San Francisco’s own Jazz Diva Kim Nalley is back in town after living and touring in Europe. Her newly owned (and restored) 1930’s supper club, Jazz At Pearl’s, swings with the very best of them. The intimate 135-seat North Beach venue is an elegant setting for Nalley, who is becoming internationally known for her breathtaking performances and charisma. Nalley evokes legends such as Billy Holliday, Dinah Washington, and Ella Fitzgerald with an assured vocal style wholly her own, but every bit the chanteuse of the 1930’s and 40’s.

SHE PUT A SPELL ON ME– A TRIBUTE TO NINA SIMONE was sold out February 17th 2004, with an overlflow of people out on the Broadway bustle of North Beach. Inside it was an impressive Jeff Chambers on upright bass, truly ascendant pianist Tammy Hall, Josh Workman, a virtuoso Jazz guitarist, and the emotively brilliant drummer Kent Bryson. Nalley, ablaze in a silver dress, began with a stunning Love Me Or Leave Me before pausing to confess a rare nervousness for attempting “…a tribute to one of the most distinctive voices of the last century.” She proceeded into My Baby Just Cares For Me, and I Put A Spell On You, soaring as a truly exuberant, yet humble devotee. She then took a moment to share her excitement about the history of the Jazz At Pearl’s building in North Beach. “I feel so honored to be here. This is a place that has always had Jazz in it, not to mention the great beat poets who performed in this space….” Ironically the building, which is directly across the street from historic City Lights Bookstore, was constructed in the early 1900’s when Jazz was considered by some to be the “Devil’s Music.”

Without being ostentatious, Nalley peppered and interspersed songs with compelling anecdotes. Black Is The Color Of My True Love’s Hair highlighted Nina Simone’s ability to take an 18th century English folk song and “…make it completely her own.” Before singing Mississippi Goddamn! Nalley described how in 1963, during the first ever performance of the song, the upper class New York audience didn’t get it. They roared with laughter until it suddenly dawned that Simone was talking about the racism of the South; specifically, the recent shooting of Medgar Evers (the head of the Mississippi NAACP) and the firebomb killing of four black children attending church. She was ‘blacklisted’ on many performance circuits afterwards. Kim Nalley belted out Mississippi Goddamn! with raw, unchecked power, seemingly nullifying the murderous and mean spirited ignorance it describes. Later Nalley confessed, she thought Nina Simone was a man when she first heard her as a child, and that her favorite song at the time was Little Liza Jane, a 78 record of her Mom’s. She used to dance around the house to it with her brother; her gleeful rendition and obvious joyful remembrance electrified the room.

The haunting history of lynching in the song Strange Fruit continued the retrospective of Nina Simone’s Black Power roots, along with the politically descriptive outcry of Backlash Blues; a song made from a poem given to Simone by the great Langston Hughes. Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead) was especially touching. The song, written by Simone after Martin Luther King was assassinated, is equal parts grief and celebration. It honors Dr. King’s life in such a deep and multi-layered way. I imagine it is a difficult song for anyone to fully render outside of Nina Simone’s evocative register. Nalley’s interpretation had such emblematic grace and feeling that she was immediately given a rousing standing ovation by the full house. No one had to think about it. It was an instantaneous reaction. When one feels the painful depths of these songs, it is not hard to imagine why Nina Simone eventually became an expatriate: first going to Africa, then Switzerland and Holland, before finally settling in the south of France.

A unique highlight of the night came after Nalley sang House Of The Rising Sun. She invited Louisiana born Lady Mem’fis to the stage, a veteran San Francisco Bay Area performer. Lady Mem’fis told a captivating story about Nina Simone, beginning with a statement that she did not “believe in Voodoo” disclaimer. But she then described a captivating encounter with Simone in the 1970’s. Lady Mem’fis had a terrible rash on her hands that had gone on for many weeks. After a Simone concert, she made her way forward for an autograph. A fan had given Simone a picture of a black woman’s hands, delicately holding a rose. Lady Mem’fis remarked how beautiful the picture was before displaying the condition of her own hands. Simone immediately grabbed both of Lady Mem’fis’s palms and exclaimed, “You’re hands are absolutely beautiful!” Lady Mem’fis’s rash completely disappeared by the next morning. Lady Mem’fis then did an A Cappella, hand clapping, version of Be My Husband that sent tingles straight up the back of my neck. She later joined Nalley in the third set for a stirring version of See Line Woman.

The rest of the evenings’ songlist included Simone standards, such as Summertime, You Can Have Him, I Want a Little Sugar In My Bowl, I Shall be released , and a personal favorite, the soaring ballad I Love’s You Porgy. It’s impossible to fully describe this beguiling celebration, except to say it was one of those rare moments I’ve had the realization of being in the right place, at exactly the right moment.

For those who missed this event, reprises are planned in the future, usually around the February anniversary of Nina Simone’s passing. I recommend Kim Nalley’s shows until then, not to mention the stellar Bay Area jazz performers who also headline at her club. Arrive as early as 6:30 or 7 to find bar seating available. Entry is usually ten dollars to sit at the bar, but it is essential to reserve a table if you choose to experience the extraordinary dinner menu. Unlike many dinner/show affairs, Jazz At Pearl’s offers plentiful choices for each section of the four-course meal. The menu has a delicious Spanish ouevre, mixed with flavored nuances of French and Asian Cuisine. The many appetizer choices alone are a Tapas lover’s paradise. How often can you enjoy a four-course meal for an amazing 40 dollars per person (entry included) and then see world-class music performed only steps away?! Dinner begins at 7 P.M. The show usually starts at 9 P.M.