She died a year after my son. My wife and I were returning from some function when we first heard her on NPR, and had to pull off the road to compose ourselves. What a loss. I hope she meets up with my son in the hereafter .
I have always thought that her voice breaking at the end of the song is indicative that she has literally given everything she has to this song. It’s astounding.
I have to say since the very first time I heard this a few weeks ago, I have to admit I was imediately overwhelmed with tears of joy, because I was feeling her soul being bared with every word and every note she played and sang. She literally is splitting my soul in two and then mending it back together with her singing and playing
Every time I listen to this jewel of a song, I know what's coming, but when she nails these high notes near the end up into the stars (the moment when you skipped back), I tear up. Every_single_time. When the head of Blue Note Records rang her on her death bed and apologised for not having signed her, HE cried, and Eva said: "Hey, it's OK." the way she says to us, the listeners, in all of her songs. "Hey, it's OK. It's gonna be OK." she is an angel and, through her music, she's still here with us.
The crazy thing with Eva is that it wasn't that Record Companies didn't want to sign her or didn't recognise her talent it was that she loved music so much that she could turn her hand to almost any genre (and often did) and Record Companies didn't know how to market her and she didn't want to be pigeonholed into being just one type of singer.
She was sick the night this was taped, and being a perfectionist, was not happy with the recording. She had performed the night before, but sadly, unfortunately, in error, the camera used did not “record”, so they played again the next night: this is the recording. She died 6 months later. In a video interview, Mick Fleetwood spoke of Eva. When asked about any “new talent out there” (DC area), he was steered to Eva. He recognized her talent, and UNDERSTOOD her decision to stay true to her “essence” by not signing with the major label that did want to sign her. BUT, they wanted to market her (stifle her) as a jazz musician. Listen to some of her other recordings, you’ll understand why. But here’s the deal: she could sing ANYTHING through her interpretation. There’s a 55 minute video of the entire set performed One Night At Blues Alley (she played there frequently). Worth watching.
M Fleetwood And Sting sent her videos to their publishing agents and they wanted to record her. They wouldn't give her total control over her recording style and song choices so she wouldn't sign. Fleetwood owned the club she sang and recorded these performances. He has a short 5min video telling this history. Both he and Sting said she was the greatest performer and talent that ever was. Sting told his agent in a note with the vids, "Get ready to hear the most beautiful voice and performance you've ever heard. This voice will change you. You will never be the same."
Extremely rare when a world class song can be re invented and made just as good or even better.... this effort is one of those. Eva's voice is superb and would almost say heavenly. Talent like hers is generational and needs no auto tune or junk like most of current performers. Such a shame we lost her so soon.
I really loved your reaction to this song. I believe this may possibly be the most beautiful recording of a song ever. Not a shame to say that every time I listen to it that it makes me cry. Eva totally understood what this song truly meant. Yours is the first reaction that I have seen that. I believe you understood exactly what Eva was trying to do. Thank you again my friend. 🌈
Eva wouldn't sing a song if it didn't speak to her. That's part of why she never broke into the mainstream recording industry --- they couldn't pigeonhole her and she wouldn't be pigeonholed. It's what makes ALL her performances so powerful and how she makes each song her own..
Every time I hear Judy sing this song, I hear a tortured soul and it makes me want to cry Eva's the first one I've heard the hope of leaving the ashes and flying way up high where the blue birds fly.
Just as her voice brings you in, you hear the guitar. Then as you're mesmerized by the guitar, her voice brings you back in. It's like a duet with her and the guitar.
Thank you for recognizing this special woman. Listening to her nearly brings me to tears. It's no longer a song but, rather, one soul speaking to another.
I’ll be # 33 to comment: the number of years this Angel was granted on earth. Let me say I’ve heard this recording a hundred times....and tears flow every time.
Just so you know, that ‘little break’ at the end was due to Eva having a cold at the time. I call it a ‘beautiful, human accident’. AI CANNOT DO THIS! Eva, “On silver wings… “ We’ll see and hear you playing and singing again ‘on the flip side’. A forever fan, Marianne ❤😇 12:29
Actually at the time she did this song she had not yet discovered she was dying, I believe she was diagnosed 6 months after this and tragically passed 3 or 5 months later! May she RIP 🙏 EVA CASSIDY 🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊
@@wilburfinnigan2142 Artists can make a song their own, but no one "owns" it but the original singer and composer. No one can take that away from Judy Garland. Show some respect.
