My World Lisa Simone

• 1 Let It All Go 03:08
• 2 Unconditionally 03:23
• 3 Expectations 03:53
• 4 I Pray 03:53
• 5 I've Learned 01:29
• 6 My World 04:08
• 7 If You Knew 03:37
• 8 Ode to Joe 03:21
• 9 Tragique Beauty 03:58
• 10 Hold On 03:27
• 11 This Place 04:19
• 12 Work Song (Bonus Track) 03:17
• Total Runtime 41:53

Info for My World

Her third album, „My World“ is now out in the world: it’s a true labor of love, a recording brimming with original compositions (with the exception of two covers of songs associated with her legendary and iconic mother, Nina) that reflect the sometimes challenging, rewarding and ultimately life-affirming journey of this multi-talented award-winning singer, songwriter, performer and actress.

The 2016 release of „My World“ caps a year filled with activity for Lisa, who garnered an Oscar nomination as co-executive producer of the acclaimed documentary about her mother, “What Happened Miss Simone?’ Consistently in demand for live performances the world over, Lisa began her solo recording career in earnest with the 2008 release of Simone On Simone, a big band tribute to her mother that focused on material from Nina’s 1966 set, ‘High Priestess Of Soul.’ In 2014, came her well-received second album, All Is Well – which contained original compositions such as “Finally Free” and “The Child In Me” as well as an outstanding version of the classic, “Autumn Leaves.”

Now comes MY WORLD which finds Lisa working with co-producer and co-writer, guitarist Herve Samb and crafting a superb musical project that depicts her own experiences, with highly personal songs that truly provide listeners with an insight into who she is.

“I really feel like I’ve turned a corner and that I feel more whole than I’ve ever felt and ever remembered feeling in my conscious walk on this earth. And it’s really good to be here!” (Lisa Simone)

The upbeat opening cut, “Let It All Go” provides the perfect jumping off point: “That song was inspired by my relationship to saying goodbye. In my meditations probably since 2014, I’ve realized that one of my root childhood issues, heart issues, has been that of saying goodbye to my loved ones. It wasn’t until I continued to reflect upon it that I recognized the pattern that I go through emotionally; the song came over the series of a couple days because I was living it, I was in it. The vision of me determined to hold on to control already knows I’ve got to let it all go…”

A member of the original touring company of “Jesus Christ Superstar” (after stints singing background vocals for international artists such as Spain’s Raphael) before joining the original cast of the award-winning Broadway musical “Rent”, originating the role of Nala in “The Lion King”, and as the award winning lead actress in “Aida,” Lisa pays personal homage to her mother (the world-renowned performer, recording artist and civil rights pioneer whose work influenced countless others over past five decades) through three songs in particular, the original “Tragique Beauty,” a plaintive cover of Nina’s 1962 composition, “If Only You Knew” and a new recording of “Work Song,” one of the highpoints of Lisa’s dynamic and energetic live performances.

Lisa Simone, vocals
Hervé Samb, guitar
Reggie Washington, double bass, electric bass
Sonny Troupé, drums, percussion

Lisa Simone
Nina Simone’s daughter, followed a unique path. During her childhood she moved all over the world, following the success of her mother’s career. When she finally left home she enrolled in the U.S. Air-Force. After serving in the Iraq War she changed her path towards music, singing with Spanish star Raphael on his world tour. Later, she was recognised in the U.S. for singing with the pioneer Grammy Award nominated acid-jazz band Liquid Soul. After that, Simone took her first steps as a solo singer with her Broadway debut. It was here that she learned her trade and discovered her true passion for performing every day, no matter where or when, and connecting with her audience.

Her last album, All is Well, was a sort of precursor to My World. Hervé Samb was the project’s musical director from the beginning and went further, constantly pushing boundaries by improving the arrangements and orchestration. The arrangements and compositions rely on simple and organic choices, playing to the group’s strengths: their acoustic potential, live sound, and an unmistakable personal touch, which were patiently developed during their live concerts. My World is the completion of a very fine balance that Lisa Simone, Hervé Samb, and their musicians have been able to successfully bring to life on stage during the last two years.

My World is the fruit of a harmonious collaboration between Lisa Simone and Hervé Samb. It was recorded in two different places in France: in the Cévennes foothills at Studio Recall (which had already worked with French and international artists such as Alain Bashung, Noir Désir, and Césaria Évora), and in the Parisian region at Yellow Sub Studio (Zazie, Garou…). New instruments were added to intensify the original band. A brass section and some percussion feature in the grooviest tracks (Unconditionnaly, Hold on, Tragic Beauty), and a string quartet for additional character and soul to My World, Expectations, and This Place. But this album, more than anything, bears tribute to its vocal star. Lisa Simone’s voice is accompanied by Lisa Spada’s, and by all the musicians’ in the title track My World, adding a unique texture to it. This album’s biggest interest lies with the vocal arrangements, the purest form of human expression, enabling Lisa Simone’s message to fully resonate.

With My World, Lisa Simone allows her listeners to experience her personal world, and we discover her family’s importance through her songs. From her distant son in Ode to Joe, to her daughter RéAnna, to whom she dedicates the song Unconditionally, and who performs one of the album’s best tracks, I Pray, with her mother Lisa. Lisa also sang about her mother Nina, who had also expressed her love to Lisa, movingly dedicating her the song If You Knew, in which she expresses all her love and her need to be close to her. Nina Simone is evoked in Tragic Beauty, a song that Lisa wrote at the time of her mother’s death. Similarly, This Place makes reference to Nina’s house in Carry-le-Rouet, South of France, where Lisa decided to settle after her mother’s death in 2003.

Fifty-three year old Lisa Simone sings about her happiness of finally finding where she belongs in the world and of simply being alive. Along her experiences and encounters, Lisa knows how to transcend her past suffering and today shares a profound joy and new serenity with her music.

Through all of this, one simple truth remains: Lisa Simone writes superb songs.

Booklet for My World