Eva Cassidy - Songbird

Songbird cherry-picks tracks from three albums of Eva Cassidy, whose hauntingly beautiful vocals went virtually unheard outside her native Washington, D.C., during her short 33 years with us. Lost to melanoma in 1996, Cassidy sang with an unaffected purity and an astonishing ability to make both classic and contemporary songs sound like they were written just for her. Sting's "Fields of Gold" finally lives up to its title through the alchemy of Cassidy's transcendent rendition, while other tracks on this anthology showcase her ease in the realms of pop (Christine McVie's "Songbird"), soul ("People Get Ready"), gospel (Wade on the Water"), and traditional standards ("Autumn Leaves" and "Over the Rainbow"). Framed by understated jazz and pop arrangements, Cassidy's clear, soulful voice and exquisite phrasing make her that rarest of vocalists whose interpretations are a complement to any song. A fine introduction to a true talent. — Billy Grenier

"The CD is rendered hopelessly poignant by the knowledge that Cassidy died two years ago at 33 from melanoma.... Whether in jazz, folk or inspirational music, Cassidy's potential was huge, and this album stands as a testament to popular music's loss." — People

1. Fields of Gold

2. Wade in the Water

3. Autumn Leaves

4. Wayfaring Stranger

5. Songbird

6. Time Is A Healer

7. I Know You By Heart

8. People Get Ready

9. Oh, Had I A Golden Thread

10. Over the Rainbow

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