The Brits found her, brought her to the world’s attention, and all the time Americans didn’t even know that they had one of their greatest ever American daughters that ever existed, right under their noses.😯 This girl was so talented that it is ridiculous 😮 RIP Eva Cassidy ❤️🙏🏽😢
I never get tired of listening to Eva's vocal gift. Remember, this is a live recording at Washington, D.C.'s Blues Alley nightblub. Oh, and Eva had a cold that night. A proud daughter of our DC Metro area here, Eva lives and lives and lives. #RIP Songbird.✝✝✝
I didn't know this Angel two weeks ago.... Crazyness... I'm 63 y o. Now I can't live without her... She's haunting me... Life is not fair, but that's all we really have...❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
She had not been playing the guitar for very long prior to this video, and normally sang with a band. This is one of the first, if not the first concert for which she played the guitar during her performance.
What can I say but Eva was just incredibly talented. It's so sad that there weren't many people who knew her, until on TH-cam. So talented.....RIP Eva 💔💔
Eva Cassidy was taken from us far too soon, she recorded this marvelous version, just months after she recorded this clip !!! SHE WAS A LIVING MASTERPIECE !!!
Eva Cassidy had the most beautiful voice and was an awesome artist. I still listen to her music very often and always think of her passing away so young. She was very special.
To leave us with this timeless legacy is what resonates so richly. She knew what needed to happen before she left us..and god only knows.. she made it happen! Bless her for that beautiful gift. I will forever be in awe of her tenderness. So incredibly rare. Much love!!
I grew up as a die hard Wiz of Oz fan. For the most part I HATE it when anyone tries to top Judy Garland's performance of this song. Eva's version is an exception to that rule!!!
Eva Cassidy was a musical genius. She had mad skills on the acoustic guitar but she made every song her own. Her covers of songs were always an improvement. The pure angelic softness of her voice had such emotion and power and could bring you to tears. When Sting heard her sing his song Fields of Gold, it brought him to tears and he said it was the best version he had ever heard. Including his. In the morning before this performance at the Blues Alley in DC, is when she found out she had melanoma cancer. I don’t know how she got through this song. 60 minutes and BBC both did documentaries on her story. Hopefully someone will make a movie about her. Please react to her version of Songbird. It’s simply stunning.
@Cavamom. I heard that this song (at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C.) was performed in January 1996; she was diagnosed in June 1996; she died in November 1996. It doesn't really matter -- nothing negative against your comment -- just so damned sad that she died so young. Will we ever be blessed with another angelic voice like Eva's
Thank you for your heartfelt reaction to Eva. I have only been aware of her for a couple of months. Eva doesn't just sing; she longs for the audience to feel what she feels when she emotes with her gorgeous voice and equally tender guitar-playing. We are so blessed that someone, presumably a good friend, recorded this performance for the world to cherish forever. She is touching so many hearts here on earth while singing with the angels above. 🤗💖🎶🎸
My cousin died of cancer. Before she passed I went to Denver to see her. She introduced me to Eva Cassidy. And I've been a fan. Eva sings as if directly to me.
If not for a co-worker many years ago, I'm not sure I'd have ever discovered Eva. But I'm so glad I did. Literally the best female voice I've ever heard. (Maybe a tad above Aretha...can't believe I even wrote that :-) I don't evangelize about religion, politics, anything. Except Eva. I truly feel badly for anyone who hasn't experienced her voice. And I'm 66...I don't impress that easily. But listening to Eva is quite literally a religious experience for me. And I'm not a member of any organized religion. Brandon: Thank you for your "play-by-play." Sounds like you and I come from similar places. I'm a therapist who works with teens. I tell them the 2 branches of getting mentally healthier are self-reflection and being kind to each other. BTW, one final note (sorry for being long-winded. That's what EC does to me...:-) The little crack/hiccups you hear at 11:00 and 11:42 are supposedly because she had a head cold. As a singer myself, I cannot imagine being able to sing at this level. Especially if under the weather. Happy holidays, everyone.
Thank you so much for your comments, and I agree with them all. I so much want Eva to be discovered by today's young people, many of whom don't know what real talent is! I'm a patron of Brandon's, and knew, when I requsted he react to Eva's performance, would pull things out which I might miss. Please, if you feel able subscribe to his channel, and lets have requests for other songs from Eva.
I read a music essay that said every note has a beginning, middle, end, and singers hit them at one place or another. To me, Eva hits so many of her notes at the end and then holds them. Beautiful.
Great Reaction!! Regarding your comments about what Eva emotes in her lyrics (and playing), a favorite quote comes to mind ... "Words are but vague shadows of the volumes we mean" (Theodore Drieser). Eva, as a true artist, emotes (and I dare say evokes) that additional meaning. The more you learn about Eva the introvert, the more you appreciate her for the unique soul she was. I feel she was a jewel who left us the treasure of her voice and the memory of her soul.
