|
|
Post by rick on Dec 27, 2015 2:37:01 GMT -5
Just happened to be checking out Amazon's recommendations for me and one that reached out and grabbed me was "Nightbird," a recording by Eva Cassidy from one night's performance in a Washington, D.C. club. I do have the CD "Live at Blues Alley," which contains some of the tracks. In reading the reviews over on Amazon, one reviewer said that the Amazon.co.uk has a Limited Edition version that has the two CDs as well as a bonus DVD. Going to try to provide the image here of the special deluxe U.K. version --  |
|
|
|
Post by Goldie on Dec 27, 2015 2:52:36 GMT -5
Thank you for posting that. I meant to last week after hearing a review of it on NPR. Definitely worth purchasing. What a wonderful person and talent she was. I adore her. Never sure if any of my links will work here but here goes: audio.wbur.org/download.php?url=//audio.wbur.org/storage/2015/12/hereandnow_1222_eva-cassidy-music.mp3hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/12/22/eva-cassidy-music?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=storiesfromnprembed.wbur.org/player/hereandnow/2015/12/22/eva-cassidy-musicSongstress Eva Cassidy labored in obscurity for almost all of her short life. Though she could sing blues, jazz, rock, and folk, record labels didn’t know what to do with her talent. Cassidy finally spent her own money to record with her band at the Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. in January 1996. A mere 10 months later she was was dead of cancer at the age of 33. But after her death, her voice was discovered: her many fans include Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and Here & Now’s Robin Young. In the late 1990s, Robin played a cassette of Cassidy’s music and the phones rang off the hook wanting to know about the artist. Bill Straw, president of Blix Street Records, is another of Cassidy’s fans. His label just released a new collection of Cassidy’s music, titled “Nightbird.” The collection is culled from her recording session at the Blues Alley. Straw tells Robin Young that when he first played a cassette of Cassidy’s voice, “within seconds I knew it was extraordinary. And by the time I heard the whole album, I realized I’d heard one of the best singers ever.” Songs In This Segment Sting, “Fields of Gold” performed by Eva Cassidy Doug MacLeod, “Nightbird” performed by Eva Cassidy Buffy Sainte-Marie, “Tall Trees in Georgia” performed by Eva Cassidy Wayne Carson-Thompson, “The Letter” performed by Eva Cassidy Earl Forest, William G. Harvey, “Next Time You See Me” performed by Eva Cassidy E.Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen, “Over the Rainbow” performed by Eva Cassidy Guest Bill Straw, president of Blix Street Records. Love her version of Over The Rainbow |
|
|
|
Post by Goldie on Dec 27, 2015 3:17:52 GMT -5
Eva records Waly Waly which is closer to the original or traditional version than Linda's version. The name of Linda's version is The Water Is Wide, recorded on David Sanborn's LoveSongs album. You can't even tell it is the same song actually. I love both versions. It is also Linda Ronstadt's FAVORITE song. I wonder what she thinks of Eva's version? Or Eva herself? "The Water Is Wide" (also called "O Waly, Waly") is a folk song of Scottish origin, based on lyrics that partly date to the 1600s.[citation needed] It remains popular in the 21st century. Cecil Sharp published the song in Folk Songs From Somerset (1906). It is related to Child Ballad 204 (Roud number 87), Jamie Douglas, which in turn refers to the ostensibly unhappy first marriage of James Douglas, 2nd Marquis of Douglas to Lady Barbara Erskine. The imagery of the lyrics describes the challenges of love: "Love is handsome, love is kind" during the novel honeymoon phase of any relationship. However, as time progresses, "love grows old, and waxes cold." Even true love, the lyrics say, can "fade away like morning dew." The modern lyric for "The Water Is Wide" was consolidated and named by Cecil Sharp in 1906 from multiple older sources in southern England, following English lyrics with very different stories and styles, but the same meter. Earlier sources were frequently published as broadsheets without music. Performers or publishers would insert, remove and adapt verses from one piece to another: floating verses are also characteristic of hymns and blues verses. Lyrics from different sources could be used with different melodies of the same metre. Consequently, each verse in the modern song may not have been originally composed in the context of its surrounding verses, nor be consistent in theme. interesting history: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Water_Is_Wide_(song)I can never listen to The Water Is Wide without then listening to this song by James Taylor and Linda. Very similar feel in my opinion and just as lovely. |
|
|
|
Post by rick on Dec 27, 2015 3:48:39 GMT -5
Thank you for posting the WBUR/NPR piece. I clicked on the first link and it downloaded it as an MP3 file to my computer, which I am grateful to have. Thanks.
I have ordered the Deluxe 2 CD/1 DVD version from Amazon.co.uk. It states that the DVD is in the PAL format, which is the standard in the U.K., not in the United States. However, I have a region-free DVD player so it should play fine.
As with most fans, I did not became aware of Eva Cassidy until after her passing. It was actually the first time that ABC's now-defunct "Nightline" devoted its broadcast to Eva. Unfortunately, the original broadcast is not available on YouTube. For years ABC aired "Nightline" as counter-programming to NBC's "Tonight" and CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman." And then Disney decided to bring in Jimmy Kimmel and to push "Nightline" to almost 1 a.m. By that time, Ted Koppel was gone. But prior to Jimmy Kimmel taking over the timeslot, "Nightline" aired from 11:35 to 12:05 and then from 12:05 to 12:35 the "Nightline" staff put together a broadcast called "Up Close." Both "Nightline" and "UpClose" re-broadcast its "Eva Cassidy Story" numerous times and I can remember then-anchor Chris Bury stating that the "Eva Cassidy Story" was the most requested program in the history of "Nightline."
