Smooth as Martini

Nina Simone is probably feeling anything but good right now from above that her signature song, “Feeling Good,” is being molested by the damn M[o]use, the Pussycat Dolls, Michael Bublé, and a handful of American Idol contestants. Even Randy Crawford and Joe Sample want a piece of that soul too with their latest album (guess the name of it). With Crawford’s sultry voice backing up by Sample’s delicious keyboard licks, their rendition comes closest to Simone’s classic, but with a glass of Martini and a bubble bath supplementary. In fact, “Feeling Good,” which starts off the album, is a warm up for a host of romantic ballads (including “Mr. Ugly,” “But Beautiful,” “Lovetown,” and “All Night Long”) to come. Even though the whole joint is way too smooth for me, “When I Need Love” sure brings back the melancholy and damn done lulls me back into submission.