CHUCK BROWN AND EVA CASSIDY - The Other Side (1992) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Online CD shops where you can sample tracks before purchasing the disc are especially helpful with Chuck Brown, whose music is rarely programmed on radio. The Other Side consists of '40s and '50s supper-club sounds. Eva Cassidy sings on more than half of the tracks, soloing and performing a number of duets, including "You Don't Know Me," "I Could Have Told You So," and "I'll Go Crazy." The '60s deep soul classic "Dark End of the Street" is the most modern song. Lovers of '50s MOR will love this release; everyone else, will not. by Andrew Hamilton
Tracklist :
1    Let The Good Times Roll 3:12
Arranged By – Keith Grimes, Lenny Williams
Arranged By [Horn] – Tom Crawford
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Organ – Mark "Godfather" Lawson
Piano – Lenny Williams
Saxophone – Tom Crawford
Trombone – Roy Battle
Trumpet – Gilbert Pryor
Vocals – Chuck Brown, Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Lee
2    Fever 4:16
Arranged By – Keith Grimes, Lenny Williams
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Organ, Synthesizer – Kent Wood
Percussion – Darryl Andrews
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Lenny Williams
Violin – Dan Cassidy
Vocals – Chuck Brown
Vocals, Backing Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Cooley, Davenport
3    You Don't Know Me 4:59
Arranged By – Keith Grimes, Lenny Williams
Bass [Upright Bass Sample] – Kent Wood
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Piano, Vibraphone [Vibes] – Lenny Williams
Strings – Matthew Allen
Vocals – Chuck Brown, Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Walker*, Arnold
4    I Could Have Told You So 3:31
Arranged By – Keith Grimes, Lenny Williams
Arranged By [Horn] – Kent Wood
Bass [Upright Bass] – Keter Betts
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Keyboards – Kent Woods
Organ – Lenny Williams
Saxophone – Tom Crawford
Trumpet – The Reverend Pope
Vocals – Chuck Brown, Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Sigman, Van Huesen
5    Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You 2:44
Arranged By – Keith Grimes, Lenny Williams
Bass [Upright Bass] – Emory Diggs
Clarinet – Philip Jehle
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Piano – Lenny Williams
Vocals – Chuck Brown, Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Razaf, Redman
6    I'll Go Crazy 2:50
Alto Saxophone – C.J.
Arranged By – Keith Grimes, Lenny Williams
Arranged By [Horn] – Chris Biondo
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Organ – Mark "Godfather" Lawson
Piano – Lenny Williams
Tenor Saxophone – Donnell Floyd
Trombone – Roy Battle
Trumpet – "Little" Benny Harley
Vocals – Chuck Brown
Vocals, Backing Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Brown
7    You Don't Know What Love Is 4:41
Arranged By – Chuck Brown
Bass [Upright Bass] – Keter Betts
Drums – Raice McLeod
Piano, Vibraphone [Vibes], Strings – Lenny Williams
Vocals – Chuck Brown
Written-By – Rye, De Paul
8    Drown In My Own Tears 5:37
Arranged By – Eva Cassidy
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Piano, Organ – Lenny Williams
Vocals – Chuck Brown
Vocals, Backing Vocals, Rhythm Guitar – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Glover
9    God Bless The Child 3:18
Arranged By – Eva Cassidy, Lenny Williams
Drums – Jim Campbell
Guitar – Dave Lourim
Piano, Organ, Bass – Lenny Williams
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Herzog, Jr., Holiday
10    Red Top 2:56
Arranged By – Chuck Brown
Arranged By [Horn] – Chuck Brown
Backing Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Bass – Chris Biondo
Congas – William Cooke
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Piano, Organ – Lenny Williams
Tenor Saxophone – Tom Crawford
Trombone – Roy Battle
Trumpet – Gilbert Pryor
Vocals – Chuck Brown
Written-By – Kynard, Hampton
11    Dark End Of The Street 3:55
Arranged By – Keith Grimes
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Organ – Mark "Godfather" Lawson
Piano – Lenny Williams
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Moman, Pennington
12    The Shadow Of Your Smile 3:30
Arranged By – Chuck Brown
Bass [Upright Bass] – Emory Diggs
Congas – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Piano, Vibraphone [Vibes] – Lenny Williams
Vocals – Chuck Brown
Written-By – Mandel, Webster
13    Over The Rainbow 5:02
Arranged By – Eva Cassidy
Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Harburg, Arlen
14    You've Changed 3:58
Arranged By – Chuck Brown, Lenny Williams
Drums – Ju Ju House
Piano, Vibraphone [Vibes], Strings – Lenny Williams
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Vocals, Guitar – Chuck Brown
Written-By – Carey, Fischer