Yes your quite right i first heard this song on U.K morning radio show , and it was Terry Wogen who kept playing it and soon listeners wanted to hear more and so Eva became very popular. My husband loved this song so much that I had it played at his funeral, so every time I hear this song I think of my husband and Eva , and Terry became a big chat show host so much so he later became Sir Terry Wogen.
I agree. Her vocal quality is supreme so her guitar work escapes. The guitar work is brilliant from start to finish. This isn't a vocal star but rather a musical genius.
You are beautiful to be able to hear/appreciate Eva Cassidy. To me it's very spiritual. Eva is best friends with her Guitar. They are Soul- mate Twins. Listening to this Duet is very healing for me. I'm feeling soooo blessed to have connected with her in my Lifetime. When it's my time, I hope to meet her in Heaven & truly bask in her beautiful Voice, her Gift. Thank you for having the Ear. You are truly beautiful.
So glad you discovered Eva Cassidy. She is a treasure. Her voice has such a pure, hypnotic, even other-worldly quality to it. Lovely and sensitive commentary by you too. Nicely done. Her entire Live at Blues Alley album is great. Her version of Woodstock (written by Joni Mitchell), off her Time After Time album is amazing and hauntingly beautiful. You should check that out sometime. Unfortunately, it is audio only. I don't believe there is an accompanying video. Thanks for a great reaction!
I'm not usually a big fan of commentaries on great songs.. This was an exception...Nail on the head. Music is the medium through which souls speak to each other.
A lot of folks don't know this but this version of "Over The Rainbow" is Eva's Cassidy's own original version and arrangement of this classic song. Other people's cover of this song since Eva's passing, I'd say about 95% of folks that record and/or sing this song today sing Eva's version and arrangement of "Over The Rainbow". It is basically the new standard version of this song that people hear and sing every day even other artist that perform it. The other and original version is Judy Garlands version from the "Wizard of Oz".
1 - This is not a cover, it's a re-invention. 2 - Eva never sang anything that didn't mean something to her. 3 - You must listen to her interpretation of Fields Of Gold. Eva had the ability to take a great pop song and change it into an Irish Ballad. She gave room to let the lyrics breath so that we could truly understand them. Besides her great voice and control of her vibrato, she could have made on her ability as an arranger.
Thanks for the comment. It really helps me appreciate her so much more. This is a very special performance by a very special person. I have loved this song for nearly 60 years BUT it was like this was the first time I had ever even heard it!
I would call the feeling you are picking up “intimate” - like she’s a friend sharing herself just with me ❤ My favorite of hers is “Wade in the Water” - enjoy it just for yourself sometime…
Thank you for keeping Eva's story going. I had the opportunity of spending time with her a few months before she left the planet. Sweet as she seems. We love you Eva.
Great voice. Great guitar. Great actor/singer's moment in musical theater (whether performed in a tiny club in D.C. or the Lunt-Fontanne on Broadway, it was a great moment in musical theater)
Eva Cassidy is one of a kind and never fails to stimulate emotions. Her version of Sting's "Fields of Gold" is a showstopper. You may find this Nightline Profile from 2001 interesting. It includes interviews with BBC's Terry Wogan, etc. and describes her rise from obscurity. th-cam.com/video/tKowGakjJQI/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=sthrnguy
I appreciate your commentary and the commentary her band members made on another video I've just seen on this live concert. I really hope to find a video of just Eva and the band singing and playing. Let the music and her voice fly way up high by themselves
Yours is definitely the best and most erudite reaction to this performance ive ever run across. You def hit the nail on the head - what she's conveying is so much more than her words
Those of us who knew Eva's work here in the DC area felt her emotions as she sang for us. We felt her wonderful music, but we also felt such a loss when she died. I miss her as much today as I did when she left us. There are lots of TH-cam videos about Eva Cassidy and even an ABC Nightline episode about her. One that shines much light on this Blues Alley performance (all this was compiled from a 2-night gig) is an extended conversation between her former band members.. Eva had a cold this night and, being her usual VERY PICKY self, decided she would just erase this particular song -- note the "crack" in her voice at the end -- but the members of her band would not hear of it. While this rendition is not "perfect", like the studio version, I think it's better because it's REAL. We don't just hear the emotion, we can see it. And we can see her humanity and vulnerability, which makes that "crack" enhance this performance, not detract from it. That same video will let you know that Eva Cassidy's guitar playing was self-taught. She had talent to burn. Just a note on the video notes. Once Eva's music was finally recognized for her wonderful talent, her recordings topped the Amazon CD charts for nearly two years. Had she chosen to focus on her Jazz work -- my favorite of her multiple genres -- she would have had a contract with Blue Note. But she would have it her way or not at all. My favorite of her songs,, and one that is also found in her Blues Alley live videos is "Cheek to Cheek". As we've been comparing her "Over the Rainbow" to Judy Garland's iconic performance, We can do the same with Fred Astaire's rendition in "Top Hat". I think Eva's version is the closest to Astaire's perfection, but then there's the dancing that puts Astaire in a class by himself.
