Nina Simone's *Pastel Blues* is a masterclass in controlled fury, where classical piano collides with raw blues. "Sinnerman" is a volcanic ten-minute exorcism. Every track bleeds with unflinching truth.
Nina Simone recorded Pastel Blues in 1965, a year when the civil rights movement was boiling over and she was already known for singing “Mississippi Goddam” at Carnegie Hall. But this album isn’t overtly political — it’s personal, almost private. It sounds like a conversation she’s having with herself at the piano, late at night, when the world has finally shut up.
She was trained at Juilliard. You hear it in the way she strokes the keys on “Be My Husband” — a blues so naked it barely has a melody, just a single guitar shadowing her voice. Rudy Stevenson plays that guitar, and he knows better than to get in her way. The whole track is built on space and silence, the classical discipline of letting a note breathe.
Then comes “I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl.” She turns the Bessie Smith standard into something almost predatory. Her voice drops into a growl, the piano chords hang in the air like smoke. This is the Nina Simone who doesn’t ask for anything — she takes it.
The Ten-Minute Exorcism
But everybody comes to Pastel Blues for “Sinnerman.” And it earns the attention.
The track opens with a single piano chord, insistent and repetitive, like someone knocking on a door at midnight. Simone begins to sing in a near-whisper, drawing out the word “sinner” as if she’s pulling a confession out of you. Then the percussion enters — Montego Joe on bongos, Bobby Hamilton on drums — and the room begins to shake.
According to engineer Dick LaPalm, the whole thing was recorded live in one take at RCA Studio B. No overdubs, no safety net. The percussion section was given no instructions beyond “follow Nina.” And she leads them into a frenzy — handclaps, shouts, a roar of righteous fury that builds for ten minutes without ever breaking.
At the peak, Simone’s voice becomes a weapon. She’s not singing anymore; she’s preaching, testifying, tearing through the ceiling of the recording studio. The band locks into a groove that feels like a freight train derailing in slow motion. And then, just as suddenly, it drops back to that single piano chord, and she whispers the final “power” into the silence.
Forty minutes of someone telling you the truth. There’s no outro, no fade. The album just stops, leaving you alone in the room with what you’ve just heard.
🎵 Key Takeaways
- Pastel Blues is a personal private late-night piano conversation
- Be My Husband builds on space silence and classical discipline
- I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl becomes a predatory growl
- Sinnerman was recorded live in one take with no overdubs
- Percussion section told to follow Nina into a ten-minute frenzy
- At the peak her voice becomes a weapon preaching and testifying
Was 'Sinnerman' a traditional song before Nina Simone's version?
Yes, it's a traditional spiritual that dates back to the 19th century. Nina Simone's arrangement transformed it into a sprawling, improvisational epic that bears little resemblance to earlier recorded versions.
What instrument did Nina Simone play on this album?
Primarily piano, but she also contributed vocal arrangements and overall direction. She was known for her unique blend of classical, jazz, and blues, often playing with a percussive attack that reflected her early classical training.
Is Pastel Blues considered one of her best albums?
Absolutely. It's often cited as a peak of her mid-60s period, showcasing her ability to bridge the personal and the political through raw, emotionally charged performances. Many critics place it alongside *I Put a Spell on You* and *Wild Is the Wind* as essential Simone.