Nina Simone - You Can Have Him (Live)

Nina's contract with Bethlehem was short-lived and in the wake of her national success with “I Loves You, Porgy,” she was quickly snapped up by Colpix Records, a division of Columbia Pictures. Months after the release of her debut LP for the label (1959's _The Amazing Nina Simone),_ Nina was performing at her first major New York City venue, the mid-Manhattan-located Town Hall. Sensing that Nina's live performances would capture the essential spontaneity of her artistry, Colpix opted to record her September 12, 1959 show. “You Can Have Him,” a glorious torch song previously cut by Peggy Lee (a Simone favorite) and Ella Fitzgerald, was one of the highlights of the evening, opening with a dazzling keyboard arpeggio that would become a Simone signature for decades. A beautiful example of Simone at her storytelling best, painting a vivid picture with her skill as a lyrical interpreter.