EVA CASSIDY - Songbird (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Though many recording artists meld and straddle a variety of genres, few if any defy categorization by excelling in so many disparate styles as the late Eva Cassidy. The diverse offerings from the evocative thrush from Washington, D.C. -- who died tragically of melanoma in 1996 at age 33 -- run the gamut from the radio-friendly pop cover of Sting's "Fields of Gold" to a jazz chanteuse rendition of the standard "Autumn Leaves" to the soulful R&B of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" to her spine-tingling gospel delivery of "Oh, Had I a Golden Thread." Cassidy's mastery of each is perhaps best evidenced by the fact that the Washington Area Music Association honored her (in 1996) as Best Female Vocalist in four separate categories: blues, contemporary jazz, traditional jazz, and roots rock/traditional R&B, in addition to naming her Artist of the Year, and her then-current release, Live at Blues Alley, Album of the Year. Songbird is a posthumous anthology culled from that album and her other solo release, Eva by Heart, along with one track from her 1992 duet album with Chuck Brown titled The Other Side. Though the production value on several songs falls well short of state of the art, the shimmering beauty of her crystal-clear voice, combined with her seemingly limitless range and imaginative phrasing, cuts through to both heart and soul. Whether she beckons a soothing timbre for seductively restrained passages or shakes the rafters by unleashing her formidable power and gorgeous falsetto, Cassidy's warblings always fuse her purity of tone with a purity of emotion and a palpable connection with the lyric. Though the songs described above are luscious, the coup de maître is the album's finale -- surely one of the great recordings in popular music of the time -- Cassidy's stunning version of "Over the Rainbow." Recorded with only her own accompaniment on acoustic guitar, keyboards, and synthesizer, Cassidy's voice swoops and soars over a musical panorama -- though with a wistful, melancholic shading that almost seems to betray a premonition of her own demise, despite the fact that it would be nearly four years before she would be diagnosed with her terminal illness. Cassidy more than rearranges the Judy Garland classic -- she reinvents it. The song is immediately familiar, yet the beautiful colors that arc the sky are very much hers. In an eerie coincidence, if one inverts the two words contained in the album's title, Songbird (which was taken from her straightforward rendition of the Fleetwood Mac cut), the result is "Bird Song." The irony is that "Bird Song" is the title of the Grateful Dead's ode to another phenomenal woman singer whose melodious flight was tragically cut short: Janis Joplin. One could argue that its lyrics and sentiment are equally apropos of Eva Cassidy. by Scott Taylor  
Tracklist :
1    Fields Of Gold 4:42
Written-By – Sting
2    Wade In The Water 4:02
Traditional
Arranged By – Eva Cassidy
Backing Vocals – Bryant Roberts, Dontane Lane, Eric D. Dorsey, Troy W-D Brown, Sr.
Double Bass [Upright Bass] – Larry Melton
Drums, Congas [Congos] – William "JuJu" House
Organ – Kent Wood
Trumpet – Chris Walker
3    Autumn Leaves 4:41
Piano – Lenny "The Ringer" Williams
Written-By – Jacques Prevert, Johnny Mercer, Joseph Kozma
4    Wayfaring Stranger 4:26
Traditional
Acoustic Guitar – Chris Biondo
Arranged By – Eva Cassidy
Drums – William "JuJu" House
Organ – Lenny Williams
5    Songbird 3:43
Backing Vocals, Soloist, Lead Guitar [Lead Guitar Solo], Keyboards, Strings – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Christine McVie
6    Time Is A Healer 4:15
Double Bass [Upright Bass] – Larry Melton
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Organ [Hammond] – John Gillespie
Piano, Backing Vocals – Mark Carson
Violin – Mike Stein
Written-By – Diane Scanlon, Greg Smith
7    I Know You By Heart 4:00
Guitar, Keyboards [Keyboard Cellos] – Eva Cassidy
Violin – Dan Cassidy
Written-By – Diane Scanlon, Eve Nelson
8    People Get Ready 3:16
Bass Guitar – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Written-By – Curtis Mayfield
9    Oh, Had I A Golden Thread 4:50
Bass Guitar – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Electric Guitar – Eva Cassidy
Organ [Hammond] – Hilton Felton
Written-By – Pete Seeger
10    Over The Rainbow 4:46
Keyboards, Guitar, Arranged By – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – E.Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen

 

