Little Girl Blue (also known as Jazz As Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club) is the debut album by Nina Simone. It was released by Bethlehem Records in February 1959. At this time, Simone was in her mid-20s and still aspiring to be a classical concert pianist. She immediately sold the rights for the album to Bethlehem for $3,000 (US$28,176 in 2021 dollars). This deal eventually cost her royalty profits of more than a million dollars. Simone was dissatisfied by the lack of effort the record company took in promoting her, and she subsequently formed a long business relationship with Colpix Records. The album Nina Simone and Her Friends was released after she had left Bethlehem, without her consent, and comprised songs that were left over from the Little Girl Blue recording session. The s