I’ve never been able to make it through this song and several others of hers without crying. She does an amazing version of Sting’s “Fields of Gold”. The first time Sting heard her version was when a journalist played it for him, during an interview and he was brought to tears. Eva had the extraordinary ability to convey so much emotion with her voice.

@Lela-plants

11 ай бұрын

@shreveportjoe it’s nice to see a local her. Lol

@johntatum1951

10 ай бұрын

Yes, her version of Fields of Gold...is so wonderful! Luv it!

@douglasheath411

5 ай бұрын

By the time she hits the 4th guitar note, I am releasing joyful tears of anticipation of being moved to a sacred place of worship. If I try to listen to this more than 3 times in a row, my entire being has been drained of every drop of moisture it can hold. This incredible performer should have been a household name on everyone's list since back in 1996 where she did this live very shortly before she died of cancer at the young age of 33. It is almost as if she sang her heart to death as a last gift to the World! How is it even possible that so many of us are just receiving the gift. Thankyou KZread Reaction videos for bringing this Eternally Joyful gift to a World that can be deaf to true talent, AMEN and AMEN

This performance was basically a cover band in a bar in Washington, DC. I've been in alot of those kind of bars, both as a drinker and as a musician/singer. It's always a din of noise; usually no one pays attention to the "background music". But for this entire hour-long performance you could hear a pin drop in the audience. And thank God! Can you imagine if this performance had been lost because of poor recording conditions?! Eva is a gif to humankind.

Beth, one of the many things that make Eva so great here is her guitar accompaniment. I have never heard a solo artist accompany herself in such a flowing yet changing way that allowed room for the varying emotions she was feeling. And yet, the guitar often seamlessly emphasized her emotions without getting in the way. What a gift to the world! 🙏

@atomcraft4067

Жыл бұрын

Phoebe Snow playing Poetry Man is the same for me.

@smvwees

Жыл бұрын

In the Netherlands we have Maaike Ouboter fullfilling that role with the song "Dat ik je mis".😉 (Which is her own song).

@SRPM-yk9xw

Жыл бұрын

You genuinely think you can write, don't you? Bless!

@BarrySowder

Жыл бұрын

@@SRPM-yk9xw I'm not sure what you meant by that comment, but I do know that listening to great music like this has made it easier for me to express what I feel about it. Bless you as well!

@SRPM-yk9xw

Жыл бұрын

@@BarrySowder Good for you! Just try not to inflict it on the rest of us.

It is important to point out that Eva was fighting a cold that night. Even in a bad night, Eva was amazing.

She went to my high school and graduated with my older brother. She sang at our school coffeehouse when she was a senior and I was a sophomore. When her song ended, you could have heard a pin drop, and then the place erupted! My brother saw her last concert done locally near our home. She was so weak she could hardly walk on stage, but she didn't want to stop singing 😢

Played this song for my Father on his Death bed and again at his Funeral. I like to think her angelic voice escorted him on his way. RIP Dad. I miss you.

This performance was recorded only 7 or 8 months before she passed. In this song. when you look at it now and hear her singing it, it sounds as her farewell song. as if she already knew she would not not be here for a long time anymore. It will give me chills ans goosebumps forever. This is the ultimate version of the song. Eva, forever in our hearts. ❤

@snkeptz

2 ай бұрын

From what I have heard from those who knew her, she didn't have her diagnosis of melanoma yet.

@williamthelast1

5 күн бұрын

​@@snkeptz Thank you... That's what exactly what I want to know... ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

When the Eva Cassidy phenomenon broke, I remember reading an article that told the story of a guy playing this over the phone for his parents. His dad had often given the guy a hard time for liking softer, folky, touchy-feely music because the dad was more into straight macho rock. So the guy played the song and then asked what the parents thought. Mom loved it. The guy asked, "Dad?" And Mom said, "He's crying."

If you watch her doing 'Autumn Leaves' and don't bawl your eyes out, you're not human. She is so amazing. Thanks for the reaction.

@kestrelle5345

Жыл бұрын

Fall never comes that I don't think of her "Autumn Leaves" it hangs around me like a mantle till Winter comes.