A bit after the turn of the century, I was looking for other recordings of "Over The Rainbow." I ended up at the Eva Cassidy webpage and found a one-of-a kind music Standards interpreter. My first CD was the original "Live At Blues Alley" (1996), and it led to the "Somewhere" (2008) CD with an Eva Cassidy composition. (I am considering "Nightbird.") It's been a "what if" question on my mind for years: What if Blue Note's A&R division hadn't been so intent on "fitting this singer with a genre"? I expect that she might have had the career of Norah Jones. Support your local Busker, who tells The Truth every day in song.
I just read that the Blue Note fellow who decided not to sign her called her to apologize when he heard she was dying. She, of course, was very gracious.
There is a documentary on this gig - this was their 2nd night, the sound on the first having gone awry… this was the result and we discover Eva actually had a cold that day… aside from the huge talent (she’s absolutely one of the best ever) … what pro chops.
Wilbur, I went and listened to Lucy's version to get a comparison and have to say that Lucy's is a lovely, very polished tribute to this. She has a great voice but her version clearly has vocal effects and is professionally recorded, rather than a woman alone on a stage in a bar with raw natural talent effortlessly captivating an an audience. Eva's recording of her singing with a cold still brings tears to listeners today, whereas, Lucy sings the lyrics as though she has no connection to the words, and therefore neither does the listener. I'd love to have Lucy's voice, but for brilliance, Eva shines brightest.
She died a year after my son. My wife and I were returning from some function when we first heard her on NPR, and had to pull off the road to compose ourselves. What a loss. I hope she meets up with my son in the hereafter .
I have always thought that her voice breaking at the end of the song is indicative that she has literally given everything she has to this song. It’s astounding.
I have been a fan of Eva's for years. I have said about this song, "This is what Dorothy actually meant to say."
Perfectly stated!
❤️💔❤️
First time I heard this sone be her was at a funeral. I cried like a child. Still gets me to this day. RIP Eva.
I have to say since the very first time I heard this a few weeks ago, I have to admit I was imediately overwhelmed with tears of joy, because I was feeling her soul being bared with every word and every note she played and sang. She literally is splitting my soul in two and then mending it back together with her singing and playing
Every time I listen to this jewel of a song, I know what's coming, but when she nails these high notes near the end up into the stars (the moment when you skipped back), I tear up. Every_single_time.
When the head of Blue Note Records rang her on her death bed and apologised for not having signed her, HE cried, and Eva said: "Hey, it's OK." the way she says to us, the listeners, in all of her songs. "Hey, it's OK. It's gonna be OK."
she is an angel and, through her music, she's still here with us.
Judy Garland sang it as a child’s version full of hope. Eva sings it as an adult full of melancholy
Full of hope.
The crazy thing with Eva is that it wasn't that Record Companies didn't want to sign her or didn't recognise her talent it was that she loved music so much that she could turn her hand to almost any genre (and often did) and Record Companies didn't know how to market her and she didn't want to be pigeonholed into being just one type of singer.
Spot on and completely accurate
She was sick the night this was taped, and being a perfectionist, was not happy with the recording. She had performed the night before, but sadly, unfortunately, in error, the camera used did not “record”, so they played again the next night: this is the recording. She died 6 months later. In a video interview, Mick Fleetwood spoke of Eva. When asked about any “new talent out there” (DC area), he was steered to Eva. He recognized her talent, and UNDERSTOOD her decision to stay true to her “essence” by not signing with the major label that did want to sign her. BUT, they wanted to market her (stifle her) as a jazz musician. Listen to some of her other recordings, you’ll understand why. But here’s the deal: she could sing ANYTHING through her interpretation. There’s a 55 minute video of the entire set performed One Night At Blues Alley (she played there frequently). Worth watching.
i agree !!
M Fleetwood And Sting sent her videos to their publishing agents and they wanted to record her.
They wouldn't give her total control over her recording style and song choices so she wouldn't sign.
Fleetwood owned the club she sang and recorded these performances.
He has a short 5min video telling this history.
Both he and Sting said she was the greatest performer and talent that ever was.
