Little Girl Blue (also known as Jazz As Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club) is the debut album by Nina Simone, released by Bethlehem Records in February 1959. Simone was in her mid-20s and still aspiring to be a classical concert pianist. Unfortunately, she immediately sold the rights for the album to Bethlehem Records for $3,000 (This is the equivalent of around $27,000 today) which would eventually cost her over a million dollars in royalties.
Though Simone would go on to write many great songs, (think of ‘Mississippi Goddam’, ‘To Be Young Gifted And Black’ or ‘Ain’t Got No, I Got Life’.) she didn’t write any that were included on this album, including her biggest hit ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’ which was helped by being included in a 1987 Chanel advertisement.
In my list of Best Albums of 1959 I placed this at number 9 and there will be more from that list appearing in this one, because it was a hell of a year.
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