Unique among female vocalists (or, for that matter, musicians of any kind and in any genre), Nina Simone was something of a sorceress, combining elements of jazz, blues, pop, torch song, and almost everything else into an uncompromising expression of individuality. Given the extensiveness and range of her catalogue, compilations are a good place to start, and the two-disc GOLD package is a winner. From standards ("My Baby Just Cares for Me"), to her inimitable take on Gershwin ("I Loves You Porgy"), to tunes that bear her signature stamp ("See Line Woman;" "Mississippi Goddamn"), GOLD is a glowing testament to one of pop music's most enduring and distinctive stylists.