Eva Cassidy still cranking out the tunes
Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:20 am
DAR
Jesus Christ on a Popsicle stick. Unbelievable. She has a new album out (August actually). I think it is the third one, since she died, with completely new material. You can listen to samples of all the songs here.
This review, if a little understated in my opinion, sums it up:
***
Eva Cassidy's music touches me deeply. One of the few singers whose voice is so profoundly moving that it can make me cry (her "Over the Rainbow" from Songbird does it every time), Eva Cassidy is a singer's singer, a virtuoso with a tone so pure that it's practically crystalline. I have all of her previous releases and listen to them often.
When I saw "Somewhere" at a local store, I bought it immediately. And I mean that. I saw it, I bought it. Within, like, 20 seconds. I didn't know a new Eva Cassidy release was in the works. So discovering this new Eva Cassidy album was akin to tripping over a football-size diamond while groping in the dark for a light switch.
I've been listening to it all morning. And I must say...
Wow.
No, make that double wow.
These 12 previously unreleased songs (two of them co-written by Eva) are on par with anything on Songbird, Imagine, or Time After Time (my three favorites of hers). The recordings are crystal clear. Her voice is pristine. The arrangements are superb. A few, in fact, are downright show-stopping. The album closer -- "Somewhere" (lyrics written by Eva) is nothing short of astounding. On it, her voice soars, embraces, caresses, builds, uplifts...fitting perfectly with the anthemic music recorded many years after her too-soon passing in 1996.
A new Eva Cassidy album is always a treat, made more rare with each one as the vaults of unreleased tracks are emptied. This album, however, is priceless. Her vocal and guitar recordings were made anywhere from 1987 to 1995 (the bulk of them were recorded in 1995). Yet, they sound as crisp and vibrant as anything recorded today. It's easy to tell that "Somewhere" was created with love from first note to last. It was made with the reverence, joy, and respect due a talent as large as Eva Cassidy's.
I'm so grateful that Eva lived and that she recorded so many songs. I'm also grateful that Bill Straw, founder of Blix Street Records (Eva's label) has safeguarded Eva's legacy and only releases songs worthy of her. Thank you, Bill.
I cannot possibly recommend this album highly enough. This is music for the ages, perfect for any mood in which one happens to be. The songs are exceptionally inspiring when I write or read. Yet, the magic of Eva Cassidy is that her songs can be listened to actively, too. By that, I mean you can sit in a room with just her songs, doing nothing but listening, and be amazed at what you discover with each listen.
"Somewhere," by Eva Cassidy is a must-buy album that you'll cherish for countless years to come. I strongly encourage anyone who loves well-crafted, moving, magical music to buy this.
--ibid
Jesus Christ on a Popsicle stick. Unbelievable. She has a new album out (August actually). I think it is the third one, since she died, with completely new material. You can listen to samples of all the songs here.
This review, if a little understated in my opinion, sums it up:
***
Eva Cassidy's music touches me deeply. One of the few singers whose voice is so profoundly moving that it can make me cry (her "Over the Rainbow" from Songbird does it every time), Eva Cassidy is a singer's singer, a virtuoso with a tone so pure that it's practically crystalline. I have all of her previous releases and listen to them often.
When I saw "Somewhere" at a local store, I bought it immediately. And I mean that. I saw it, I bought it. Within, like, 20 seconds. I didn't know a new Eva Cassidy release was in the works. So discovering this new Eva Cassidy album was akin to tripping over a football-size diamond while groping in the dark for a light switch.
I've been listening to it all morning. And I must say...
Wow.
No, make that double wow.
These 12 previously unreleased songs (two of them co-written by Eva) are on par with anything on Songbird, Imagine, or Time After Time (my three favorites of hers). The recordings are crystal clear. Her voice is pristine. The arrangements are superb. A few, in fact, are downright show-stopping. The album closer -- "Somewhere" (lyrics written by Eva) is nothing short of astounding. On it, her voice soars, embraces, caresses, builds, uplifts...fitting perfectly with the anthemic music recorded many years after her too-soon passing in 1996.
A new Eva Cassidy album is always a treat, made more rare with each one as the vaults of unreleased tracks are emptied. This album, however, is priceless. Her vocal and guitar recordings were made anywhere from 1987 to 1995 (the bulk of them were recorded in 1995). Yet, they sound as crisp and vibrant as anything recorded today. It's easy to tell that "Somewhere" was created with love from first note to last. It was made with the reverence, joy, and respect due a talent as large as Eva Cassidy's.
I'm so grateful that Eva lived and that she recorded so many songs. I'm also grateful that Bill Straw, founder of Blix Street Records (Eva's label) has safeguarded Eva's legacy and only releases songs worthy of her. Thank you, Bill.
I cannot possibly recommend this album highly enough. This is music for the ages, perfect for any mood in which one happens to be. The songs are exceptionally inspiring when I write or read. Yet, the magic of Eva Cassidy is that her songs can be listened to actively, too. By that, I mean you can sit in a room with just her songs, doing nothing but listening, and be amazed at what you discover with each listen.
"Somewhere," by Eva Cassidy is a must-buy album that you'll cherish for countless years to come. I strongly encourage anyone who loves well-crafted, moving, magical music to buy this.
--ibid