Nina Simone Sings Ellington (1962) is an album by American singer and pianist Nina Simone

Nina Simone

Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...

. The album contains songs that were originally composed and recorded by Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...

.

About the cover

The cover photo features just Nina Simone's head in full colour. Nina says about this picture in her autobiography I Put A Spell On You

I Put A Spell On You (book)

I Put A Spell On You is the autobiography by Nina Simone . She wrote it together with Stephen Cleary in 1992.- Summary :* Introduction, "I Know How it Feels To Be Free: Nina Simone 1933–2003", written by Dave Marsh...

(1992) that the picture was originally a full size picture of Simone's body. However, because Nina was pregnant of her daughter Lisa at that time, the photographer tried various positions to hide Nina's stomach. He failed in this most probably, and that is why just Simone's head was cut out of the full picture.

A leftover shot of Nina from this session, featuring a pose from her chest up, was later used on her 1966 album, Nina Simone with Strings

Nina Simone With Strings

Nina Simone with Strings is an album by Nina Simone. The album was released without her knowing after she had left Colpix Records, and had already made albums for Philips Records...

.

Track listing

1. "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me" (Bob Russell
   Bob Russell (songwriter)
   Sidney Keith "Bob" Russell, was an American songwriter born in Passaic, New Jersey.In 1968, Russell along with songwriting partner Quincy Jones was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category...
   
   ) - 2:50
2. "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
   I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)
   "I Got It Bad " is a pop and jazz standard with music by Duke Ellington and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster published in 1941...
   
   " (Paul Francis Webster
   Paul Francis Webster
   Paul Francis Webster was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Song and was nominated sixteen times for the award.-Biography:...
   
   ) - 4:06
3. "Hey Buddy Bolden" (Billy Strayhorn
   Billy Strayhorn
   William Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn was an American composer, pianist and arranger, best known for his successful collaboration with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington lasting nearly three decades. His compositions include "Chelsea Bridge", "Take the "A" Train" and "Lush Life".-Early...
   
   ) - 2:28
4. "Merry Mending" - 2:35
5. "Something to Live For" (Strayhorn) - 2:55
6. "You Better Know It" - 2:24
7. "I Like the Sunrise" - 3:01
8. "Solitude
   (In My) Solitude
   " Solitude" is a 1934 jazz standard, composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills.- Notable recordings :* Paul Robeson, bass with orchestra. Recorded in London on October 18, 1937...
   
   " (Eddie DeLange
   Eddie DeLange
   Eddie DeLange was an American bandleader and lyricist. Famous artists who recorded some of DeLange's songs include Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman.-Biography:...
   
   , Irving Mills
   Irving Mills
   Irving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of "Joe Primrose."Mills was born to Jewish parents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...
   
   ) - 3:45
9. "The Gal From Joe's" (Mills) - 2:08
10. "Satin Doll
    Satin Doll
    "Satin Doll" is a jazz standard written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Written in 1953, the song has been recorded countless times, by such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, 101 Strings, and Nancy Wilson...
    
    " (instrumental) (Johnny Mercer
    Johnny Mercer
    John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
    
    , Strayhorn) - 3:37
11. "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
    It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
    "It Don't Mean a Thing " is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills, now accepted as a jazz standard. The music was written and arranged by Ellington in August 1931 during intermissions at Chicago's Lincoln Tavern and was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra for...
    
    " (Mills) 2:33

All songs composed by Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...

, lyricists and other composers indicated.