Eva Cassidy I Can Only Be Me 2023, Walkin' After Midnight 2024

I wrote about Eva Cassidy before, covering her Live At Blues Alley and the 2015 expansion of that record, Nightbird. In the Blues Alley review, I also discussed the many posthumous records released after her untimely death, all of which contain moments of beauty, and none of which would have seen the light of day had she lived (except for Eva By Heart, which was almost complete before her demise). While she has her fans in America, she is rabidly adored in the UK and parts of Northern Europe, where she has had far more sales success than in the US. Oddly, her posthumous records have sold better than her finest hour, the original Live At Blues Alley.

I Can Only Be Me is previously recorded vocals (isolated with AI technology) with The London Symphony Orchestra providing the orchestral backgrounds. It is pretty, and the orchestrations are lush and complement her singing quite well. But all of the vocals heard here are previously released, and her voice is the show. While orchestrated versions may well appeal to some of her fans, there's really nothing new here. 

Walkin' After Midnight is actually material that has not been previously released. It was recorded thirty years ago at the Maryland Inn’s King of France Tavern in Annapolis. Without her usual full band, only bassist Chris Biondo and guitarist Kieth Grimes, along with guest violinist Bruno Nasta accompany Ms. Cassidy and her acoustic guitar. Most of the songs were also performed just two months later for the Live At Blues Alley session, but these casual arrangements are unique to her body of work. Her cover of ZZ Hill’s Down Home Blues is a song not previously released by Cassidy, as is her version of Desperado, which is a live recorded vocal isolated from a different performance with a new piano and organ backing provided by former bandmate Lenny Williams. The stripped down band lets Cassidy's vocals shine, and the addition of violin makes for a different twist on some of the songs. Cassidy is in particularly fine voice and the recording is very good. Cassidy herself didn't want to release Blues Alley because she had a cold the night it was recorded (you can't tell), but she's certainly healthy here. Compared to most of her tossed-together posthumous records, at least this one is from one show (almost), and it is a worthy addition to her catalog.

While I have not always been happy about the way her legacy has been milked by her family, I absolutely recognize her as an amazing talent, an astounding voice coupled with heartfelt interpretations, and an impeccable taste in songs to cover from a broad spectrum of genres. Live At Blues Alley remains an essential addition to any collection, and either or both of these will find an audience among her fans.