65. Iluka on Nina Simone "Pastel Blues"

Sydney's soul-folk star Iluka (aka Nikki Thornburn) joins host Jeremy Dylan to talk about the artist Elton John once called the most important of the 20th century, Nina Simone, and her seminal 1965 album "Pastel Blues".

They talk about how the album blends jazz, blues, soul and classical influences, how Simone opened up Iluka's ideas of what singing could be, the "fuck-you" quality of the vocals, Simone's underrated piano playing and the historical mistreatment of black artists in 50s and 60s music industry.

To close the show, Iluka straps on her beautiful Gretsch guitar and lays out a wild solo version of "Sinnerman".

My Favorite Album is a podcast unpacking the great works of pop music. Each episode features a different songwriter or musician discussing their favorite album of all time - their history with it, the making of the album, individual songs and the album’s influence on their own music.

Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist and photographer from Sydney, Australia who has worked in the music industry since 2007. He directed the the feature music documentary Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts (out now!) and the feature film Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins, in addition to many commercials and music videos.

If you’ve got any feedback or suggestions, drop us a line at myfavoritealbumpodcast@gmail.com.