EVA CASSIDY - Imagine (2002) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A desperate clamoring from fans worldwide is no doubt the last thing the late singer could have imagined when she was at clubs and at home singing and doing rough recordings of the tunes that would someday be chosen for this magnificent hodgepodge. But many years after her death in obscurity in late 1996, she became a true phenomenon, with enthusiasts who find in her voice a true connection to heaven (take that in any number of ways). So even if the songs are rough, they're still Eva Cassidy. Another precious listen to her transcendent voice -- so brilliant in all genres; wispy and angelic one minute, soulful and guttural the next -- is worth all the dusty shelf-searching this compilation no doubt entailed. The songs recorded at the now-defunct Annapolis club Pearls -- the obscure chestnut "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," which Paul Anka gave to Buddy Holly; Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain"; and the tearjerking "Danny Boy" -- present Cassidy at her purest, her simple acoustic guitar riding along behind increasingly emotional vocal lines. "Fever" is an alternate take from the version that wound up on Chuck Brown's The Other Side, beautifully torchy and featuring a sly violin line by brother Dan Cassidy. She recorded a folky rendition of the Sandy Denny classic "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" at the Maryland Inn, her voice rising and falling over a subtle violin. Her smoky jazz chops -- think Norah Jones with a lot more fire -- are in full force on "You've Changed" (recorded at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C.). Probably the richest performances are the powerful home-demo renditions of the title track and "Tennessee Waltz," given off-the-cuff readings (with only simple guitar lines) that show off Cassidy's casual genius. Finally, Cassidy's dad found a few formal early studio recordings, "Still Not Ready" and "I Can Only Be Me," a heartrending song Stevie Wonder wrote for Spike Lee's School Daze but never recorded. That's OK -- Cassidy's unintentional penchant is for redefining songs and creating new and definitive versions. Most likely, no major label would ever put out a new artist recording with this kind of a mixed bag, both stylistically and production-wise. But this hardly matters, as listeners seek more and more from the angel who left long before the world fell in love with her. The continuing heavenly serenade is hard to resist. by Jonathan Widran
Tracklist :
1     It Doesn't Matter Anymore 3:13
Paul Anka
Recorded By – Bryan McCulley
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Eva Cassidy
2     Fever 3:57
Eddie Cooley / John Davenport
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Organ – Kent Wood
Percussion – Darryl Andrews
Vibraphone – Lenny Williams
3     Who Knows Where the Time Goes? 5:41
Sandy Denny
Bass – Chris Biondo
Electric Guitar – Keith Grimes
Violin – Bruno Nasta
4     You've Changed 4:48
Carl Fischer
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Piano – Lenny Williams
5     Imagine 4:36
John Lennon
Recorded By – Chris Biondo
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Eva Cassidy
6     Still Not Ready 4:48
Bass – Larry Melton
Drums – Adrian Green
Keyboards – Chris Izzi
Saxophone – Les Owen    
7     Early Morning Rain 4:05
Gordon Lightfoot
Recorded By – Bryan McCulley
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Eva Cassidy
8     Tennessee Waltz 2:33
Pee Wee King / Redd Stewart
9     I Can Only Be Me 3:17
Stevie Wonder
Keyboards [Keyboard Strings] – Kent Wood
Piano – Lenny Williams
Producer – Chris Biondo, Eva Cassidy
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
10     Danny Boy 3:43
Frederick Edward Weatherly
Arranged By – Eva Cassidy
Recorded By – Bryan McCulley
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Eva Cassidy

EVA CASSIDY & KATIE MELUA - What A Wonderful World (2007) CD, Single / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Eva Cassidy & Katie Melua–    What A Wonderful World (Duet) 4:19
Producer, Arranged By – Chris Biondo, Mike Batt
Written-By – Robert Thiele, George David Weiss
2    Katie Melua–    Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 2:23
Producer, Arranged By – Mike Batt
Written-By – Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane

