I was driving with my mom the first time I heard this, in fact the first time I ever heard of Eva Cassidy. We thought this was the most beautiful version of this song that I actually cried a bit. It was so special to hear this with my mom, and we had such a nice moment that I had this played at the end of my mom's funeral. It was so special.
I heard Eva for the first time in a record shop in Martha’s Vineyard playing through the speakers in the store. I asked the shop owner who was singing and she said Eva Cassidy. It was the most beautiful voice I ever heard and bought a CD on the spot! RIP beautiful girl.
She was still fighting the tail end of a cold that night. There were a couple of times she couldn't quite round it out - or it dropped out on her a little (there at the very end). But damn - I hear nothing but angels, and I cry every time.
She was friends with Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac, who, via his contacts, and after much persuasion, managed to get her to go to a meeting with a record company in New York. She came back in tears saying, "they want to turn me into something I'm not..." and never tried again. That tells you pretty much all you need to know about the modern music business...😡
Gordon Sumner (Sting for those that don't know) publicly said in an interview that she performed Fields of gold better than he ever did ... That is how good she is/was. Thankfully through the web her soul and music will live forever. I saw her live at The Blues Alley and I left happy but emotional... The world really lost a true magnificent singer when she passed away. ❤
Eva was always amazing…I’m a 55 year old man and I’ve heard the song a thousand times…but my eyes were already tearing up a bit before she finished the first line.
I was in the military stationed in the UK when she suddenly became very popular due to the Top of the Pops show. About 10 years later, after my father's death, his brother came for the funeral. My uncle was a jazz musician in his youth, so I asked if he had heard of Eva Cassidy before. He had not, so I went through an old box I had put some CDs in and put the Songbird album on for him. Even though his brother had just been buried, this exact song you're playing now brought a smile to his face. He is gone now too, but I still smile thinking about that day sitting on the porch with my uncle after the funeral.
Terry Wogan brought Eva Cassidy into popularity after she died by playing her CD on the radio. The whole CD is hauntingly beautiful and one of my favourites.
I think it was his producer paul walters that found her amazing talent, but yes it was for the Wogan show. I think Pauly picked all the music for Wogan, even when he went into care before he passed.
I look at her beautiful yet, haunted face during that performance, and see a need to leave the world her story. She did that and more. Such a precious gift to us all. God bless her!
Eva didn't just sing the song. She was the song! It embodied her heart and her soul, And she emoted in a way I've never seen. A master storyteller. Not to mention a phenomenal guitarist. The tone of this arrangement and the fact that she passed within a year of the performance is haunting in a strange way. The way her eyes seem to look up and off into the distance is just as haunting. She was a legend even in her short time and more people need to know about her. Who knows what she would have been if she were still alive. RIP Eva Cassidy.
I love it when singing experts and vocal coaches are left speechless by Eva. This is one of the greatest vocal performances of all time and almost no one saw it. Thank God it was filmed! As a singer myself I'm especially appreciative of how she can sing softly without any wavering of pitch. That is one of the hardest things to do. RIP Eva - you are the best
A good friend’s family owned the nursery where Eva worked for more than a dozen years. She worked outdoors in nice weather, but he mostly recalls the holidays when Eva would sing like an angel in the flower shop while making arraignments. I am envious that he got to experience such loveliness so often.
Behnke's! My late wife worked there, not at the same time but she heard the stories of her singing. And my daughter is named after her. Anyone who knew her also knew how special she was.
This was the first Eva Cassidy song I heard and by the end (actually, way before the end) I was an emotional wreck due to the combination of her jaw-dropping performance and knowing that she passed away from metastatic melanoma just a few months after this was filmed (and to add insult to injury...prior to her music going "viral" in the US and Europe). She is one of the greatest female vocalists I've ever heard. Her vocal tone, control and phrasing were incredible and her guitar playing, interesting and sophisticated arrangements and emotional connection to the songs brought her performances to another level. RIP Eva.
@@wilburfinnigan2142 I've heard Lucy's version. It is nice, she hits the notes - albeit more runs and trills than are necessary - but the girl has no heart. She doesn't have the emotive quality that Eva had. I doubt anyone will ever be able to touch Eva's rendition. Also, Eva sang a duet with her Guild guitar as her duet partner. An accompanist can't ever get the feel, speed or phrasing that Eva felt, playing and singing on her guitar. As I stated, Lucy did a nice tribute, but it is just that. Nobody will ever be able to sing Over The Rainbow like Eva. Rest in peace, Songbird.
Eva's father taught her how to play guitar. This is my favorite version of this iconic song. Her phrasing is so original. Her refusal to sign with a record label was certainly partly because she wanted to remain diverse in what she wanted to sing rather than be grouped in any single genre. Eva is truly one of the greatest voices to come upon the music scene. It is ironic that she became more well known after she passed away because she didn't really care to be fussed over (from accounts from people who really knew her). Thank you for the reaction to this remarkable singer.
There are so many talented singers and musicians in the world, but Eva was in a universe of her own. Pure beauty, pure emotion, pure voice. We were very lucky to have her here for the short time she was on this earth. Thank you Eva.
So many people have done this song ... and this is IMO the best version. I always turn into a pile of goo (either howling or crying) during that last "Somewhere over the rainbow" run where she lets it all out. All my hairs stand up on end. I know I'm in the presence of genius.
Yes. Of all the versions, and I’ll always love the voice of the greatJudy Garland singing this, but this one is just sooo evocative and sublimely beautiful.
