But for me, a medley from her July 4, 1963, appearance stands out as the quintessential Nina Simone moment. In just over six minutes, she displayed the range of her musical inspirations and a gift for improvisation that can come only from a deep appreciation of each genre and the skill---both vocal and at the keyboard---to carry it off. Continue Reading Nadine Cohodas: The Power of Nina Simone’s Musical Versatility