EVA CASSIDY - Wonderful World (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In her brief lifetime, vocalist Eva Cassidy probably never thought that she would one day have something in common with rap legend 2Pac. But in the years following their deaths (oddly enough, both in 1996), studio and live recordings of the artists have continuously been unearthed and released to an eager public. Although 2Pac's musical vault seems to be never-ending, it appears that Eva Cassidy's savings box may have finally been emptied with the issuance of the Blix Street compilation Wonderful World. Mostly comprised of songs culled from her posthumous releases, Wonderful World seems to signal that there is precious little left that hasn't been heard and that a second "best-of" is an appropriate way to sum up Cassidy's recorded legacy. Meant to be a companion disc to Songbird, her first compilation that became an unexpected phenomenon in the U.K., Wonderful World features selections that excellently represent Cassidy's beautiful voice and interpretive skills. In the quiet reverence of "What a Wonderful World" or the rousing gospel of "How Can I Keep from Singing," it is evident that Cassidy did not simply sing a familiar song but dove into its emotional core, bringing to the surface a lyrical richness that perhaps had never been found before. But she never limited herself to singing recognizable oldies, and her selections of more obscure material are the real highlights of Wonderful World. Her pretty guitar strumming warmly envelopes her voice on a shortened version of Paul Simon's "Kathy's Song," while Claire Hamill's gorgeous "You Take My Breath Away" is made even more so by Cassidy's heartfelt performance. Perhaps the most stunning song is her take on the folk ballad "Waly, Waly." Originally appearing on Eva By Heart, this version features a new arrangement that further enhances Cassidy's telling of this old traditional in which she completely embodies the hopeless longing of the song's character. Both moving and breathtaking, the song is a testament to the vocal gifts of Eva Cassidy and the love she had for the music she chose to sing. Perhaps like 2Pac, a few more recordings will be discovered over time and released, but even if that never happens, it is fortunate to already have received the bounty of treasures that Eva Cassidy left behind from her Wonderful World of music. by Aaron Latham  
Tracklist :
1    What A Wonderful World 5:05
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Electric Guitar – Keith Grimes
Piano – Lenny Williams
Producer – Chris Biondo
Vocals, Electric Guitar – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Bob Thiele, George David Weiss
2    Kathy's Song 2:45
Guitar, Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Producer – Chris Biondo
Written-By – Paul Simon
3    Say Goodbye 3:56
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Electric Guitar – Keith Grimes
Guitar, Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Producer – Chris Biondo
Written-By – Andrew Hernandez, Steven M. Digman
4    Anniversary Song 2:51
Guitar – Steve Digman
Piano – Lenny Williams
Producer – Lenny Williams
Strings [String Quintet] – Carole Evans, Edgardo Malaga Jr., Joanne Opgenorth, Mark Evans, Uri Wassertzug
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Steven M. Digman
5    How Can I Keep From Singing? 4:27
Arranged By – Eva Cassidy
Backing Vocals – Chuck Brown
Bass, Drum Programming, Electric Guitar – Chris Biondo
Organ [Hammond] – Anthony Flowers
Piano – Mark Carson
Producer – Chris Biondo
Violin – Dan Cassidy
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Traditional
6    You Take My Breath Away 5:41
Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Electric Guitar – Keith Grimes
Producer – Chris Biondo
Written-By – Claire Hamill
7    Drowning In The Sea Of Love 4:19
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Electric Guitar – Keith Grimes
Organ – Lenny Williams
Producer – Chris Biondo
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff
8    Penny To My Name 3:40
Bass – Chris Biondo
Guitar – Roger Henderson
Producer – Roger Henderson
Violin – Dan Cassidy
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Roger Henderson
9    You've Changed 4:47
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Guitar – Keith Grimes
Piano – Lenny Williams
Producer – Chris Biondo, Eva Cassidy
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Bill William Carey, Carl Fischer
10    It Doesn't Matter Anymore 3:13
Guitar, Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Paul Anka
11    Waly Waly 4:39
Arranged By – Eva Cassidy
Bagpipes – Ian Lawther
Bouzouki, Mandolin, Guitar – Zan McLeod
Cello – Mark Evans
Flute – Laura Byrne
Keyboards, Piano – Lenny Williams
Producer – Chris Biondo, Lenny Williams
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Traditional

EVA CASSIDY - Simply Eva (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Simply Eva is another collection of posthumous Eva Cassidy recordings, but with a twist: all but one of these performances was recorded with the artist accompanying herself solely, with an acoustic guitar -- either in Chris Biondo's studio or in front of club audiences between 1993-1996. Cassidy's devoted fan base has heard her perform the material before, but not in this way. Her live-in-studio readings of "Wayfaring Stranger," Christine McVie's "Songbird," Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready," and Paul Simon's "Kathy's Song" (this one with all verses present) resonate with even more intimacy -- if that is possible -- than the previously released "finished" versions. The reading of "Over the Rainbow" featured here is the one from the Blues Alley performance from the Rainbow video. While Cassidy's version of Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" doesn't top the songwriter's, it does shine brightly, as does her brief a cappella take on "I Know You by Heart." Another surprise is this reading of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," which showcases Cassidy's fingerpicking skills and canny sense of rhythm. If you're a fan, you need this; if you've been wondering what all the fuss is about, the naked intimacy of Simply Eva is among the most convincing arguments yet for her posthumous reputation. by Thom Jurek
Tracklist :
1    Songbird 2:52
Written-By – Christine McVie
2    Wayfaring Stranger 3:07
Arranged By – Eva Cassidy
Traditional
3    People Get Ready 3:27
Written-By – Curtis Mayfield
4    True Colours 3:47
Written-By – William E Steinberg, Thomas F Kelly
5    Who Knows Where The Time Goes 4:50
Written-By – Sandy Denny
6    Over The Rainbow 5:24
Written-By – EY Harburg, Harold Arlen
7    Kathy's Song 4:33
Written-By – Paul Simon
8    San Francisco Bay Blues 3:56
Written-By – Jesse Fuller
9    Wade In The Water 2:39
Arranged By – Eva Cassidy
Traditional
10    Time After Time 4:04
Written-By – Cyndi Lauper, Robert Andrew Hyman
11    Autumn Leaves 4:01
Written-By – Jacques Prevert, Johnny Mercer, Joseph Kozma
12    I Know You By Heart 0:54
Written-By – Diane Scanlon, Eve Nelson

