Column: Finding salvation from dark places through Ledisi and Nina Simone
LA TimesBack in July, while performing at the Hollywood Bowl, the Grammy-winning artist Ledisi shared a story about the day in 2003 when Nina Simone saved her life. And while Ledisi has paid homage to Nina Simone many times over since that day in Oakland, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect tribute to the “High Priestess of Soul” than her album earlier this year, “Ledisi Sings Nina.” I’m not one who likes to rank art at the end of the year, but whenever an artist of Ledisi’s caliber sings songs of their salvation, listening becomes more than an auditory experience. And no matter how down I’ve found myself this year — covering politics, trials with racial overtones, COVID — “Ledisi Sings Nina” never failed to lift me up. When Ledisi sings, “It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me,” there is a truth there that rises above the lush arrangement, without the two ever being in conflict. That’s the true beauty of “Ledisi Sings Nina” — although some of the lyrics were penned more than half a century ago, Ledisi molds them with contemporary hands, creating a stunning piece of art.
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