Aaaah, Eva Cassidy, such an original singer, leaving out glamorous appearances, and fluff. Just herself, with voice and a guitar. Bethany, are you going to react to Eva's interpretation of "Fields of Gold" too, please? This song is composed by Sting, his voice is great too, but Eva turns it into true gold. She gave it all, before passing over, an angel leaving planet Earth. 🧡🧚♀️
Eva and Judy Garland both sing this song so very differently. Judy is young, on a farm in Kansas, in a family and situation that she will soon long to go back to. Her dreams are the dreams of a child wanting adventure. Eva puts so much regret and adult experience into this performance. Both versions are on another planet. IMO this is the best song ever written for a musical.
Eva performed several acoustic songs. As I feel and hear this - her Over The Rainbow - she stands so high above every other person who has tried to cover the song by making it her journey. She takes us, her audience, on her journey as individual confidants. She goes to a place inside that I imagine not many are allowed to view. It took a few times of listening to discover this is a duet. After I got to the acceptance of how pure and heartfelt her singing is, I realized her guitar was her singing partner, singing warmly, in euphonious chorus with her. Her Guild and her touch on its strings are, indeed, her duet partner. No accompanist could have done the same. Nobody will ever be able to reach the depths of my soul such as Eva did with her journey Over The Rainbow.
Eva Cassidy molds songs we know so well. She makes those song all her own. Interpreting a song is a wonderful art, and Eva does it so well. She has broken my heart. My heart is broken again, to know that she has passed us by, on her way to Heaven.
Eva Cassidy is like a perfect wine. The more you drink it the more your palate gets used to it. Then the $25 wine you enjoyed drinking before, now tastes like vinegar. If you listen to Eva Cassidy long enough, you will start finding flaws in other singers. Your ears will calibrate to perfection; because she is the perfect singer with the perfect voice.
Bethany, a real treat. Such a wonderful performance and performer. Also, this is bittersweet - echoing another's comment, like Karen Carpenter at almost the same age, one of the great tragedies in American music so short a time with us.
Love your videos and your analyses of these singers and their voices that makes them unique. Eva Cassidy is one of those once in a generation voices, much like Karen Carpenter was of her generation. You mentioned her beautiful guitar playing.............aside from being a very skilled guitarist, she didn't merely play the guitar and sing. She accompanied herself on guitar while singing, and there is a difference. Diana Krall plays piano and sings in much the same way. She doesn't merely play and sing, she accompanies herself on piano while singing. I would love to see you do a reaction to/analysis of Diana Krall - perhaps "Let's Fall" In Love from Live In Paris or "Fly Me To The Moon" with her quartet.....it's a black and white video. Would also love to see you do something with Sade.
Eva Cassidy's estate has allowed for some of her performances to be rerecorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and they are extraordinary. Her version of Buffy Saint Marie's 'Tall Trees In Georgia' is simply gorgeous.
The greatest rendition of this classic song I have ever witnessed ! Eva emotionally charged the lyrics in such a way that brings me to tears every time I hear her beautiful voice ! Her guitar playing is so fantastic and blends so beautifully with her vocals ! Thank you for reminding me of this magnificent singer gone far too soon from us ! So much appreciated , I loved it totally and thank you from the bottom of my heart ! Keep posting you're always one of my must watch channel ! Thank from Canada ! 👍👍🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️❤️❤️
I love that Eva put the breaks in the beginning in different places than every version I've heard before. She sang a hopeful and mellow version. Simply beautiful.
Beyond the flawless execution and the technical brilliance is simply stunning emotion and achingly beautiful expression. Even after all these years, this still brings tears to my eyes.
Life can be so unfair. Eva should have been big, a real star. Instead she died just when she was getting a break. So sad. Thanks for listening to her and bringing la Cassidy to a wider public. She deserves it.
Hi Bethany! First time listener/subscriber. I found you as a result of your Burton Cummings video. So, I'll apologize up front in case I go long, but Eva is someone I think so highly of. Firstly, you mentioned her guitar playing. I agree with you that it is so good, and exactly what it needed to be for this cover. Eva, did not think she was a very good guitar player. Also, towards the end of her life, she wanted to do one more "good bye" gig to thank all her fans for their support. Just to show you the kind of person she was, the first song in that gig was "What A Wonderful World". I've said on other channels that I feel that she was an Angel here on Earth that we all got to share. I still believe that. I feel blessed that I was alive when she was. I never got to see/meet her, but still am thankful we resided on the planet at the same time. Anyway, thanks for the review! Look forward to others and, if I might make a suggestion for one, look up Dan Fogelberg. Kind of a similar story (died from cancer). I'd recommend both his "Souvenirs" and "Windows and Walls" albums. Peace...
I'm glad you commented on her guitar playing. I think Eva deserves a lot of credit for her original arrangements. She transformed the songs she sang into something new. Look at her cover of Fields of Gold- totally different than the original. Same with Time After Time. She did these beautiful arrangements to suit her guitar playing.
Thank you so much for your analysis of Eva Cassidy's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". The thing I admire most about her, in addition to all of her skill and finesse, is her ability to re-interpret a well-known standard song and make it completely new to the listener. I skill (or gift) that I wish I possessed more of as a singer, in this day and age where copying recording artists' versions exactly is a more popular trend.
Beautiful Eva…it’s as though she took a deep breath & just let her heart open wide in wistful thoughts of life’s mysteries & yearning. So human, so relatable, supremely pure & refreshing…perfection 🕊️ 💕.