EVA CASSIDY - Eva by Heart (1998) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

An album both haunting and inspiring, tragic and mesmerizing, Eva by Heart was the singer's only true studio album, and hints at the promise which was never to materialize due to her early demise from cancer. Five of the songs on this set ("I Know You by Heart," "Time Is a Healer," "Wayfaring Stranger," "Wade in the Water," and "Songbird") appear on her Songbird collection. The import version of Eva by Heart contains an extra track, "Dark End of the Street," which does not appear on the American version, or on any of her albums for that matter. The styles range from folksy (the sweet "I Know You by Heart"), to soulful ("Time Is a Healer"), to introspective ("Say Goodbye," "Waly Waly"), to downright rousing ("Wayfaring Stranger," "How Can I Keep From Singing?") and bluesy ("Blues in the Night."). Eva's voice always sounds crystalline, and her interpretive skills are unmatched (as evidenced on her lovely take of Christine McVie's "Songbird"). The woman had the power to transform a standard or a traditional into her own song, and she could belt out the blues just as good as anybody else (take one listen to "Blues in the Night" or her duet with Chuck Brown, "Need Your Love So Bad"). This disc, as with any of her works, and the posthumous fame she achieved but never sought, stand as testimony as to how true artistry, despite whatever circumstances, has the capacity to transcend, and her story should prove inspiring to any truly talented and struggling musician out in the world. by Jose F. Promis  
Tracklist :
1    I Know You By Heart 3:57
Bass – Chris Biondo
Violin – Dan Cassidy
Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards [Cellos] – Eva Cassidy
2    Time Is A Healer 4:14
Drum Programming – Chris Biondo
Electric Upright Bass – Larry Melton
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Organ [Hammond] – John Gillespie
Piano, Backing Vocals – Mark Carson
Violin – Mike Stein
3    Wayfaring Stranger 4:26
Bass, Acoustic Guitar – Chris Biondo
Drums – William "JuJu" House
Electric Guitar – Keith Grimes
Electric Piano – Kent Wood
Organ – Lenny Williams
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
4    Wade In The Water 4:00
Backing Vocals – Bryant Roberts, Dontane Lane, Eric D. Dorsey, Troy W-D Brown, Sr.
Drums, Congas – William "JuJu" House
Electric Guitar – Keith Grimes
Electric Upright Bass – Larry Melton
Organ – Kent Wood
Trumpet – Chris Walker
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Eva Cassidy
5    Blues In The Night 4:05
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Horn [Arrangement] – Leigh Pilzer
Drums – Raice McLeod
Electric Guitar – Keith Grimes
Electric Upright Bass – Larry Melton
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Piano, Organ, Keyboards, Strings, Strings [Arrangement] – Lenny Williams
Trombone – Doug Elliott
Trumpet – Chris Walker
Violin – Karen Van Sant
6    Songbird 3:41
Bass, Drum Programming – Chris Biondo
Vocals, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Guitar [Solo], Keyboards [Strings] – Eva Cassidy
7    Need Your Love So Bad
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Horn [Arrangement] – Leigh Pilzer
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – William "JuJu" House
Electric Piano – Kent Wood
Guitar, Guitar [Solo] – Keith Grimes
Organ – Lenny Williams
Trombone – Dan Haverstock
Trumpet – Chris Walker
Vocals [Duet] – Chuck Brown
Vocals, Guitar [Wah-Wah] – Eva Cassidy
8    Say Goodbye 3:55
Bass – Chris Biondo
Drums – Raice McLeod
Electric Guitar – Keith Grimes
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Eva Cassidy
9    Nightbird 5:27
Dobro – Dave Geigerich
Drums – Raice McLeod
Electric Guitar – Keith Grimes
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Eva Cassidy
Organ – Lenny Williams
Vibraphone – John Gillespie
10    Waly Waly 4:45
Sequenced By, Score [Music] – Lenny Williams
Vocals – Eva Cassidy
11    How Can I Keep From Singing? 4:24
Backing Vocals – Chuck Brown
Bass, Drum Programming, Electric Guitar – Chris Biondo
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Eva Cassidy
Organ [Hammond] – Anthony Flowers
Piano – Mark Carson
Violin – Dan Cassidy

EVA CASSIDY - Time After Time (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Eva Cassidy has achieved worldwide acclaim as a peerless interpreter of tunes ranging from Sting's "Fields of Gold" to standards such as "Over the Rainbow" (both of which appear on the 1998 release Songbird). Sadly, Eva Cassidy passed away on November 2, 1996, following a battle with cancer. She was only 33 years old. Her pristine singing voice and choice of songs add poignancy to her recordings that admittedly make her music more effective. But even if she had lived, her ability to make even the most familiar songs fresh through the sheer power of her voice would still earn her the well-deserved praise that, sadly, she never lived to see.

