#OnRepeat: Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good"

This week, I've had Nina Simone's version of "Feelin' Good" #OnRepeat. I actually have been listening to this song a lot because one of my students brought in this song to work on, so I figured I might as well learn more about the song while I work on it with my student.

Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse composed the song, "Feelin' Good," for the 1960s musical, The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd. It was originally sung by Cy Grant during the U.K. tour of the musical and it was sung by Gilbert Price in 1965 for the Broadway version. The play's plot is basically a metaphorical representation of how differences between upper and lower-economic classes in Britain during the 1960s are maintained. The song, "Feelin' Good," is sung by the role of "the Negro," who wins a game while two other characters are arguing, and sings this song at the moment that he wins.

Nina Simone recorded her version of this song in 1965 on her album, I Put A Spell On You. For those of you not familiar with Nina Simone, she is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. She is known for fusing Pop, Jazz, Classical, and Gospel influences in her music. Some of her most well-known songs are "I Loves You, Porgy," "I Put A Spell On You," and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." Nina's contralto voice, powerful vocal timbre, and jazz-like vocal licks are showcased perfectly in this song. Her version of this song set the standard for vocalists afterward, in both performance and technique. You can listen to her version of "Feelin' Good" below:

Do you have a new song, artist, or group that you're listening to? Let us know in the comments below!