I think I knew before I'd decided on any of the songs for Five Easy Pieces, that Nina Simone's Plain Gold Ring was the one I REALLY wanted to do. If you don't know her work, there is no other singer I can think of who expresses emotion any better. Her work is also marked by a spirituality, economy and the bitter reflection of her cultural experiences and those of her forebears.
This is a song that leaves you exposed - singing it becomes an immense task, because every syllable needs to drip with experience and knowledge. You don't JUST sing a Nina tune, you have to inhabit it.
This also marks the last of the recording, excluding any last overdubs, before the album goes into the mixing stage. I'm incredibly pleased with how it is sounding. I've had some very big shoes to fill over the last few months. I hope you will enjoy it too. Peace #hakimjamalmusic #FiveEasyPieces