Ironically, Eva Cassidy never intended to be a professional singer. Working as a landscaper by day and living in Bowie, MD, just outside of Washington, DC, she was eventually coaxed into performing and eventually began making her way through D.C.-area clubs; the 1996 album Live at Blues Alley is an effective introduction to her live work. Hooking up with producer Chris Biondo in his Maryland studio, and incorporating a range of styles with roots in folk, jazz, gospel, and blues, she recorded material ranging from the traditional "Oh, I Had a Golden Thread" to the Christine McVie-penned "Songbird"; much of this material was eventually released on posthumous collections such as Eva By Heart.

The 2000 release Time After Time is a collection of 12 previously unreleased Eva Cassidy performances; primarily studio recordings, Time After Time also includes four live tracks. This album continues the tradition set by previous Eva Cassidy releases: a mix of traditional favorites such as "I Wandered by a Brookside" and more contemporary songs like the title track, a remake of the 1984 Cyndi Lauper hit. Eva Cassidy was quite capable of handling up-tempo material, as Time After Time's version of the Box Tops hit "The Letter" proves. It is the slower material, however, that is ultimately more affecting; "Woodstock" (written by Joni Mitchell) and "Kathy's Song" (Paul Simon) are brilliant examples of Eva Cassidy's interpretive skills and are easily the album's best tracks.

Calling Eva Cassidy one of the best singers who ever lived could easily be considered an overstatement. But to her dedicated fans, Eva Cassidy is worthy of such praise. Time After Time is a solid collection from an amazingly gifted singer who died too soon. by William Cooper
Tracklist :
1    Kathy's Song 2:46
Written-By – Paul Simon
2    Ain't No Sunshine 3:26
Written-By – Bill Withers
3    The Letter 4:10
Written-By – Wayne Carson Thompson
4    At Last 2:54
Written-By – Harry Warren, Mack Gordon
5    Time After Time 3:54
Bass – Chris Biondo
Written-By – Cynthia Lauper, Robert Andrew Hyman
6    Penny To My Name 3:38
Bass – Chris Biondo
Guitar – Roger Henderson
Violin – Dan Cassidy
Written-By – Roger Henderson
7    I Wandered By A Brookside 3:27
Traditional
8    I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again 2:26
Written-By – Harlan Howard
9    Easy Street Dream 3:16
Bass [Bass Guitar] – Jimmy Haslip
Drums – Jim Jenness
Guitar [Lead] – Alan Day
Guitar [Rhythm] – Andrew Hernandez
Organ – Michael Finnigan
Written-By – Steve Digman
10    Anniversary Song 2:50
Guitar – Steve Digman
Mixed By – Dave Cannon
Piano, Producer – Lenny Williams
Strings – Carole Evans, Edgardo Malaga Jr., Joanne Opgenorth, Mark Evans, Uri Wassertzug
Written-By – Steve Digman
11    Woodstock 4:07
Written-By – Joni Mitchell
12    Way Beyond The Blue 2:26
Traditional
Credits :
Backing Vocals – Eva Cassidy (pistas: 6, 9, 12)
Guitar – Eva Cassidy (pistas: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11)
Vocals – Eva Cassidy

EVA CASSIDY - Method Actor (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Before the late Eva Cassidy pursued a solo career, she was the lead singer for Method Actors -- an obscure Washington D.C.-based pop/rock outfit that producer/songwriter/guitarist David Christopher founded in 1987. Commercially, Method Actors didn't get very far, and the little-known band provided only one album during its three-year existence. This self-titled effort, in fact, had very limited distribution when Christopher released it on vinyl and cassette in 1988; a mere 2,000 copies were manufactured. And after Cassidy's death from cancer in 1996, Method Actors' LP/cassette became a collector's item -- hard-to-find copies were selling for as much as 500 dollars on the e-bay website. But in 2002, this album became much easier to obtain when Q&W Music Group reissued it on CD and added two 1989 recordings as bonus tracks ("The Waiting Is Over" and "Little Children"). Those who know Cassidy for her rootsier solo efforts of the '90s might be surprised to learn that a slicker approach prevails on Method Actors' album, but slick doesn't necessarily mean unfeeling or without substance -- and Cassidy's soulfulness comes through on songs (all of which Christopher wrote or co-wrote) that range from the melancholy "Stay" to the sentimental ballad "Forever." The CD's most rootsy offering is the blues-rock number "Getting Out"; this is the track that has the most in common with Cassidy's '90s solo work. Is Method Actors' album in a class with Cassidy's best solo projects? No; when these recordings were made in 1987, 1988, and 1989, the singer's best performances were yet to come. Nonetheless, all of the material is pleasing and enjoyable, and Cassidy's hardcore fans will find that these recordings have a great deal of historic value. by Alex Henderson  
Tracklist :
1     Getting Out 4:19
David Christophere
2     Look in to My Eyes 4:16
David Christophere
3     When It's Too Late 5:00
David Christophere
4     Laugh With Me 3:43
David Christophere
5     Stay 5:24
David Christophere
6     Little Children 3:31
David Christophere / Tony Taylor
7     Forever 5:51
David Christophere
8     End the Rain 4:21
David Christophere
9     How Will It End? 3:38
David Christophere
10     The Waiting Is Over 3:28
David Christophere
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards – David Christopher
Bass – Kenn-Torb-Fiester
Drums – Jim Campbell
Vocals – Eva Cassidy

