Lauryn Hill Takes on Classic Nina Simone & Gives it a New Life (Video)

On last night’s “Tonight Show,” Ms. Lauryn Hill performed her interpretation of Nina Simone’s classic 1965 tune, “Feeling Good.” Hill’s rendition is a single from Nina Revisited…A Tribute to Nina Simone. The album also features Simone’s daughter Lisa, Jazmine Sullivan, Usher, Common, Mary J. Blige, and Miss Simone herself. However, the most prevalent artistry on the project comes from Hill, who features on five tracks and served as an executive producer.

With a full band behind her, including a string and horn section, Hill managed to transform one of Simone’s most popular songs into something new entirely, without at all sacrificing the inspiration from which the song came. With some scatting, masterful ad-libbing, and some call and response with her musicians, Hill’s performance was reminiscent of Simone’s own, deeply imbued with soul, pain, and the joy that arises only from an artist on stage.