Around the the turn of the century a friend gave me her album 'Songbird'. By the time I got to this song, the last on that exquisite CD, I had already nearly fallen out my chair several times. It was a few days later I found out she had passed away years prior. I was saddened to say the least. Eva remains one of the truly greatest singers of all time. Thanks so much for the thoughtful reaction.

Her Fields of Gold cover is amazing

@mljrotag6343

Жыл бұрын

100%.

@stoicsceptic8420

Жыл бұрын

Played it at my dad’s funeral. He was a fan.

@saposapo1

11 ай бұрын

And Autumn Leaves

@davidstudebaker7397

6 ай бұрын

I've rarely heard a voice of such purity" stings quote about Eva's rendition. I love that song and nightbird

"If happy little bluebirds fly above the rainbow, why, oh why, can't I?" What a marvelous ending to a song.

It is such an iconic version of this song. It’s almost like she’s singing a lullaby, perhaps to herself.

I grew up in the DC area and saw her perform many times, a lot of musicians got together and gave a benefit concert at a club called "The Bayou" in Georgetown, DC, to raise money for her medical bills, she was in attendance and at the end she was helped out on stage and sang, the song she performed was "What a Wonderful World" a few weeks later she was gone

@larrywright6214

9 ай бұрын

Lucy Thomas does a great cover of this.

@robyncohen8542

9 ай бұрын

Amazing❤

@kathynicholson103

3 ай бұрын

She went to my high school and graduated with my older brother. He and my sister were at that concert, too, and by the end of the night they were gutted by all the sadness😢

Her version of "Danny Boy" is extremely touching, too. Makes me weep every time.

Her guitar playing is flawless.

this performance is in a bar.....setting.... her guitar is impeccable the production value for the times is remarkable ....the current times are lacking exalting images ....it kills the soul

You have just witnessed what I consider to be the finest rendition of this song ever recorded. There are a few good ones but I don't think anything beats this. She has quite a few other recordings on her KZread channel that are worth viewing. There's nothing more I can say. Wonderful reaction.

I always lover her "Fields of Gold"

@1Pandemoonium

Жыл бұрын

It was on a Cancer Research advert in the UK back in the days my grandad had cancer, when I was super young. I always link it back to that now, and it destroys me. Still love the song, it’s gorgeous

Yep... I'd be very suspicious of anyone that didn't weep, knowing her story and then hearing this. Gets me every single time!

Such fragility and vulnerability in her performance. Her crystal clear voice delivers so much emotions, I can't help but tear up every time I see this...gone too soon.

Just the phrasing alone is genius, And the rest. Power, tenderness, yearning, regret, hope, it's all there. A unique and very special achievement. Thanks for bringing this remarkable performance and magnificent work of art back to us, Beth. Eva was such a loss.

Never liked this song until I heard her version. Masterful and hard to imagine anyone improving on this interpretation. Such a beautiful voice.

@tadpethtel8035

6 ай бұрын

my thoughts exactly.....never really cared for the song (bruddah IZ 's version was good), but hearing her performance reduced me to an emotional wreck.....what a stunningly beautiful song, and what an exquisite artist she was. Her untimely passing was a terrible loss for the world.......for she was one those beings who brought light to the world......her talent and her beautiful soul were so luminuous that they shine just as brightly all these years later....

@ABNHW

5 ай бұрын

Yup, the song is all grown up and adult.... best version so far

Eva is one of the most amazing vocalists and song interpreters of all time, IMO. Her crystal clear soprano combines with a pitch perfect delivery to deliver all the feels (as the kids say). She covered all the genres with equal perfection. Another fantastic cover by her is Sting's "Fields Of Gold". Sting himself said it was the best version of his song he had heard. My third favourite is her rendition of "Songbird".

I'm so glad you finally got to Eva. She was amazing. I first heard of her when several of us - a bunch of guys in their late forties who had spent their lives playing mainly rock and blues - got together for a practice. One of us had picked up her Songbird album and said "You've got to hear this." No practice that evening. We listened to the entire album, mostly not speaking at all, then spent the rest of the evening talking about it.

Beth, I had the very same reaction to this performance the first time I witnessed it. It can still bring tears to my eyes. I also love her cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time.