EVA CASSIDY - American Tune (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The saga of Eva Cassidy, the late Washington, D.C., singer who gained fame long after her early passing from melanoma, continues vibrantly on American Tune, a collection of ten more "leftovers" that former bandmates discovered in the past year -- similarly as they did on Imagine, the previous release of great cuts. While she never achieved much more than local recognition in her lifetime, her inspirational legacy is not only rooted in her own story of personal courage but her ability to take songs that have been heard thousands of times and make them sound fresh, exciting, even better than the original. Just as Sting marveled at her heartbreaking rendition of "Fields of Gold," you can imagine Cyndi Lauper finding joy in the singer's take on "True Colors," which begins softly, with an angelic vocal before the full power of Cassidy's blues-rock vocals and her band take over (that slow build is a Cassidy trademark as well). The fun part of any new Cassidy hodgepodge is pegging the many genres she draws from, almost as if she's thumbing her nose at the record execs who wouldn't sign her because she refused to limit herself to any one style. There's the soul-funk drama of "Drowning in the Sea of Love," the gentle acoustic guitar hymn "The Water Is Wide," and a lively rendition of Ray Charles' "Hallelujah I Love (Him) So." The introspective Paul Simon tune the album is named for is given a gently powerful reading but lacks the eye-popping emotional power she gives to "God Bless the Child" and "Yesterday," songs you might think you'd heard quite enough versions of. The set closes with the plaintive love song "You Take My Breath Away," well known to folks nowadays from Tuck & Patti's version. Based on the ongoing discovery of more tunes Cassidy no doubt never thought would see the light of day, you can only hope that there are more trunks full of tapes waiting to be mastered and released. by Jonathan Widran  
Tracklist :
1        Drowning In The Sea Of Love 4:19
Drums – Raice McLeod
Organ – Lenny Williams
Written-By – Kenneth Gamble/Leon Huff
2    True Colours 4:50
Drums – Jim Campbell
Written-By – Thomas Kelly/Billy Steinberg
3    The Water Is Wide 4:21
Arranged By – Eva Cassidy
Written-By – Traditional
4    Hallelujah, I Love Him So 2:33
Drums – Raice McLeod
Written-By – Ray Charles
5    God Bless The Child 5:17
Drums – Jim Campbell
Written-By – Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday
6    Dark Eyed Molly 3:28
Written-By – Archie Fisher
7    American Tune 4:06
Written-By – Paul Simon
8    It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) 2:23
Violin – Bruno Nasta
Written-By – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
9    Yesterday 3:09
Piano – Lenny Williams
Violin – Dan Cassidy
Written-By – John Lennon/Paul McCartney
10    You Take My Breath Away 5:39
Written-By – Claire Hamill