Here is the video of one of the encore showings of the "Eva Cassidy Story" on "Nightline" --
|
|
|
|
Post by Goldie on Dec 27, 2015 5:57:49 GMT -5
One can't help but make comparisons to Linda Ronstadt. Unclassifiable. A problem for the record companies. You would have thought after Linda the companies would have gotten it.
The last song she sang in public was What A Wonderful World which she said was one of her favorites:
As far as I know this was Linda's last recorded song:
If you listen to the words there is quite a prophetic irony for both women. And a sadness for their friends and fans alike.
At least we still have Linda to hold onto. For a while more anyway.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2015 8:38:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the post; Live at Blues Alley is a landmark for sure. If any version of Over the Rainbow can be said to rival Judy Garland's definitive version, Eva's can do so, which is quite an achievement...
|
|
|
|
Post by sliderocker on Dec 27, 2015 12:29:16 GMT -5
One can't help but make comparisons to Linda Ronstadt. Unclassifiable. A problem for the record companies. You would have thought after Linda the companies would have gotten it. The last song she sang in public was What A Wonderful World which she said was one of her favorites: As far as I know this was Linda's last recorded song: If you listen to the words there is quite a prophetic irony for both women. And a sadness for their friends and fans alike. At least we still have Linda to hold onto. For a while more anyway. Eva's last public performance was a remarkable testament to her spirit as her cancer was wearing her down. It still saddens me most of us didn't get to know this beautiful angel until after her death. One could only wish the fates had been kinder by letting her live long enough to have become a success and to know she touched more people than she could possibly realize. To die so young and beautiful, she was frozen in time by the recordings she left behind to remind us she had been here for a brief time. With Linda, until she announced she was retired and no longer recording, I was looking forward to buying her next album, curious to see which direction she would go. When she announced her retirement, none of us suspected it was because of health related issues. I had heard about her being hospitalized when she was 60, with the cause for hospitalization not being given except to say it wasn't for cancer. Even ill, Linda's need for privacy kept the press from prying too close, and until she announced she had Parkinsons, all of her medical issues had pretty much been off the press radar. But, the medical issues had been publicized, just not by the major press. "All I Know," if it was the last recording (and we don't know what she may have worked on before deciding to call it a day) was a very prophetic ending. And I don't think she wanted to retire when she did but if she knew she was no longer capable of giving her best, she didn't want to go out on a low note. That it didn't kill her spiritually is a testament to her spirit. It may have but she wasn't going to cry about it in public. |
|
|
|
Post by Goldie on Dec 27, 2015 16:17:12 GMT -5
Linda survives with the beauty of her youth still in her face, smile and laugh. Forever young. Even if the body, like all of ours now, isn't so cooperative. Anyone remember the photo of Linda's piano, in the parlor of her Tucson home adorned by the photo of her parents and some sheet music? Guess what song was on the sheet music? I woke up this morning with my radio playing to the story of The Wizard of Oz but specifically the song Over The Rainbow and its writer Yip Harburg. Funny how I was writing about Over the Rainbow here before I went to bed. Fascinating story. Wonderful song. Declared the best song of last century. At the end of this first piece Yip's son says if you play the piano and play only the chords you will hear Canon's Pachabel. Ernie goes through the songs of Oz and how the words have such meaning even in todays world. Words written by his dad, Yip Harburg. This is worth a few minutes of your life if you can spare it: A Tribute to Blacklisted Lyricist Yip Harburg: The Man Who Put the Rainbow in The Wizard of Oz December 26, 2011 Story WATCH FULL SHOW www.democracynow.org/shows/2011/12/26?autostart=truewww.democracynow.org/2011/12/26/a_tribute_to_yip_harburg_theNot sure if anyone still has it but Linda's stage version of Over The Rainbow was posted at the old site and it would be nice to hear it again. |
|
|
|
Post by Goldie on Dec 28, 2015 0:45:43 GMT -5
Does anyone know the title to the intro song Don Everly is singing here before he and Linda duet?
I am guessing it is in the Irish tradition as Waly Waly or One Morning In May.
|
|
|
|
Post by jhar26 on Dec 28, 2015 5:20:04 GMT -5
Does anyone know the title to the intro song Don Everly is singing here before he and Linda duet?I am guessing it is in the Irish tradition as Waly Waly or One Morning In May. Yes, that song is called "Annie Laurie" an early 19th century Scottish song written by one Lady J.Scott based on a poem by William Douglas. Here's a version by legendary operatic soprano Kiri Te Kanawa........ |
|
|
|
Post by Goldie on Dec 28, 2015 15:13:18 GMT -5
Maxwelton's braes are bonnie,
Where early fa's the dew,
'Twas there that Annie Laurie
Gi'ed me her promise true.
Beautiful! Love those old folk songs. Wonderful touch to their duet.
Thanks jhar.
|
|
|
|
Post by the Scribe on Jan 30, 2017 1:32:05 GMT -5
It doesn't get much better than Eva Cassidy.
Mick Fleetwood talking about Eva Cassidy
a real tear jerker video
The Eva Cassidy Story - an ITV Production
|
|
