Pastel Blues

NINA SIMONE – Highly Influential Jazz/Blues/Soul Legend Released Her Classic LP ‘PASTEL BLUES’ 60 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

1 October 2025

Inimitable jazz/blues/soul voice, sublime piano player and also poignant political activist NINA SIMONE (born named Eunice Kathleen Waymon in 1933 and passed away in 2003)
is a musical icon who influenced a lot of artists, then and now.

Big names such as Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Meshell Ndegeocello, Rhiannon Giddens,
Janelle Monáe, Tracy Chapman, John Legend, Aretha Franklin, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Nick Cave,
and many others, including jazz artists like Cassandra Wilson and Dianne Reeves
claimed to be inspired by Simone.

Her final album A Single Woman came out in 1993.

Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and pop.
Her piano playing was strongly influenced by baroque and classical music, especially Johann Sebastian Bach, and accompanied expressive, jazz-like singing in her contralto voice.

One of her most praised and cited album is PASTEL BLUES.
It was released 60 years ago today, on 1 October 1960.

Pitchfork in retrospect review: “Nina Simone was a Juilliard-trained
classical pianist and a preternaturally adroit interpreter of jazz, folk,
and pop”

The magazine placed it No. 21 on their best 60s album list (pretty impressive
in a decade where countless classics came out. From Marvin Gaye, James Brown,
CCR, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, The Stones, Frank Sinatra, The Who and
countless more).

As many among us I know her greatest hits for a long tume, but to be
honest, I discovered this diamond only a few years ago. It’s an astonishing
vocal, stripped to the bone, collection of traditionals..


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Biography – All Albums

TURN UP THE VOLUME’S Knockout OCTOBER Team – Eleven Killer Tracks…

Posted on by JL

Eleven killer tracks on repeat this past month…

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Eleven killer tracks we played on repeat in October!
An eclectic mix of poppy vibrations and steamy grooves
energizing all of our senses and our limbs this past month!
Here’s Turn Up The Volume‘s Knockout October Team!

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1. ‘Faith & Science’ by MODERATE REBELS (London, UK)
With Moderate Rebels it’s all about intoxicating mantra-like psych grooves. Like a mind-expanding mix of Velvet Underground, The Dandy Warhols and Spacemen 3. Far-out stuff!
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MODERATE REBELS: Twitter

2. I Don’t Care Anymore by BIG TIME KILL (Boston, US)
This raging electro-duo produces inflammable firework to go berserk to on the dance floor. This cutting cracker comes from debut LP ‘Shock And Awe‘. Read all about it here.

BIG TIME KILL: Facebook

3. ‘Bar Stool Warriors’ by GARETH SAGER & THE HUNGRY GHOSTS (Scotland)
This is what happened when longtime post-punk chameleon Gareth Sager invited the ghosts of Captain Beefheart & Frank Zappa for a cup of tea and a rad jam. Full result here.

4. ‘Turn The Knife’ by PALM GHOSTS (Nashville, US)
A feverish mixed emotions pop pearl build around a stellar melody with layers of sparkling guitars and elevated by the enrapturing effect of duet vocals. Both dazzling and haunting.

5. ‘Money Money’ by RICHARD ASHCROFT (England)
Closing track of the legend’s brand new album. Hottest, hookiest and rockiest cut of all.

RICHARD ASHCROFT: Facebook

6. ‘The Witness’ by HERSELF (Italy)
Most upbeat, most funky and most vibey stroke on new LP by singer/songwriter Gioele Valenti aka Herself. Find out more about the whole album ‘Rigel Playground‘ right here.

7. ‘Pastel Blues’ by THE ATTICS (Melbourne, Australia)
You’ll feel groovy, you’ll look groovy and your swaying hips will make other people go groovy when you’re walking the streets with this earworm on your headphones. Ace!

THE ATTICS: Facebook

8. ‘Beacon’ by THE MIGHTY ORCHID KING (St Albans, UK)
Expect kooky guitars, a pulsating rhythmic tandem, an overall buzzing resonance, echoing vocals and karma-like 60s harmonies. Yesterday is the new today! Time to chill out! Yeah!

THE MIGHTY ORCHID KING: Facebook

9. ‘Secret’ by VAUREEN (Brooklyn, NY, US)
As much decibels as My Bloody Valentine, as dark as Killing Joke and with Lydia Lunch‘s enigmatic spirit on vocals. Outcome? Like a pitch-black Neil Young hurricane. Puzzling!

10. ‘Victoria Park’ by RED TELEPHONE (Cardiff, Wales)
Melancholic melody, starry-eyed vocals and an overall gratifying warmth that makes you long for happy-go-lucky childhood days. Reminds me of romantic popsters Scritti Politti.

RED TELEPHONE: Facebook

11. ‘Dream Apartment’ by OH FOR (Finland)
This humdinger’s jazzy bass warmth, its twinkling orchestration and its intimate vocals will make your thoughts drift away to the room in your mind where you can freely fantasize.

OH FOR: Facebook

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See/hear you next month for another knockout team…

Melbourne’s THE ATTICS Aim At Your Hips With Groovy Pop Vibe ‘PASTEL BLUES’…

Posted on by JL

Daily fuel to load your sonic batteries…

10 October 2018

Band: THE ATTICS (Melbourne, Australia)

Pick: PASTEL BLUES – new single – the band’s Cameron Wade says “it’s the least serious thing we’ve written in years. It’s a playful exploration of the phrase on repeat in the chorus, “wondering how it feels bad to be good all the time”. It’s a really dumb set of words, but a funny thing to think about in depth. So we’re exploring that with this kind of wandering commentary, reconfirming that life would be super bland if we only ever did what we were told we should. I think you can almost feel the music taking a few steps back and lazily fall into line with the idea.”

Score: I just love the spirit and the pace of this poppy groover. Why? Put it on your iPod when walking through your city. You’ll feel groovy, you’ll look groovy and your swaying hips will get enough attention to cause a buzz and make everybody go groovy and singing out loud “wondering how it feels bad to be good all the time“. Get the picture? C’mon let’s all go out, swing in the streets and save this troubled world, at least for today…

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THE ATTICS: Facebook – Instagram