Sting told his agent in a note with the vids,
"Get ready to hear the most beautiful voice and performance you've ever heard. This voice will change you. You will never be the same."
I cannot listen to this without tears welling in my eyes. Also, she chose a signature song of the iconic Judy Garland and completely made it her own.
Its true genius, almost too much, beautiful!
Extremely rare when a world class song can be re invented and made just as good or even better.... this effort is one of those. Eva's voice is superb and would almost say heavenly. Talent like hers is generational and needs no auto tune or junk like most of current performers. Such a shame we lost her so soon.
And Lucy Thomas raised the bar even higher when she did a tribute cover of this song, Lucy owned this song !!!
@@wilburfinnigan2142nope
@@AndrewBlacker-t1d Lucy Damn sure raised the bar on Over The Rainbow as Lucy was /is sooo much better singer Eva was not in the same league !!!
I really loved your reaction to this song. I believe this may possibly be the most beautiful recording of a song ever. Not a shame to say that every time I listen to it that it makes me cry. Eva totally understood what this song truly meant. Yours is the first reaction that I have seen that. I believe you understood exactly what Eva was trying to do. Thank you again my friend. 🌈
Eva wouldn't sing a song if it didn't speak to her. That's part of why she never broke into the mainstream recording industry --- they couldn't pigeonhole her and she wouldn't be pigeonholed. It's what makes ALL her performances so powerful and how she makes each song her own..
An angel....I cry everytime I hear this version...
Every time I hear Judy sing this song, I hear a tortured soul and it makes me want to cry
Eva's the first one I've heard the hope of leaving the ashes and flying way up high where the blue birds fly.
Just as her voice brings you in, you hear the guitar. Then as you're mesmerized by the guitar, her voice brings you back in. It's like a duet with her and the guitar.
Thank you for recognizing this special woman. Listening to her nearly brings me to tears. It's no longer a song but, rather, one soul speaking to another.
Brilliant reaction to a really beautiful, heartfelt rendition of this song by one of my all time favourite artists
PURE BRILLIANCE
My God, no matter how many times I hear her I'm still just floored. It sounds like all the glories of Heaven just pouring out of her mouth.
On top of everything else that is great about Eva, she was also a fabulous guitar player
I’ll be # 33 to comment: the number of years this Angel was granted on earth.
Let me say I’ve heard this recording a hundred times....and tears flow every time.
God, isn't that the Truth.
Your blessed!!! Eve is in heaven I feel, and died that age Jesus was,33. That's always a gift from Him!!
@@CatholicSaintslayIncorrupt
That is so true!
If a person listens to this and doesn't have tears in their eyes, I don't want to know them.
She's in a duet with her guitar - amazing.
I don't know what it is about her high note that always gives me the feels. Every single time.
If ever a song wrapped you in a warm blanket, this is it.....If ever a song fell from Heaven.....Stunningly beautiful....
Beautiful version her voice and guitar work excellent. This has meaning for Eva age knew she wasn't well with a limited future❤
Just so you know, that ‘little break’ at the end was due to Eva having a cold at the time. I call it a ‘beautiful, human accident’. AI CANNOT DO THIS! Eva, “On silver wings… “ We’ll see and hear you playing and singing again ‘on the flip side’. A forever fan, Marianne ❤😇 12:29
What you see in her is hope, even when she knew there was none for her.
Actually at the time she did this song she had not yet discovered she was dying, I believe she was diagnosed 6 months after this and tragically passed 3 or 5 months later! May she RIP 🙏 EVA CASSIDY 🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊
I hadn’t heard of Eva Cassidy until last night, but fortunately The Algorithm picked up on it and is giving me tons of recommendations!
R.I.P Ms. Cassidy...thank you for making the most beautiful song ever written more beautiful!
It's an incredible cover. Probably the best I've ever heard of this song. She truly makes it her own.
Lucy Thomas covered this song like a down blanket, she owns this song now !! !
Angel
@@wilburfinnigan2142 Artists can make a song their own, but no one "owns" it but the original singer and composer. No one can take that away from Judy Garland. Show some respect.
just so pure and beautiful. rip beautiful angel 😇
The Brits found her, brought her to the world’s attention, and all the time Americans didn’t even know that they had one of their greatest ever American daughters that ever existed, right under their noses.😯
This girl was so talented that it is ridiculous 😮 RIP Eva Cassidy ❤️🙏🏽😢
M Fleetwood found her in DC and put her in his club in DC.
He and Sting got her with agents but she chose to do music her way.
