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Eva Cassidy's life story hasn't been made into film … yet. Her love of schmaltzy repertoire and refusal to be pigeonholed as one type of singer made attracting label interest difficult, but she finally made her debut recording in 1992. By the mid-'90s, Cassidy was building a buzz in the Washington, D.C., music scene (despite her hesitancy about performing live and, in general, singing as a career), only to be derailed by a cancer diagnosis. In May 1996 she self-released her second album, Live at Blues Alley, just as the cancer returned and spread through her bones and lungs; six months later Cassidy died at the age of 33. But thanks to a BBC DJ playing her version of Judy Garland's ageless hit "Over the Rainbow" (from Songbird, a posthumous 1998 compilation), Cassidy became a hit in the UK in 2000—Songbird would eventually go six times platinum in the U.K. and gold in the U.S.
For its 25th anniversary, Live at Blues Alley, whose original purpose was just to give Cassidy something to sell at gigs, has been digitally remastered by Robert Vosgien (who mastered the original album) from the original mixes. The sound, which was always surprisingly good for a live album recorded in a small Georgetown club, seems audibly improved by the fresh tweaks. While Cassidy's voice and instinctual gift for phrasing allowed her to sing almost anything well, her fondness for popular (read: overexposed) older repertoire like Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek" and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday" mixes with slightly more adventurous fare like Sting's "Fields of Gold" and Al Green's "Take Me to The River." Cassidy's superpower was that her voice and phrasing were extraordinary at communicating a resounding feeling of sadness. It's tempting to say it's because she sensed her coming tragedy. Supported by a quintet that includes pianist Lenny Williams and her then partner bassist Chris Biondo, Cassidy wrings every drop of pathos out of the Johnny Mercer-penned standard, "Autumn Leaves." Frustrating as a tease for what her subsequent career might have been, Live at Blues Alley nevertheless is a precious crumb of genius tragically interrupted. © Robert Baird/Qobuz
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Lenny Williams, Acoustic Piano - Eva Cassidy, Vocals, MainArtist - Irving Berlin, Composer - Keith Grimes, Electric Guitar - Chris Biondo, Electric Bass - Raice McLeod, Acoustic Drums
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Lenny Williams, Acoustic Piano - Eva Cassidy, Electric Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - T-Bone Walker, Composer - Keith Grimes, Electric Guitar - Chris Biondo, Electric Bass - Raice McLeod, Acoustic Drums
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Lenny Williams, Acoustic Piano - Eva Cassidy, Electric Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Paul Simon, Composer - Keith Grimes, Electric Guitar - Chris Biondo, Electric Bass - Raice McLeod, Acoustic Drums
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Lenny Williams, Acoustic Piano - Eva Cassidy, Vocals, MainArtist - Billie Holiday, Composer - Keith Grimes, Electric Guitar - Chris Biondo, Electric Bass - Raice McLeod, Acoustic Drums
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Lenny Williams, Acoustic Piano - Eva Cassidy, Electric Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Curtis Mayfield, Composer - Keith Grimes, Electric Guitar - Chris Biondo, Electric Bass - Raice McLeod, Acoustic Drums
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Lenny Williams, Acoustic Piano - Eva Cassidy, Vocals, MainArtist - Irving Berlin, Composer - Keith Grimes, Electric Guitar - Chris Biondo, Electric Bass - Raice McLeod, Acoustic Drums
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Eva Cassidy, Vocals, MainArtist - Buffy Sainte-Marie, Composer
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Eva Cassidy, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Sting, Composer - Keith Grimes, Electric Guitar - Chris Biondo, Electric Bass
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Lenny Williams, Acoustic Piano - Eva Cassidy, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Jacques Prevert, Composer - Joseph Kosma, Composer
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Lenny Williams, Acoustic Piano - Eva Cassidy, Electric Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Andy Razaf, Composer - Fats Waller, Composer - Keith Grimes, Electric Guitar - Chris Biondo, Electric Bass - Raice McLeod, Acoustic Drums
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Lenny Williams, Acoustic Piano - Eva Cassidy, Electric Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Mabon Lewis Hodges, Composer - Al Green, Composer - Keith Grimes, Electric Guitar - Chris Biondo, Electric Bass - Raice McLeod, Acoustic Drums
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Lenny Williams, Acoustic Piano - Eva Cassidy, Electric Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - GEORGE DAVID WEISS, Composer - Bob Thiele, Composer - Keith Grimes, Electric Guitar - Chris Biondo, Electric Bass - Raice McLeod, Acoustic Drums
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Eva Cassidy, Vocals, MainArtist - PETE SEEGER, Composer - Chris Biondo, Electric Bass - Hilton Felton, Hammond Organ
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
Album review
Eva Cassidy's life story hasn't been made into film … yet. Her love of schmaltzy repertoire and refusal to be pigeonholed as one type of singer made attracting label interest difficult, but she finally made her debut recording in 1992. By the mid-'90s, Cassidy was building a buzz in the Washington, D.C., music scene (despite her hesitancy about performing live and, in general, singing as a career), only to be derailed by a cancer diagnosis. In May 1996 she self-released her second album, Live at Blues Alley, just as the cancer returned and spread through her bones and lungs; six months later Cassidy died at the age of 33. But thanks to a BBC DJ playing her version of Judy Garland's ageless hit "Over the Rainbow" (from Songbird, a posthumous 1998 compilation), Cassidy became a hit in the UK in 2000—Songbird would eventually go six times platinum in the U.K. and gold in the U.S.
For its 25th anniversary, Live at Blues Alley, whose original purpose was just to give Cassidy something to sell at gigs, has been digitally remastered by Robert Vosgien (who mastered the original album) from the original mixes. The sound, which was always surprisingly good for a live album recorded in a small Georgetown club, seems audibly improved by the fresh tweaks. While Cassidy's voice and instinctual gift for phrasing allowed her to sing almost anything well, her fondness for popular (read: overexposed) older repertoire like Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek" and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday" mixes with slightly more adventurous fare like Sting's "Fields of Gold" and Al Green's "Take Me to The River." Cassidy's superpower was that her voice and phrasing were extraordinary at communicating a resounding feeling of sadness. It's tempting to say it's because she sensed her coming tragedy. Supported by a quintet that includes pianist Lenny Williams and her then partner bassist Chris Biondo, Cassidy wrings every drop of pathos out of the Johnny Mercer-penned standard, "Autumn Leaves." Frustrating as a tease for what her subsequent career might have been, Live at Blues Alley nevertheless is a precious crumb of genius tragically interrupted. © Robert Baird/Qobuz
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:57:30
- Main artists: Eva Cassidy
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Blix Street Records
- Genre: Jazz
© 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy ℗ 2021 Licensed by Blix Street Records, Inc. from Barbara and Hugh Cassidy
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