We can feel your joy of music as you are educating us! Thank you for showcasing Eva. She was a rare brilliant light in her artistry, and storytelling. She transports you to another time and place. 💕
Thank you for reacting to this incredible video. Eva is unmatched in today's music scene. Eva is just a guitar and an incredible voice with no autotune. Artists today cant touch that except for Debbii Dawson right now. She was a TALENT that was taken from this earth far too soon. I listen to her music constantly.
Such a vocal genius... that so few notice her absolutely incredible guitar work. So glad you acknowledge, because the dynamics and interface of guitar and voice is just stunning. Such a combination is so very, very rare. Not one since.
Thank you Bethany its one of those songs were you just listen, feel and appreciate how special EVA was. Such a loss. It also brings me to tears every time lol
Thank You for sharing this video.I am/was not familiar with Eva,Wow.I always thought IZ's version of the song was unbeatable,but tyhis lady proved that the best is always changing.Thank You also for analyzing the technical and physical parts that make up the whole.I am not musical,I thought people just sang,but there is much I don;t know,too bad you were not one of my English grammer teachers,you even make that interesting!
I'm watching this on Easter morning. Why do I think this performance by Eva should be heard every Holiday. This is the most remarkable rendition of this classic song I've ever listened to and Eva is into it not 100% but, if possible, to a degree somewhere beyond anything we can contemplate. The way she handles the guitar is masterful. If I can have the liberty of comparing what I'm listening to, to something else it is this. Emotionally, it's like I'm listening to 'Memory' from 'Cat's' !!! "Happy Easter", Beth.
Robert De Martem Check out Lucy Thomas's tribute version to Eva...and Lucy also sings Memories at 16.... Lucy was 17 when she sang Over the rainbow, check her out here on You Tube and be amazed !! !
I bless the day that I discovered Eva Cassidy. What a loss her passing was. And I adore her voice, and as a once-upon-a-time guitarist, I envy her clear and sensitive guitar-playing style.
Beautiful reaction, Bethany 🙂 You are very much forgiven for not going into a full break-down with this one. It is an extremely beautiful rendition of this song, by far my personal favourite. And I can't help but feel that this song had a particular meaning to her here, as this was recorded not too long before she passed away from the cancer. For ME at least, it just adds another layer to it all. I hope that you've had a great Easter! I'm always looking forward to your next reaction, and if it happens to be to Angelina, I will be ecstatic 😉 Much love from Norway ♥♥♥♥♥
You have to appreciate every single note is ON KEY. No swooping or drooping to hit the note. Eva was perhaps the finest singer in the last 50 years! What is really amazing is the fact that she was terrified of performing in public. If you notice she looks everywhere BUT at the audience...as a side note, she had a cold when she sang this. When she hits the high ones, the tears always flow...can't help it. I know in my heart that this is what angels must sound like when they sing. Bless you Eva...Can't wait to see you again...
Music is such a beautiful thing. Couldn't resist playing along with Eva. Her changing the Ab to Abma7 (I'm assuming my guitar is standard tuned to Eb) in spots was wonderful, she was a beautiful guitar player, and her phrasing, having us wait for the word "rainbow" was so good. Thank you for reacting to her. New subscriber.
Normally singers/musicians pulling the time around all over the place sets off my musical OCD and I hate it, but somehow she does it and it still sounds.....right. A rare talent taken too soon. All of her music is just beautiful.
I first heard her singing "Kathie's Song" (by Paul Simon) in the movie "Maid in Manhattan." I went directly to the cd store (remember those?) to find out who she was. And soon after that learned her story. What a loss! Beautiful reaction. Thank you.
She sings like a musician can do. So good guitarist !! She's a gardian Angel !! She felt on eath !! See what beauty can be !! Heart and soul beauty. I will always miss her !!!❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you for noting her excellent guitar playing. Her singing performance is so outstanding that her playing is understandably eclipsed. But I'm constantly amazed at the independence between her vocal phrasing and the syncopation of her guitar playing. Such understated excellence; such beauty...
Great choice of music to comment on... and Eva Cassidy is "teaching singing" here.... the phrasing,the vibrato... the breath control.... not to mention the guitar and her outstanding fingerpicking. Thanks for reminding me of this one of a kind talent - and great channel btw. :)
Thank you so much for the beautiful reaction! I have loved Eva since I first heard her in 2000, when her studio recording of Over the Rainbow was featured on NPR as one of the top 100 recordings of the 20th century. I only discovered this handful of videos from the Blues Alley performance a few months ago, and while I'm very grateful to get to see her perform the song, it brings me to tears every. single. time. That's not really a problem, except if I watch a bunch of reaction videos, and end up sitting there leaking tears for an hour! I wanted to comment one thing about her phrasing in this. She breaks lines in unusual places - especially compared with the original and other versions of the song - and that, along with the slow tempo and the fact that the song is so well known, creates an enormous amount of anticipation throughout. She often ends a line with the first word or two of the next line before pausing. It makes you hang on every word - Somewhere. over. the rainbow way. up high. It's so beautifully done. She does the same thing with Autumn Leaves. It sounds like you're pretty familiar with Eva's music, but just in case: one of the things that's always amazed me was how her voice could range from a razor's-edge whisper to a sky-piercing belt. A couple of great examples of this are Blues in the Night and Oh, Had I a Golden Thread. Thanks again, loved your reaction to this and look forward to some more Eva! And if you get a chance, maybe some more of my other favorite singer of all time, Haley Reinhart! Cheers!