I never get tired of listening to Eva's vocal gift. Remember, this is a live recording at Washington, D.C.'s Blues Alley nightblub. Oh, and Eva had a cold that night. A proud daughter of our DC Metro area here, Eva lives and lives and lives. #RIP Songbird.✝✝✝
Its not just her voice its her heart and soul that makes this her song and ours
I didn't know this Angel two weeks ago.... Crazyness... I'm 63 y o. Now I can't live without her... She's haunting me... Life is not fair, but that's all we really have...❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
Her finger picking is flawless.
She had not been playing the guitar for very long prior to this video, and normally sang with a band. This is one of the first, if not the first concert for which she played the guitar during her performance.
What can I say but Eva was just incredibly talented. It's so sad that there weren't many people who knew her, until on TH-cam. So talented.....RIP Eva 💔💔
FYI, she had a bad cold the night she recorded this. Not a mistake, just the price of showing us that the show must go on.
Eva Cassidy was taken from us far too soon, she recorded this marvelous version, just months after she recorded this clip !!! SHE WAS A LIVING MASTERPIECE !!!
Eva Cassidy had the most beautiful voice and was an awesome artist. I still listen to her music very often and always think of her passing away so young. She was very special.
I'm happy that people are still discovering the awesome talent that was Eva!
To leave us with this timeless legacy is what resonates so richly. She knew what needed to happen before she left us..and god only knows.. she made it happen! Bless her for that beautiful gift. I will forever be in awe of her tenderness. So incredibly rare. Much love!!
From the stories I have read she actually had a cold that night, which is why you hear her voice crack at one point.
Your analysis of her voice was the deepest I've heard !! Thankyou.
Lovely compliment. Thank you 😊
Exceptional control of voice. You got hear her in digital surround with 3D. You will never stop her playing.
Everything she does is a performance masterpiece.
I grew up as a die hard Wiz of Oz fan. For the most part I HATE it when anyone tries to top Judy Garland's performance of this song. Eva's version is an exception to that rule!!!
I fully agree
Eva Cassidy was a musical genius. She had mad skills on the acoustic guitar but she made every song her own. Her covers of songs were always an improvement. The pure angelic softness of her voice had such emotion and power and could bring you to tears. When Sting heard her sing his song Fields of Gold, it brought him to tears and he said it was the best version he had ever heard. Including his. In the morning before this performance at the Blues Alley in DC, is when she found out she had melanoma cancer. I don’t know how she got through this song. 60 minutes and BBC both did documentaries on her story. Hopefully someone will make a movie about her. Please react to her version of Songbird. It’s simply stunning.
@Cavamom. I heard that this song (at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C.) was performed in January 1996; she was diagnosed in June 1996; she died in November 1996.
It doesn't really matter -- nothing negative against your comment -- just so damned sad that she died so young. Will we ever be blessed with another angelic voice like Eva's
@@judithhowell6654 yes that is true she was diagnosed 5 months after this performance!!
Great Reaction, I remember the first time I saw this performance, I was bawling my eyes out!!!!
Me too. I cry everytime.
Beautiful review. Unusually deep analysis of the power of music, And Eva, of course, exquisite.
Thank you for your heartfelt reaction to Eva. I have only been aware of her for a couple of months. Eva doesn't just sing; she longs for the audience to feel what she feels when she emotes with her gorgeous voice and equally tender guitar-playing. We are so blessed that someone, presumably a good friend, recorded this performance for the world to cherish forever. She is touching so many hearts here on earth while singing with the angels above. 🤗💖🎶🎸
Thank you for your reaction. I hope you will review more of her songs to understand the breadth of genres that she loved to sing.
R.I.P. Eva ❤🙏
My cousin died of cancer. Before she passed I went to Denver to see her. She introduced me to Eva Cassidy. And I've been a fan. Eva sings as if directly to me.
If not for a co-worker many years ago, I'm not sure I'd have ever discovered Eva. But I'm so glad I did. Literally the best female voice I've ever heard. (Maybe a tad above Aretha...can't believe I even wrote that :-) I don't evangelize about religion, politics, anything. Except Eva. I truly feel badly for anyone who hasn't experienced her voice. And I'm 66...I don't impress that easily. But listening to Eva is quite literally a religious experience for me. And I'm not a member of any organized religion. Brandon: Thank you for your "play-by-play." Sounds like you and I come from similar places. I'm a therapist who works with teens. I tell them the 2 branches of getting mentally healthier are self-reflection and being kind to each other. BTW, one final note (sorry for being long-winded. That's what EC does to me...:-) The little crack/hiccups you hear at 11:00 and 11:42 are supposedly because she had a head cold. As a singer myself, I cannot imagine being able to sing at this level. Especially if under the weather. Happy holidays, everyone.
