone is the stage name of the daughter of the legendary and astounding Nina Simone.

Her newest album “Simone on Simone” will be dropping shortly and deserves a listen.  She calls it a tribute to the big band sound.  Having heard brief snippets I’m pretty excited.  Although she could never match her mother’s vocal prowess, Simone does a pretty good job of doing her own thing.  She’s a powerful singer in her own right and also a very talkative young woman.

It’s kind of interesting that she completely embraces her mother’s heritage and doesn’t shy away from it.  Unlike other artists who’ve tended to avoid their parents glory (sadly, Enrique Iglesias comes to mind), Simone is the exact opposite.  Her website opens with her mother’s voice introducing her.  The short snippet just says “I’d like to introduce you to my daughter…” before the curtains open and you hear the younger Simone begin to sing.  It’s amusing that her identity is so much a product of her being Nina’s daughter.

Granted, it’s a gigantic shadow to get out of, so it may be easier/smarter to just embrace it. Regardless, NPR ran an interview with Simone, the audio of which you can hear below.