It breaks my heart to watch her performing now, knowing she is no longer with us. She had such a unique & magical tone, rather like another singer who had a unique effortless tone, and too was taken from us far too early, Karen carpenter. I am hopefully a long way from my time to leave this world but I have already chosen this performance of this song as my music to accompany me on my final journey ( didn’t mean for that to sound morbid, it’s just a fact about something that happens to us all eventually ). This whole show was released on album. It is from a well know club in the US & the whole thing is brilliant but as it is the middle of the night here in the UK & I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the album (typical) but I will send you the link at a more reasonable hour when I find it. BTW well done for keeping it together, I was watching your face & I was expecting you to cry at any moment which isn’t surprising if you feel just 50% of the way it makes me feel, I wouldn’t have been so composed. I think the performance itself is all the things you said but I think knowing her story & that she is no longer with us just magnifies all the feeling this performance generates.
her use of dynamics on her guitar to push or pull her vocal is stunning .. shows how well she could play but also how well she not only understood her own instrument but also the guitar .and how they service each other ... stunning ...
Thanks so much for covering this performance by Eva. She is one of my all-time favorite singers. Her technique and range were staggering and her interpretive powers unsurpassed. I can't listen to her without being moved to tears. So tragic that we lost her at such an early age. I can only wonder at the music she would have produced had she lived longer.
It's so heartbreaking that we lost Eva Cassidy at only 33 years of age. This video is from 1996 which is the year she passed on November 2 from melanoma cancer. Such a sweet voice of an angel and now she's an angel up in heaven singing with the other angels. Rest in Peace Eva Marie Cassidy February 2 1963 to November 2 1996.
Even though she was still recovering from a head cold when she sang this shows what a wonderful vocalist she was. One of my go to voices when I need to hear beauty amongst all the noise in this world.
That was such a beautiful rendition of this song. So sad that she is no longer with us. She died at only 33 years of age. I also love the version by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. Sadly he also died young at 38 years of age. At least we have their music left as a legacy.
Her phrasing is just impeccable.
When she performs she owns these songs ....
I was driving with my mom the first time I heard this, in fact the first time I ever heard of Eva Cassidy. We thought this was the most beautiful version of this song that I actually cried a bit. It was so special to hear this with my mom, and we had such a nice moment that I had this played at the end of my mom's funeral. It was so special.
Too Beautiful for words!
I can't hear Eva Cassidy without choking up, she is such a beautiful soul.
Rest in Peace dear lady.
The same here. Such a loss!
Where she has gone she is richly frolicking (not resting).
I heard Eva for the first time in a record shop in Martha’s Vineyard playing through the speakers in the store. I asked the shop owner who was singing and she said Eva Cassidy. It was the most beautiful voice I ever heard and bought a CD on the spot! RIP beautiful girl.
I would have bought every selection available.
Slow learners are everywhere.
She was still fighting the tail end of a cold that night. There were a couple of times she couldn't quite round it out - or it dropped out on her a little (there at the very end). But damn - I hear nothing but angels, and I cry every time.
She was friends with Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac, who, via his contacts, and after much persuasion, managed to get her to go to a meeting with a record company in New York. She came back in tears saying, "they want to turn me into something I'm not..." and never tried again. That tells you pretty much all you need to know about the modern music business...😡
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 absolutely beautiful thank you so much 🙏🙏🙏🙏😭😭💫💫💖💖
Gordon Sumner (Sting for those that don't know) publicly said in an interview that she performed Fields of gold better than he ever did ... That is how good she is/was. Thankfully through the web her soul and music will live forever. I saw her live at The Blues Alley and I left happy but emotional... The world really lost a true magnificent singer when she passed away. ❤
Why don’t you just refer to him as Sting?
@@oggyoggy1299 If you have to ask you wouldn't understand. Just leave it at that.
And that’s very high praise from him. Because he’s not a fan of people covering his songs
And just to be clear, his original version of the song was damned good in it's own right.
You heard her live??? At Blues Alley??? I'm so glad for you, and so jealous, too.
Her guitar is subtle. Her phrasing is subtle. Her choices of chord changes are subtle. It makes this performance beyond beautiful.
The songs that Eva sings sound like it's the first time you've heard the song. She gives them her personality. Accompanied by perfect guitar.
Eva was always amazing…I’m a 55 year old man and I’ve heard the song a thousand times…but my eyes were already tearing up a bit before she finished the first line.
Thank you for showcasing Eva Cassidy, one of the best vocalists ever! She and Karen Carpenter left us way too soon... 😢. ☮️❤️😎
So very true...both where top notch in my opinion!
Karen Carpenter was good.
So is a sirloin steak.
Ever had prime filet mignon?
I was in the military stationed in the UK when she suddenly became very popular due to the Top of the Pops show. About 10 years later, after my father's death, his brother came for the funeral. My uncle was a jazz musician in his youth, so I asked if he had heard of Eva Cassidy before. He had not, so I went through an old box I had put some CDs in and put the Songbird album on for him. Even though his brother had just been buried, this exact song you're playing now brought a smile to his face. He is gone now too, but I still smile thinking about that day sitting on the porch with my uncle after the funeral.
Terry Wogan brought Eva Cassidy into popularity after she died by playing her CD on the radio. The whole CD is hauntingly beautiful and one of my favourites.