Thank you so much for your comments, and I agree with them all. I so much want Eva to be discovered by today's young people, many of whom don't know what real talent is!
I'm a patron of Brandon's, and knew, when I requsted he react to Eva's performance, would pull things out which I might miss. Please, if you feel able subscribe to his channel, and lets have requests for other songs from Eva.
I read a music essay that said every note has a beginning, middle, end, and singers hit them at one place or another. To me, Eva hits so many of her notes at the end and then holds them. Beautiful.
Great Reaction!! Regarding your comments about what Eva emotes in her lyrics (and playing), a favorite quote comes to mind ... "Words are but vague shadows of the volumes we mean" (Theodore Drieser). Eva, as a true artist, emotes (and I dare say evokes) that additional meaning. The more you learn about Eva the introvert, the more you appreciate her for the unique soul she was. I feel she was a jewel who left us the treasure of her voice and the memory of her soul.
Yes your quite right i first heard this song on U.K morning radio show , and it was Terry Wogen who kept playing it and soon listeners wanted to hear more and so Eva became very popular. My husband loved this song so much that I had it played at his funeral, so every time I hear this song I think of my husband and Eva , and Terry became a big chat show host so much so he later became Sir Terry Wogen.
On top of her voice, she was a superb guitarist. There's some intricate guitar work going on here. I still mourn her loss.
I agree.
Her vocal quality is supreme so her guitar work escapes.
The guitar work is brilliant from start to finish.
This isn't a vocal star but rather a musical genius.
I heard that she was just told she had cancer the day before this performance. Three short months later, she was taken from us.
Ya can't get better than perfection. That is Eva and this rendition.
You are beautiful to be able to hear/appreciate Eva Cassidy. To me it's very spiritual. Eva is best friends with her Guitar. They are Soul- mate Twins. Listening to this Duet is very healing for me. I'm feeling soooo blessed to have connected with her in my Lifetime. When it's my time, I hope to meet her in Heaven & truly bask in her beautiful Voice, her Gift.
Thank you for having the Ear.
You are truly beautiful.
So glad you discovered Eva Cassidy. She is a treasure. Her voice has such a pure, hypnotic, even other-worldly quality to it. Lovely and sensitive commentary by you too. Nicely done. Her entire Live at Blues Alley album is great. Her version of Woodstock (written by Joni Mitchell), off her Time After Time album is amazing and hauntingly beautiful. You should check that out sometime. Unfortunately, it is audio only. I don't believe there is an accompanying video. Thanks for a great reaction!
Thanks for this kind reaction!💜
A gift to special to remain among mere mortals! Her Autumn Leaves is just as moving.
I'm not usually a big fan of commentaries on great songs.. This was an exception...Nail on the head. Music is the medium through which souls speak to each other.
Amen.
A lot of folks don't know this but this version of "Over The Rainbow" is Eva's Cassidy's own original version and arrangement of this classic song. Other people's cover of this song since Eva's passing, I'd say about 95% of folks that record and/or sing this song today sing Eva's version and arrangement of "Over The Rainbow". It is basically the new standard version of this song that people hear and sing every day even other artist that perform it. The other and original version is Judy Garlands version from the "Wizard of Oz".
1 - This is not a cover, it's a re-invention.
2 - Eva never sang anything that didn't mean something to her.
3 - You must listen to her interpretation of Fields Of Gold.
Eva had the ability to take a great pop song and change it into an Irish Ballad. She gave room to let the lyrics breath so that we could truly understand them. Besides her great voice and control of her vibrato, she could have made on her ability as an arranger.
Thanks for the comment. It really helps me appreciate her so much more. This is a very special performance by a very special person. I have loved this song for nearly 60 years BUT it was like this was the first time I had ever even heard it!
Quite right all we have are moments….beautiful reaction. RIP Eva
I hear a prayer.
this concert was in September....she passed away in November
I received notification that my Eva Cassidy CD is arriving early; today. What a blessing. I can listen & rewind as much as I would want to...
Omg everytime I hear this song I feel like criying my soul out and be hugged and told that everything will be ok 😢
I love Eva Cassidy!! Thank you for your review!!
I would call the feeling you are picking up “intimate” - like she’s a friend sharing herself just with me ❤ My favorite of hers is “Wade in the Water” - enjoy it just for yourself sometime…
Such a blessing to have this recording; RIP Eva Cassidy✨💖🙏🏻🇺🇸🇬🇧✝️
Thank you for keeping Eva's story going. I had the opportunity of spending time with her a few months before she left the planet. Sweet as she seems. We love you Eva.
