Gifted & Black is an unofficial studio album from jazz singer, pianist, and songwriter Nina Simone. It was originally released in 1970 by Canyon Records. However, it is thought to be a demo tape made by Simone in the spring of 1957 some months before the recording of Little Girl Blue, her first official album, in December of the same year. For the release in 1970, the original recording had strings added. Overview Gifted & Black was probably released in July 1970, given the date of a contemporary review by Rolling Stone magazine, that of 6 August 1970. The reviewer points to what they see as problems with the release; the reviewer writes: It's not that this album, ... is misrepresentative of what Nina is currently up to, and does a disservice to an exceptional artist's career. It's not that the strings, which are dubbed over her piano trio are in poor, nay, bad taste. It's not that it sounds as though the recording mikes were placed down the hall from the studio, in the toilet, perhaps. Rather, it was just "this album is pisspoor". The reviewer took a guess, the album may have been "recorded around 1967(?)". There are, however, no indications on the album sleeve or label of the year the tracks were recorded or the musicians playing in Simone's band (which might also place the date). Information the album does include is that it was released by the little known Canyon Records and Simone was signed to RCA at the time; and that Stroud Productions and Enterprises, Inc. were involved, a company set up by Simone's husband, Andy Stroud. During 1969 and 1970 their relationship broke down. As Nadine Cohodas writes [links added]: On February 14 [1970] Amsterdam News columnist Jesse H. Walker reported in his Theatricals column (usually at least a week behind events) that the couple had separated [...] A front-page story in The Philadelphia Tribune February 21 announced that "Nina Simone Leaves Mate Who Earns $100,000 as Her Personal Manager". Cohodas continues to state that "Andy had moved to a midtown Manhattan apartment". Simone eventually left the United States and went to Barbados in September 1970, leaving behind her wedding ring. They never reconciled and would eventually divorce. Nonetheless, Stroud remained Simone's manager for some time thereafter, and was accordingly in control of her income, touring, and the mastertapes of her non-contracted recordings. Stroud