Exactly. RIP Terry and Eva.
I think it was his producer paul walters that found her amazing talent, but yes it was for the Wogan show. I think Pauly picked all the music for Wogan, even when he went into care before he passed.
@@simoncutts8570 MIck Fleetwood likely had something to do with it. He was a big fan.
I look at her beautiful yet, haunted face during that performance, and see a need to leave the world her story. She did that and more. Such a precious gift to us all. God bless her!
Eva didn't just sing the song. She was the song! It embodied her heart and her soul, And she emoted in a way I've never seen. A master storyteller. Not to mention a phenomenal guitarist. The tone of this arrangement and the fact that she passed within a year of the performance is haunting in a strange way. The way her eyes seem to look up and off into the distance is just as haunting. She was a legend even in her short time and more people need to know about her. Who knows what she would have been if she were still alive. RIP Eva Cassidy.
Speaking of how eva was looking and staring, look at the vocalist watching her. Very telling. Everybody seems to have the same type of reaction to EC.
I love it when singing experts and vocal coaches are left speechless by Eva. This is one of the greatest vocal performances of all time and almost no one saw it. Thank God it was filmed! As a singer myself I'm especially appreciative of how she can sing softly without any wavering of pitch. That is one of the hardest things to do. RIP Eva - you are the best
A good friend’s family owned the nursery where Eva worked for more than a dozen years. She worked outdoors in nice weather, but he mostly recalls the holidays when Eva would sing like an angel in the flower shop while making arraignments. I am envious that he got to experience such loveliness so often.
thanks for posting that image its very kind
Behnke's! My late wife worked there, not at the same time but she heard the stories of her singing. And my daughter is named after her. Anyone who knew her also knew how special she was.
This was the first Eva Cassidy song I heard and by the end (actually, way before the end) I was an emotional wreck due to the combination of her jaw-dropping performance and knowing that she passed away from metastatic melanoma just a few months after this was filmed (and to add insult to injury...prior to her music going "viral" in the US and Europe). She is one of the greatest female vocalists I've ever heard. Her vocal tone, control and phrasing were incredible and her guitar playing, interesting and sophisticated arrangements and emotional connection to the songs brought her performances to another level. RIP Eva.
Check out Lucy Thomas version sang as a tribute to Eva, You ain't heard nothing yet !!!
@@wilburfinnigan2142 I will, thanks!
@@wilburfinnigan2142are you her agent or something🤔
@@wilburfinnigan2142 I've heard Lucy's version. It is nice, she hits the notes - albeit more runs and trills than are necessary - but the girl has no heart. She doesn't have the emotive quality that Eva had. I doubt anyone will ever be able to touch Eva's rendition. Also, Eva sang a duet with her Guild guitar as her duet partner. An accompanist can't ever get the feel, speed or phrasing that Eva felt, playing and singing on her guitar. As I stated, Lucy did a nice tribute, but it is just that. Nobody will ever be able to sing Over The Rainbow like Eva. Rest in peace, Songbird.
Live and playing a guitar as she sings. That plus a unique interpretation of a classic. Genius.
Eva's father taught her how to play guitar. This is my favorite version of this iconic song. Her phrasing is so original. Her refusal to sign with a record label was certainly partly because she wanted to remain diverse in what she wanted to sing rather than be grouped in any single genre. Eva is truly one of the greatest voices to come upon the music scene. It is ironic that she became more well known after she passed away because she didn't really care to be fussed over (from accounts from people who really knew her). Thank you for the reaction to this remarkable singer.
This is - in my opinion - the best cover of this song. Ever! This live prefotmance makes me cry. Every time. So much soul and emotions in this....
Yeah but have you heard my cover yet? LOL
@@TheProtestantPope nope.
And she was pretty sick to boot
YOU obviously have not heard Lucy Thomas's tribute version of the song yet, check her out and have YOUR mind changed !! !
@@wilburfinnigan2142 *_NO WAY GREATEST RENDITION RIGHT HERE BY EVA CASSIDY BETTER THAN JUDY GARLAND’S AND THE HAWAIIAN DUDE_*
One of the most pure voices of all time. Perfection.
There are so many talented singers and musicians in the world, but Eva was in a universe of her own. Pure beauty, pure emotion, pure voice. We were very lucky to have her here for the short time she was on this earth. Thank you Eva.
I have a request in my will to have this version played at a memorial. She is incredible
So many people have done this song ... and this is IMO the best version.
I always turn into a pile of goo (either howling or crying) during that last "Somewhere over the rainbow" run where she lets it all out. All my hairs stand up on end. I know I'm in the presence of genius.
I'm a 65 year old metal head, and this performance calls the onion ninjas here every. damn. time.
Right there with ya, my beard brother. Your only a couple years in front of me. My CDs include BOC, Thin Lizzy, etc AND Eva Cassidy.
Onion ninjas? Love it!
The onion ninjas.... Ha!
Yes. Of all the versions, and I’ll always love the voice of the greatJudy Garland singing this, but this one is just sooo evocative and sublimely beautiful.
Listening to Eva you realize that OMG really means something.
Her phrasing makes this rendition so unique and effective👌
I LOVE this performance. Eva almost always causes me to tear up. FEW singers have that effect on me.
Thank you for your analysis. When I enter into Eva's world in that moment in time captured so long ago and I connect with the Oneness of existence.
Aaaah, Eva Cassidy, such an original singer, leaving out glamorous appearances, and fluff. Just herself, with voice and a guitar.