Great voice. Great guitar. Great actor/singer's moment in musical theater (whether performed in a tiny club in D.C. or the Lunt-Fontanne on Broadway, it was a great moment in musical theater)
For me there's Ella, there's Whitney... even Angelina...but...
but this single performance may be the most 'perfect' ... Eva's perfection...
Eva Cassidy is one of a kind and never fails to stimulate emotions. Her version of Sting's "Fields of Gold" is a showstopper.
You may find this Nightline Profile from 2001 interesting. It includes interviews with BBC's Terry Wogan, etc. and describes her rise from obscurity. th-cam.com/video/tKowGakjJQI/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=sthrnguy
my fav............. Eva forever !
She did pass just 9 months after this and that may be the reason she put so much into this . She may have already known what she was facing.
It feels like she is singing this just for me !!!
you should also listen to her rendition of "Autumn leaves" from the same concert. I get chills even thinking about it.
I love anything she recorded, one of my favorites is her version of Songbird.
Most people who cover this song now do the Eva cassidys version. This I believe was recorded at blues alley only a few months before her passing.
she used to sing this song to her girlfriends when she was a teenager .. they always cried :)
Thank you...
I appreciate your commentary and the commentary her band members made on another video I've just seen on this live concert.
I really hope to find a video of just Eva and the band singing and playing. Let the music and her voice fly way up high by themselves
Yours is definitely the best and most erudite reaction to this performance ive ever run across. You def hit the nail on the head - what she's conveying is so much more than her words
Those of us who knew Eva's work here in the DC area felt her emotions as she sang for us. We felt her wonderful music, but we also felt such a loss when she died. I miss her as much today as I did when she left us.
There are lots of TH-cam videos about Eva Cassidy and even an ABC Nightline episode about her. One that shines much light on this Blues Alley performance (all this was compiled from a 2-night gig) is an extended conversation between her former band members.. Eva had a cold this night and, being her usual VERY PICKY self, decided she would just erase this particular song -- note the "crack" in her voice at the end -- but the members of her band would not hear of it. While this rendition is not "perfect", like the studio version, I think it's better because it's REAL. We don't just hear the emotion, we can see it. And we can see her humanity and vulnerability, which makes that "crack" enhance this performance, not detract from it. That same video will let you know that Eva Cassidy's guitar playing was self-taught. She had talent to burn.
Just a note on the video notes. Once Eva's music was finally recognized for her wonderful talent, her recordings topped the Amazon CD charts for nearly two years. Had she chosen to focus on her Jazz work -- my favorite of her multiple genres -- she would have had a contract with Blue Note. But she would have it her way or not at all. My favorite of her songs,, and one that is also found in her Blues Alley live videos is "Cheek to Cheek". As we've been comparing her "Over the Rainbow" to Judy Garland's iconic performance, We can do the same with Fred Astaire's rendition in "Top Hat". I think Eva's version is the closest to Astaire's perfection, but then there's the dancing that puts Astaire in a class by himself.
A bit after the turn of the century, I was looking for other recordings of "Over The Rainbow." I ended up at the Eva Cassidy webpage and found a one-of-a kind music Standards interpreter. My first CD was the original "Live At Blues Alley" (1996), and it led to the "Somewhere" (2008) CD with an Eva Cassidy composition. (I am considering "Nightbird.") It's been a "what if" question on my mind for years: What if Blue Note's A&R division hadn't been so intent on "fitting this singer with a genre"? I expect that she might have had the career of Norah Jones. Support your local Busker, who tells The Truth every day in song.
I just read that the Blue Note fellow who decided not to sign her called her to apologize when he heard she was dying. She, of course, was very gracious.
There is a documentary on this gig - this was their 2nd night, the sound on the first having gone awry… this was the result and we discover Eva actually had a cold that day… aside from the huge talent (she’s absolutely one of the best ever) … what pro chops.
Lucy Thomas so out sings her it is not even close !!!
Wilbur, I went and listened to Lucy's version to get a comparison and have to say that Lucy's is a lovely, very polished tribute to this. She has a great voice but her version clearly has vocal effects and is professionally recorded, rather than a woman alone on a stage in a bar with raw natural talent effortlessly captivating an an audience. Eva's recording of her singing with a cold still brings tears to listeners today, whereas, Lucy sings the lyrics as though she has no connection to the words, and therefore neither does the listener. I'd love to have Lucy's voice, but for brilliance, Eva shines brightest.
I love the way Eva's prhasing in this song takes you on a journey and has you hanging on her every word even though you already know all the words
Love her! Thanks for your analysis!
If there is a heaven Eva is singing with the angels.
So beautiful,tears flowing like a river .