The first release of Jongleur,

Sempre Nina - A Tribute to Nina Simone,

distributed by Distribution Fusion III for

Jongleur Productions Records,

is now available.

Sempre Nina - A Tribute to Nina Simone

Jeri Brown - Al Sutherland

In 2001, Jeri Brown created her own record label, Jongleur Productions, committed to providing a forum for the creation of music yet untapped by Ms. Brown and for her productions with new or lesser known talent worlwide. Sempre Nina features Ms. Brown with Canadian guitarist Al Sutherland.

Jeri hopes to record annually on this label while continuing her recording presence with Justin Time Records.

Be My Husband		See-Line Woman wav mp3
Blueberry Hill		Stars and the Moon
Love Me Or Leave Me		The Trapeze Swinger (Short Version)
If You Go Away		Six Little Horses
wav mp3 My Baby Just Cares For Me		Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood		The Call
Wild Is The Wind		Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes
wav mp3 Sinnerman		The Trapeze Swinger (Long Version)

Sempre Nina-A Tribute to Nina Simone,Purchase
Simone's fierce talent and uncompromising character were only matched by her ability to wring every ounce of emotion from every note. With the support of CBC Radio-Canada producer, Jeff Riley, Jeri & Al entered the studio for a session in January of 2005. In that intimate setting they played fun tunes with a goal of paying tribute to a legend singer and activist Nina Simone. After its airing in January and February, due to tremendous response from friends and fans, the two decided to forge ahead with a small and tender recording rendering at the studio of maritime musician, engineer and friend Scott Ferguson's FMP studio in June. There Sutherland and Brown tackle a legacy. Together they put an up to date spin on one diva's tribute to another! Canada's Jazz Atlantic Festival in July marked the highly successful launch of its conception.
Sempre Nina has finally arrived.

Sempre Nina is a testament to Brown’s abilities and discipline that she can interpret Simone’s music and remain true to Simone’s style. Brown has a four-octave vocal range and is classically trained. She has lent her voice to many contemporary and avant-garde projects. Yet for this work, she stays focused on the essence of Simone’s style. “Nina's voice method is much more confined to the melody, which is difficult for a colourist like myself to do.”
Nina Simone was a much-loved jazz singer, pianist and composer. Her talents allowed her to explore many other musical paths: pop, soul, gospel, traditional African, folk, blues, classical and protest music. (Nina Simone wrote the fiery “Mississippi Goddam!” in reaction to the 1963 murders of desegregation activist Medgar Evers and four African-American schoolchildren). “Her phrasing and her storytelling, among other talents, are unmatched by any singers who came before or singers who came after in any genre,” Brown says.
This past January, Brown and guitarist Al Sutherland recorded a Nina Simone tribute for CBC Radio and later recorded Sempre Nina-A Tribute to Nina Simone.
As Brown explains what drew her to Nina Simone’s music, it becomes obvious that the two women have been guided by what lay in their hearts: “She had a strong sense of her African-American roots and really obeyed her spirit in all of the music she sang,” says Brown.
— Tara Lee Wittchen, The Coast, July 2005
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