Bethany, are you going to react to Eva's interpretation of "Fields of Gold" too, please?
This song is composed by Sting, his voice is great too, but Eva turns it into true gold.
She gave it all, before passing over, an angel leaving planet Earth. 🧡🧚♀️
I've both seen and heard that Sting said Eva's rendition of "Fields of Gold" is better than his own.
Its the tenderness, longing and vulnerability all at the same time that makes this and her exceptional.
Eva and Judy Garland both sing this song so very differently. Judy is young, on a farm in Kansas, in a family and situation that she will soon long to go back to. Her dreams are the dreams of a child wanting adventure. Eva puts so much regret and adult experience into this performance. Both versions are on another planet. IMO this is the best song ever written for a musical.
Eva performed several acoustic songs. As I feel and hear this - her Over The Rainbow - she stands so high above every other person who has tried to cover the song by making it her journey. She takes us, her audience, on her journey as individual confidants. She goes to a place inside that I imagine not many are allowed to view.
It took a few times of listening to discover this is a duet. After I got to the acceptance of how pure and heartfelt her singing is, I realized her guitar was her singing partner, singing warmly, in euphonious chorus with her. Her Guild and her touch on its strings are, indeed, her duet partner. No accompanist could have done the same.
Nobody will ever be able to reach the depths of my soul such as Eva did with her journey Over The Rainbow.
How can anyone be this amazing ? 😓🌹
Eva Cassidy molds songs we know so well. She makes those song all her own. Interpreting a song is a wonderful art, and Eva does it so well. She has broken my heart. My heart is broken again, to know that she has passed us by, on her way to Heaven.
Eva Cassidy is like a perfect wine. The more you drink it the more your palate gets used to it. Then the $25 wine you enjoyed drinking before, now tastes like vinegar. If you listen to Eva Cassidy long enough, you will start finding flaws in other singers. Your ears will calibrate to perfection; because she is the perfect singer with the perfect voice.
I like her rendition of "Autumn Leaves" in particular.
From the same night? Yes, it's every bit as good as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Definitely worth checking out.
Yes, it is SO beautiful 🙂
have been playing over 30years and never heard a better version of autumn leaves ... its perfect ...
Bethany, a real treat. Such a wonderful performance and performer. Also, this is bittersweet - echoing another's comment, like Karen Carpenter at almost the same age, one of the great tragedies in American music so short a time with us.
She sings from her soul.
Love your videos and your analyses of these singers and their voices that makes them unique. Eva Cassidy is one of those once in a generation voices, much like Karen Carpenter was of her generation. You mentioned her beautiful guitar playing.............aside from being a very skilled guitarist, she didn't merely play the guitar and sing. She accompanied herself on guitar while singing, and there is a difference. Diana Krall plays piano and sings in much the same way. She doesn't merely play and sing, she accompanies herself on piano while singing. I would love to see you do a reaction to/analysis of Diana Krall - perhaps "Let's Fall" In Love from Live In Paris or "Fly Me To The Moon" with her quartet.....it's a black and white video. Would also love to see you do something with Sade.
Eva Cassidy's estate has allowed for some of her performances to be rerecorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and they are extraordinary. Her version of Buffy Saint Marie's 'Tall Trees In Georgia' is simply gorgeous.
The greatest rendition of this classic song I have ever witnessed ! Eva emotionally charged the lyrics in such a way that brings me to tears every time I hear her beautiful voice ! Her guitar playing is so fantastic and blends so beautifully with her vocals ! Thank you for reminding me of this magnificent singer gone far too soon from us ! So much appreciated , I loved it totally and thank you from the bottom of my heart ! Keep posting you're always one of my must watch channel ! Thank from Canada ! 👍👍🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️❤️❤️
When you listen to Eva Cassidy cover a familiar song it is like hearing it again for the first time.
Watching this wonderful reaction to this amazingly beautiful and talented lady through tears. Thank you for showcasing her incredible gift...RIP Eva!
I love that Eva put the breaks in the beginning in different places than every version I've heard before. She sang a hopeful and mellow version. Simply beautiful.
The one For Me that was Absolutely Amazing was Her cover of Christine Mc vie 's ( RIP )( Songbird) 😁👍👍😎🎶🎵🎸
The like button 🔘 has been Illuminated 😀
Beyond the flawless execution and the technical brilliance is simply stunning emotion and achingly beautiful expression. Even after all these years, this still brings tears to my eyes.
Life can be so unfair. Eva should have been big, a real star. Instead she died just when she was getting a break. So sad. Thanks for listening to her and bringing la Cassidy to a wider public. She deserves it.
I don't think she would have wanted to be a big star.
Just incredible. Transcendent. Tender, yet powerful. Truly a great and exceptional work of art.
Omg!! I never heard of this girl til now. I am so hooked. What an incredible voice and guitar playing. Wow wow wow! Ty voice teacher.
Hi Bethany! First time listener/subscriber. I found you as a result of your Burton Cummings video. So, I'll apologize up front in case I go long, but Eva is someone I think so highly of. Firstly, you mentioned her guitar playing. I agree with you that it is so good, and exactly what it needed to be for this cover. Eva, did not think she was a very good guitar player. Also, towards the end of her life, she wanted to do one more "good bye" gig to thank all her fans for their support. Just to show you the kind of person she was, the first song in that gig was "What A Wonderful World".