EVA CASSIDY - Somewhere (2008) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Somewhere marks the eight posthumous recording by Eva Cassidy -- none of her offerings were issued during her lifetime -- and puts her in the company of Tupac Shakur for a post-life discography. This is a true odds and sods collection of material that includes two co-writes and the usual slew of covers. The late Cassidy's covers run the gamut from Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors," and Don Covay's "Chain of Fools," to Don Hecht's "Walkin' After Midnight," and Fred Rose's "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain." Some of what's here has been doctored significantly -- the aforementioned Covay tune has horn and backing vocal charts added in 2006 and 2007, respectively, and another horn chart on a cover of Don Robey's "Ain't Doin' Too Bad," in 2006. The vocal tracks aren't much more than recorded demos, and the vocals, while of decent quality, aren't spectacular; when the other tracks are added, it feels like there is something very wrong at work here. Truth be told, it feels like ambulance chasing. Other selections fare better, such as the live version of J. Leslie McFarland's "It Won't Be Long," or the stripped down voice and guitar "Walkin' After Midnight," which is likewise live and wonderfully done. The same can be said of the live stripped to voice and guitar numbers like the Rose tune, George Gershwin's standard "Summertime," and Cassidy's co-write (with Rob Gordon) of "Early One Morning," a fingerpicked and slide guitar blues studio take recorded in 1987. There are three arrangements of traditional tunes here as well including "A Bold Young Farmer," the haunting tragic English ballad made all the more poignant since it was recorded in the year of Cassidy's death. The set concludes with the title cut, another original co-written by Cassidy and her producer and collaborator Chris Biondo. This is a recording that was never completed during her lifetime but finished in preparation for this release; this feels like the most "finished" thing here. Biondo's original reluctance to complete this track is understood due to its depth. Other former Cassidy bandmates Lenny Williams and Raice McLeod made this possible and it is easily the best thing here. Biondo's empathy for this track is particularly sensitive; if any of Cassidy's own music could be considered cinematic and universal in its appeal, it's this one. Employing her own backing vocals as a chorus make it truly powerful. All in all, this is the spottiest entry in her catalog, but there are some fine moments nonetheless. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist :
1     Coat of Many Colors 3:22
Dolly Parton
2     My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose 3:46
Traditional
3     Ain't Doin' Too Bad 3:44
Don D. Robey    
4     Chain of Fools 4:14
Don Covay
5     Won't Be Long 3:51
J. Leslie McFarland
6     Walkin' After Midnight 2:41
Don Hecht
7     Early One Morning 2:23
Eva Cassidy
8     A Bold Young Farmer 3:49
Traditional
9     If I Give My Heart 4:04
John Pennell
10     Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain 2:58
Fred Rose
11     Summertime 3:07
Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
12     Somewhere 4:57
Chris Biondo / Eva Cassidy
Credits :
Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Synth [Synths], Percussion – Chris Biondo
Drums, Percussion – Blues Webb, Raice McLeod
Piano, Synth [Synths], Orchestra – Lenny Williams
Vocals, Backing Vocals [Backup Vocals] – Eva Cassidy

EVA CASSIDY - Live at Blues Alley (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The late Eva Cassidy gained a loyal following in the Washington, D.C., area through appearances in small clubs, utilizing her pitch-perfect singing voice to interpret a variety of tunes ranging from standards to modern-era pop songs. A notoriously shy performer, Eva Cassidy had a somewhat stiff stage presence, but she endeared herself to her audiences by performing songs she obviously loved, combining elements of soul, gospel, blues, and jazz. Live at Blues Alley is an excellent showcase for her vocal talents and her ability to make even the most familiar tune uniquely her own. Admittedly, the titles on Live at Blues Alley seem like a set list for a bad Vegas lounge act; songs such as Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek" and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" have been done to death for decades. Fortunately, Eva Cassidy had an obvious affection for these standards. She sounds as if she had a ball performing the Irving Berlin number, while her subtle reading of the Louis Armstrong tune is nothing less than extraordinary. She was equally successful with more contemporary pop classics like "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Take Me to the River." Ultimately, the slower songs are the most stirring, particularly her rendition of "Fields of Gold." Her tear-jerking version of the Sting tune could very well be one of the greatest cover songs ever recorded. Eva Cassidy's popularity slowly began to spread outside of the D.C. area upon the release of this album in early 1996. Unfortunately, Eva Cassidy passed away later that year, just as she began laying the groundwork for what could have been a stellar career in music. However, her posthumous success has been astonishing, with worldwide critical acclaim and extensive exposure on British television that helped her album Songbird climb to number one on the British album chart in March, 2001. Live at Blues Alley was the only solo album released during Eva Cassidy's lifetime (an album recorded with Chuck Brown, The Other Side, was also released), and it's an excellent introduction to a performer who never lived to witness the impact her voice made on her fans all over the world. by William Cooper
Tracklist:
1     Cheek To Cheek 4:03
    Written-By – Irving Berlin
2     Stormy Monday 5:49
    Written-By – T. Bone Walker
3     Bridge Over Troubled Water 5:33
    Written-By – Paul Simon
4     Fine And Mellow 4:03
    Written-By – Billie Holliday
5     People Get Ready 3:36
    Written-By – Curtis Mayfield
6     Blue Skies 2:37
    Written-By – Irving Berlin
7     Tall Trees In Georgia 4:05
    Written-By – Buffy St. Marie
8     Fields Of Gold 4:57
    Written-By – Sting
9     Autumn Leaves 4:57
    Written-By – Jacques Prevert, Johnny Mercer, Joseph Kozma
10     Honeysuckle Rose 3:14
    Written-By – Fats Waller
11     Take Me To The River 3:51
    Written-By – Al Green, Mabon Lewis Hodges
12     What A Wonderful World 5:50
    Written-By – Robert Thiele, George David Weiss
13     Oh, Had I Golden Thread 4:46
    Organ [Hammond] – Hilton FeltonWritten-By – Pete Seeger
Credits :
Drums – Raice McLeod
Electric Guitar – Keith Grimes
Piano – Lenny "The Ringer" Williams
Producer, Bass Guitar – Chris Biondo
Producer, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Eva Cassidy