In 1964, Nina Simone embarked on new stage of her career. Her rejection by the Philadelphia-based Curtis Institute Of Music; time spent as a pianist in an Atlantic City nightclub; her jazz, gospel, pop and classical influences – all these had fused to make her one of the most complex, fascinating and talented artists of the decade. Simone released her debut album in 1958, but when she signed to Philips, in 1964, her creative output was about to dovetail with the Civil Rights movement – notably coinciding with the Civil Rights Act Of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, gender, religious affiliation or nationality.

A mix of studio and live recordings, 1966's Let It All Out sees Simone wholly mastering the art of performing in both situations, with a mix of songs that nod to her past (a version of "Little Girl Blue" featured on her debut album of the same name) and her then recent Civil Rights activity ("The Ballad Of Hollis Brown" was released by Bob Dylan in 1964). The album's penultimate track, the a cappella "Images," was taken from the Carnegie Hall shows that made up 1964's In Concert album.