I've said on other channels that I feel that she was an Angel here on Earth that we all got to share. I still believe that. I feel blessed that I was alive when she was. I never got to see/meet her, but still am thankful we resided on the planet at the same time.
Anyway, thanks for the review! Look forward to others and, if I might make a suggestion for one, look up Dan Fogelberg. Kind of a similar story (died from cancer). I'd recommend both his "Souvenirs" and "Windows and Walls" albums. Peace...
I'm glad you commented on her guitar playing. I think Eva deserves a lot of credit for her original arrangements. She transformed the songs she sang into something new. Look at her cover of Fields of Gold- totally different than the original. Same with Time After Time. She did these beautiful arrangements to suit her guitar playing.
I've never been able to see/hear this performance without tears rolling down my face, it is so delicate, yet so incredibly powerful.
Eva owned every song she covered. Thank you for mentioning her superb guitar skills.
Please more videos on Eva - many thanks!!!
Thank you so much for your analysis of Eva Cassidy's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". The thing I admire most about her, in addition to all of her skill and finesse, is her ability to re-interpret a well-known standard song and make it completely new to the listener. I skill (or gift) that I wish I possessed more of as a singer, in this day and age where copying recording artists' versions exactly is a more popular trend.
She turned it into a lullaby that could make us all cry, and feel truly loved.
Beautiful Eva…it’s as though she took a deep breath & just let her heart open wide in wistful thoughts of life’s mysteries & yearning. So human, so relatable, supremely pure & refreshing…perfection 🕊️ 💕.
Eva , a guitar and a mic ... pure gold
I can still distinctly remember the first time I heard Eva. I've watched this video dozens of times and I tear up every single time.
Thankyou you picked up on the shear genius of this Beautiful Artist,my god what she could have given us.She’s gone but her memory will live on❤❤❤❤❤
If this were the only performance she ever gave she would still be in the hall of fame
We can feel your joy of music as you are educating us! Thank you for showcasing Eva. She was a rare brilliant light in her artistry, and storytelling. She transports you to another time and place. 💕
Thank you for reacting to this incredible video. Eva is unmatched in today's music scene. Eva is just a guitar and an incredible voice with no autotune. Artists today cant touch that except for Debbii Dawson right now. She was a TALENT that was taken from this earth far too soon. I listen to her music constantly.
The guitar is amazing. The way she produced it she gives the song a jass feeling, genius!
Such a vocal genius... that so few notice her absolutely incredible guitar work. So glad you acknowledge, because the dynamics and interface of guitar and voice is just stunning. Such a combination is so very, very rare.
Not one since.
My absolute favorite version of this iconic song; RIP Eva Cassidy may the Angels enjoy your beautiful voice and music ✨💖✝️🙏🏻🇺🇸
Thank you Bethany its one of those songs were you just listen, feel and appreciate how special EVA was.
Such a loss.
It also brings me to tears every time lol
Thank You for sharing this video.I am/was not familiar with Eva,Wow.I always thought IZ's version of the song was unbeatable,but tyhis lady proved that the best is always changing.Thank You also for analyzing the technical and physical parts that make up the whole.I am not musical,I thought people just sang,but there is much I don;t know,too bad you were not one of my English grammer teachers,you even make that interesting!
I'm watching this on Easter morning. Why do I think this performance by Eva should be heard every Holiday. This is the most remarkable rendition of this classic song I've ever listened to and Eva is into it not 100% but, if possible, to a degree somewhere beyond anything we can contemplate. The way she handles the guitar is masterful. If I can have the liberty of comparing what I'm listening to, to something else it is this. Emotionally, it's like I'm listening to 'Memory' from 'Cat's' !!!
"Happy Easter", Beth.
Robert De Martem Check out Lucy Thomas's tribute version to Eva...and Lucy also sings Memories at 16.... Lucy was 17 when she sang Over the rainbow, check her out here on You Tube and be amazed !! !
I bless the day that I discovered Eva Cassidy. What a loss her passing was. And I adore her voice, and as a once-upon-a-time guitarist, I envy her clear and sensitive guitar-playing style.
Beautiful reaction, Bethany 🙂 You are very much forgiven for not going into a full break-down with this one. It is an extremely beautiful rendition of this song, by far my personal favourite. And I can't help but feel that this song had a particular meaning to her here, as this was recorded not too long before she passed away from the cancer. For ME at least, it just adds another layer to it all.
I hope that you've had a great Easter! I'm always looking forward to your next reaction, and if it happens to be to Angelina, I will be ecstatic 😉 Much love from Norway ♥♥♥♥♥
Yes, imho Eva and Angelina have/had the same superpowers... R.I.P. Eva
*_THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FEMALE SINGING VOICE I’VE EVER HEARD_* 🙌🏾
Portland Oregon USA 🇺🇸
You have to appreciate every single note is ON KEY. No swooping or drooping to hit the note. Eva was perhaps the finest singer in the last 50 years! What is really amazing is the fact that she was terrified of performing in public. If you notice she looks everywhere BUT at the audience...as a side note, she had a cold when she sang this.
When she hits the high ones, the tears always flow...can't help it. I know in my heart that this is what angels must sound like when they sing.
Bless you Eva...Can't wait to see you again...
I have such admiration for anyone who can perform solo like this.
Music is such a beautiful thing. Couldn't resist playing along with Eva. Her changing the Ab to Abma7 (I'm assuming my guitar is standard tuned to Eb) in spots was wonderful, she was a beautiful guitar player, and her phrasing, having us wait for the word "rainbow" was so good.
