Before joining the civil rights protest movement and shining more light on the African American experience in the United States, Nina Simone sang the popular love songs of her time. In fact, it was I Loves You Porgy, sung in an Atlantic City piano bar (her first gig), which got her noticed by the industry. Impassioned Spirit explores the landscape of her life through these two repertoires which seem to exist at polar opposites of each other. Yet, they have something in common... Nina poured her whole heart into every song she sang. On her first gig, simply the music from her piano accompanied Nina's voice. Thus, for this tribute to the impassioned spirit of Nina Simone, my musical director and accompanies is Jamieson Trotter.