My favorite female singer of all time! You need to react to her singing Autumn Leaves...amazing!!!

I'm always fascinated and amazed how changing the tempo and tone of a song like this can change it from a happy/upbeat song to a sad/melancholic song. Here, it shifts the meaning of the "If happy little bluebirds fly above the rainbow why, oh why, can't I."

Beth, in the late 1990's I was watching a news show, and they had a segment in Eva. I was totally mesmerized by her voice and her story, and I must admit, I shed a few tears. The next day, I went out and bought several of her CD's and I fell in love with her amazing voice. Just now, watching you listening to her sing, I shed a few more tears...tears of joy, that we both are so lucky to have discovered Eva Cassidy's magic. Thank you for featuring her on this video.

I'm crying...and if you keep playing Eva Cassidy I won't stop. What a tragic loss. Her voice is so pure and beautiful. I have all her music and I treasure it...always.

Eva had the perfect combination of awesome control, tone, style and phrasing and when you add in her incredible arrangements and guitar playing, it makes her music magical and mesmerizing. This song in particular always makes me tear up. It's a huge tragedy that she died just a few months after this was recorded from metastatic melanoma.

Eva voice so captivating.haunting. When you hear her beautiful voice you know it's her singing.😂😂❤

Brings tears to my eyes too, if this performance doesn’t move you, you have no soul.

it is like she and her guitar are having a conversation... she is simply amazing.

She’s an old soul. A 31-32 year old with the voice of a 50 year old professional musical icon straight out of Hollywood’s classic years. She had that Disney perfect voice.

One of the greatest vocalists who ever lived

Eva’s voice is so beautiful and dynamic. Her version of the blues song Stormy Monday from this same concert is quite lively and fun. Thanks for keeping Eva’s music alive.

I can't but cry when I hear this.. It is achingly beautiful..

there is a documentary with her bandmates here on youtube about this session.

Such talent and it’s sad she died so young and it’s really awful that she never received recognition when she was alive and is now famous since she passed, it’s sorta sounds like she knew she was passing, another great cover she did was Fields of Gold

I discovered Eva Cassidy thanks to my dad. Such wonder and beautiful music. Hoping she's somewhere over a beautiful rainbow.

When a great singer is taken from us prematurely it makes them all the more great , Eva,sandy Denny , Janis Joplin,Amy winehouse,mama Cass all had so much more to give and offer and all missed

It's literally goosebumps in a bottle. Like, I can not think of any other artist or person that guaranteed gives me goosebumps when I listen to them, but it's just automatic with her... I always get them

I'd be willing to wager a fair sum that those 'breaks' in her sustain were due to the rather astonishing fact that SHE HAD A COLD when she did this performance. Think about that for a moment. Simply incredible.

Exquisitely tender. Such an arrangement with a lovely conversation between her voice and guitar. Almost a jazz feel. Your explanation of why it is so heartfelt and honest was also exquisite.

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.

This is the one that gets the most attention but for me it is her Autumn Leaves and Fields of Gold that really show off how she can just command attention and make you feel things.

Of all the performances out there, this is the one I've listened to the most often. Despite the dozens of times I've heard this, I find myself in tears once again.

I cannot listen to her version of this song without getting tears in my eyes. It is pure magic, the way she pulls you in. Strength, vulnerability, beauty, longing, she embodies it all. It's like she creates a world where it's just her and you, the listener, and you're having the most intimate and tender moment. An amazing talent, gone too soon.

My absolute favourite version. Love it.

I am so happy that you reacted to this performance! ❤️ I've wished for more people to discover Eva! She truly passed too soon.😢

One of the best breakdowns of this song. As you point out so well: It's one thing to have total control over your tone & pitch. It's another thing to let that control break at just the right moment... Exquisite.

My favourite singer. I heard her music for the first time few months after her passing.. my gf at the time sent me mp3 of her songs. This song and Autumn Leaves or pretty all the covers she did live via 'Blues Alley Jazz Supper Club' I love listening to. When this video came out and seeing her play the guitar.. it made appreciate her so much more. Tori Amos with her piano.. Karen C with her drums... and now Eva with her guitar. RIP - Gordon Lightfoot (glad you did a reaction to this Canadain legend)

A great loss to the world, vocals of an angel........ Thank you for this vid.