Thank you for reacting to her. New subscriber.
I cry every time, it is so beautiful and about longing. Longing to live.
Normally singers/musicians pulling the time around all over the place sets off my musical OCD and I hate it, but somehow she does it and it still sounds.....right. A rare talent taken too soon. All of her music is just beautiful.
She was an amazing singer .......AMAZING SINGER.
She was a total stylist. Impeccable phrasing and emotion. I can't listen to anyone else sing this song and many others she made her own.
I first heard her singing "Kathie's Song" (by Paul Simon) in the movie "Maid in Manhattan." I went directly to the cd store (remember those?) to find out who she was. And soon after that learned her story. What a loss! Beautiful reaction. Thank you.
She sings like a musician can do. So good guitarist !! She's a gardian Angel !! She felt on eath !! See what beauty can be !! Heart and soul beauty. I will always miss her !!!❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you for noting her excellent guitar playing. Her singing performance is so outstanding that her playing is understandably eclipsed. But I'm constantly amazed at the independence between her vocal phrasing and the syncopation of her guitar playing. Such understated excellence; such beauty...
Gone too soon❤ What a phenomenal talent
Eva looks into another dimension. Her eyes reflect her very soul. And it is very very.
Great choice of music to comment on... and Eva Cassidy is "teaching singing" here.... the phrasing,the vibrato... the breath control.... not to mention the guitar and her outstanding fingerpicking. Thanks for reminding me of this one of a kind talent - and great channel btw. :)
Thank you so much for the beautiful reaction! I have loved Eva since I first heard her in 2000, when her studio recording of Over the Rainbow was featured on NPR as one of the top 100 recordings of the 20th century. I only discovered this handful of videos from the Blues Alley performance a few months ago, and while I'm very grateful to get to see her perform the song, it brings me to tears every. single. time. That's not really a problem, except if I watch a bunch of reaction videos, and end up sitting there leaking tears for an hour!
I wanted to comment one thing about her phrasing in this. She breaks lines in unusual places - especially compared with the original and other versions of the song - and that, along with the slow tempo and the fact that the song is so well known, creates an enormous amount of anticipation throughout. She often ends a line with the first word or two of the next line before pausing. It makes you hang on every word - Somewhere. over. the rainbow way. up high. It's so beautifully done. She does the same thing with Autumn Leaves.
It sounds like you're pretty familiar with Eva's music, but just in case: one of the things that's always amazed me was how her voice could range from a razor's-edge whisper to a sky-piercing belt. A couple of great examples of this are Blues in the Night and Oh, Had I a Golden Thread.
Thanks again, loved your reaction to this and look forward to some more Eva! And if you get a chance, maybe some more of my other favorite singer of all time, Haley Reinhart! Cheers!
Her versions of Autumn Leaves and Fields of Gold are also fantastic
I'd say they are even better. To quote the late Terry Wogan 'thank goodness for someone having the sense to record her'❤
It breaks my heart to watch her performing now, knowing she is no longer with us. She had such a unique & magical tone, rather like another singer who had a unique effortless tone, and too was taken from us far too early, Karen carpenter. I am hopefully a long way from my time to leave this world but I have already chosen this performance of this song as my music to accompany me on my final journey ( didn’t mean for that to sound morbid, it’s just a fact about something that happens to us all eventually ).
This whole show was released on album. It is from a well know club in the US & the whole thing is brilliant but as it is the middle of the night here in the UK & I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the album (typical) but I will send you the link at a more reasonable hour when I find it.
BTW well done for keeping it together, I was watching your face & I was expecting you to cry at any moment which isn’t surprising if you feel just 50% of the way it makes me feel, I wouldn’t have been so composed. I think the performance itself is all the things you said but I think knowing her story & that she is no longer with us just magnifies all the feeling this performance generates.
her use of dynamics on her guitar to push or pull her vocal is stunning .. shows how well she could play but also how well she not only understood her own instrument but also the guitar .and how they service each other ... stunning ...
Oh my lord. Listening to her beautiful voice and watch your face at the same time brought tears to my eyes. Thank you.❤
She plays this so beautifully, too.
Thanks so much for covering this performance by Eva. She is one of my all-time favorite singers. Her technique and range were staggering and her interpretive powers unsurpassed. I can't listen to her without being moved to tears. So tragic that we lost her at such an early age. I can only wonder at the music she would have produced had she lived longer.
Great Reaction 👍🙏👣 She always makes me Cry 😢
Been waiting for this . Thank you for reacting 👏 👏 Her "songbird" is my fav. Gone too soon.
It's so heartbreaking that we lost Eva Cassidy at only 33 years of age. This video is from 1996 which is the year she passed on November 2 from melanoma cancer. Such a sweet voice of an angel and now she's an angel up in heaven singing with the other angels. Rest in Peace Eva Marie Cassidy February 2 1963 to November 2 1996.
Love her rendition of "time after time" from same performance. You should also check out her mash-up with Angelina Jordan of Fields of Gold👍👍
brings me to tears every time i watch and lsiten to eva sing this she sings with soo much emotion ....
Even though she was still recovering from a head cold when she sang this shows what a wonderful vocalist she was. One of my go to voices when I need to hear beauty amongst all the noise in this world.
That was such a beautiful rendition of this song. So sad that she is no longer with us. She died at only 33 years of age. I also love the version by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. Sadly he also died young at 38 years of age. At least we have their music left as a legacy.