Its become, IMVVVHO a definitive version of the song. If you want to hear a track of hers that will rip your heart out, listen to her cut of "Autumn Leaves". That is just staggeringly beautiful.

@BethRoars As I recall reading long ago she was just recovering from an illness (flu/cold) and that last break in her voice was the result of that. She remarked she was afraid her voice could not make it through the recording session at the pub that night. Hope I have that right.

@ochjim

Жыл бұрын

Was about to mention this but thought it sensible to check in case someone had done so already. Thank you.

I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath when she was featured on Top of the Pops and became a sensation. I remember thinking how crazy it was that I had to be in another country after Eva had died to see her get the recognition she deserved.

Eva is simply the greatest voice our world has ever known. What a gift. Thank you Eva. Thank you so much. 🎺

Yes, good reaction, she was such a real artist...very unrated her whole life...glad we can still hear her wonderful songs and covers...a unique and special voice...:)

i've listened to this for years now and really appreciated your reaction. she's the first vocalist to really get me to listen to "danny boy" and understand all of the tragedy in it. a terrible shame that she's gone, but one of her albums "i can only be me" has just been paired with the london symphony orchestra and it's magic...

Ahhh Beth. I have never heard of this lady before. Wow wow. I started listening to your reaction and quickly it was click, is there karaoke available, then other songs of evas and finally 5 hours later I came back to you to finish listening to your reaction. What a musician Eva was with mastery of both the guitar and her voice. Last week it was Ren, Beth Hart a few months ago. The world is just full of amazing artists that we would never get to hear if not for things like you tube.

Eva does not tug at the heart strings with this, she rips them. Tears every time.

@arapaimagold8088

6 ай бұрын

She drown us, that’s the magnitude of her greatness.

She was a true artist in every sense, I ave her album on Vinyl and sounds so amazing.

Pure, honest, heartfelt, exquisite.

For me, this could never be 'twee' or too 'cutesy', it's just right where it needs to be. I think she was one of the true musicians who instinctly knew when to pull it in and keep it quieter and also when to add volume, power and emotion. The balance between the two probably also came naturally and through practice. It comes across that she truly loved playing music for the right reasons, not for fame or fortune or any other reason. Just an amazing musician unfortunately gone too soon. RIP Eva.

Thanks Beth, great reaction. Except that your reaction made me cry once more for this cover.

I’m not afraid to say that this performance always leaves me in tears. What a great artist she was, and still is. Thank you for your reaction Beth. Be well.

I bought one of her records a few years ago without having listening to any of her songs, just from what I had read. I was blown away by how she communicates with her voice. Love your videos, and your emotional reactions make them even more authentic :)

Makes me cry, too, Beth 😢 Such sadness and longing in her voice

Eva sings this with such feeling, honesty, and intensity in her voice and facial gestures that it seems that, while she's singing "Over the Rainbow," she's actually using it to express something from her own life story; I think that's why it feels so real and original.

Thank you for introducing Eva Cassidy to many who missed the brilliant but fleeting shooting star who sang like an angel. I myself was introduced to her music only a few years ago and that was by chance when I heard a trumpet player (Alison Balsom) on KZread play Eva Cassidy’s Autumn Leaves. I was so mesmerized by the music, even before I heard Eva Cassidy’s voice, that I had to find out who Eva Cassidy was. Imagine when I heard what I feel is possibly one of the greatest songs ever sung. Your audience needs to hear Autumn Leaves by Eva Cassidy. It is magical!

I allways get tears in my eyes when I listen to this and her version of Autumn leafs my tears are falling. Just beautiful singing.

That was a truly beautiful reaction to an equally beautiful rendition of this song. You're right in saying it's her creative interpretation of the chord structure, melody line and then the build - ohhh! Such a bittersweet performance because we were blessed with her presence but then knowing she is no longer with us to further enjoy her music. x

Thank you for giving Eva her due. You are right “Had I a golden thread” is sonic perfection. Please consider reacting to Judee Sill’s “The Kiss”. Her story is kind of tragic too. Thanks for what you do.

My favorite is Cause I Know You By Heart. I heard it shortly after my husband died and whenever I hear her sing this song the tears flow and I silently thank her for this connection. She just doesn’t “sing” a song, she tells a story. ❤

This performance always gets to me. Beth, you did a remarkable reaction to this masterpiece.

Eva had the most beautiful voice.ive never heard a woman with a more beautiful voice thank you for putting this on your u tube people needs to know what a talent she has.golden needle one of my favorites.😊

I discovered Eva years ago and I was so touched and mesmerized by her voice and the way that she put her emotions into her songs. One of my other favorites is Songbird. RIP sweet soul Eva ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

What a wonderful, touching improvisation. A masterful vocalist and guitarist as well. Thank you Beth for sharing this with us.

Beth, thank you for your sensitive reaction to Eva's masterpiece cover of over the rainbow. May I suggest Eva in jazz mode singing Youve Changed and Cheek to Cheek. Phil in Scotland

Inevitable goosebumps and involuntary tears every time I hear Eva sing this song.

Hi Beth! First time seeing you and I just subbed. You have so many lovely qualities and I know I will be checking out your future reactions. I do not think crying while listening to Eva sing is very unusual. She brings years to my eyes often. Her voice is incredible- so sweet, sincere, clear, and delicate. I don't think anyone will ever top her performance of this very iconic song. It is hers alone. Thanks for letting me hear this again. Take care.🤗🌈

This was one of the greatest artist's to ever grace the world. However sadly for only a short time. I am in my sixties and a heavy metal fan. This though is quite simply a beautiful performance, so full of emotion.

This version must be a vocal coaches wet dream. The range, the power, the arrangement. Wonderful stuff.

I'm a grizzly old 69-year-old gray-haired old guy and I'm crying right along with you. Thank you, Beth, for YOUR honesty.

Makes you cry? I started crying when I saw the title of the video. This version of this song has such DEEP resonating memories for me. It is a masterpiece.

A perfect performance. What especially gets me every time is the way she sets the whole song to build up to the phrase, "and the dreams that you dare to dream REALLY DO come true." Then, to top it off, so quietly, "If happy little bluebirds fly above the rainbow why, oh why, can't I." Such hope, and then resignation. Heartbreaking.

Each time I watch this performance I can’t get through it without tears in my eyes. Her voice is spectacular, yet so controlled. The guitar playing is just perfect! What breaks me every time is knowing she would pass away just a short 9 months later. Eva died from melanoma which had metastasized and eventually was in her lungs. Such a loss💔💔. Thanks your this review!

There's no ego here but her authentic soul shines through. Transcendent!

Mesmerizing to say the least... A true Treasure... Rest easy over the Rainbow...

Eva, the Songbird. RIP beautiful lady.

Gone too soon, and the world is diminished by her passing. I grew up in the county next to Eva's. Sadly, I didn't discover her until she was already ill, and never got to see her perform around the DC area clubs. She was otherworldly, she could do it all. Seriously, she is the best all around female vocalist I have ever heard---from jazz, to blues, to folk, gospel, to even some operatic type tune. But what an emotional impact she could deliver. Please do more Eva reactions!

Her version is so full of hope and longing and melancholy. So beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

I saw Eva live at Blue's Alley many times. She was a rare talent. A DC legend. She is missed.

I have watched I don't know how many reaction videos of Ava, I believe yours is the best I've ever seen or heard. The insight, enjoyment, respect that you expressed is amazing and greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

That album Songbird is a absolute gem. A classic that will stand the test of time, a legacy left by a amazing artist who died much too soon afterwards.

Honestly, this is one of the few songs I can't listen to anymore because it always makes me cry.

a single frame of your reaction showed your expression that matched hers, i searched and found many so know that ur heart showed like hers in this. Pure Heart felt can only explain it no other, kinda like when someone says "what can I say". I't the heart not just the song and many do get it we just don't know or refuse to get what it is.

Remember one thing, this video is live, I think in Chicago as I recall, and there is not a single sound but Eva. Amazing! And I am 68... I listen to it every month since I heard in 1999

@BethRoars

7 ай бұрын

It’s really great!

Please more Eva.thank you very much.great job you did.