I Can Only Be Me

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Perhaps her hometown paper, the Washington Post said it best: "The saddest part of the mostly heartwarming story of singer Eva Cassidy is that she had to die to get the renown she deserved. As achingly intimate as the original, now with widescreen grandeur courtesy of the London Symphony Orchestra, the new version offers a fresh take on the song. Songbird," the first track on the new album, has been released by Blix Street Records as a digital single and is available from iTunes, Spotify and other digital outlets.

Songbird' is the centrepiece of the project, which made use of new breakthroughs in AI technology to add new dimensions to Cassidy's performance in line with Willis and Ross' new compositions.Lukes, the 18 th century former Anglican London church that currently serves as the London Symphony Orchestra’s home, conducted by Chris Egan. I. technology (similar processes to those used in last year’s ground-breaking The Beatles: Get Back film and recent Revolver album reissue). Two-time Emmy™-winning producer/arranger William Ross, who created the album’s “Autumn Leaves” track, said: “I can’t possibly find the words to adequately express my thoughts and feelings about Eva, one of the most unique, hypnotic, and powerful singers of all time. The release of the “Songbird” track coincided with the song’s debut airing on BBC Radio2 in England. The goal with the orchestral version was to complement her pure vocal essence with a simple, yet broader instrumental arrangement – a lush musical landscape with Eva’s voice at the centre.

That album would spawn her now iconic version of “Over the Rainbow,” which has been compared to Judy Garland’s as a definitive performance of that treasured American classic.Like everyone who listens to Eva’s voice, I’ve felt like I’ve gotten to know her as I’ve worked on the album,” explains Willis. Like everyone who listens to Eva's voice, I've felt like I've gotten to know her as I've worked on the album," explains Willis. S. for sales of more than 1 million units, while in the UK, the album is 6x Platinum and spent a total of six months in the UK Top 10 (two weeks of those at Number 1). I CAN ONLY BE ME, the album’s title track, is a radical reworking of a little-known song by Eva Cassidy’s musical hero, Stevie Wonder, while the album’s eight other tracks receive their own special reimagining. Back in 2001, it was the BBC playing Cassidy's version of "Over the Rainbow" that introduced her to British audiences and ignited a media storm on both sides of the Atlantic.

Of the "Songbird" track, Christopher Willis commented: "The wonderful, resonant truth about this song is that Eva is the Songbird, singing naturally from the heart. However I would strongly recommend and no doubt will become a demo disc for any system and hifi show! To commemorate what would have been her 60th birthday (on February 2), Blix Street Records will release a landmark new album, which pairs Cassidy's impeccable voice with the backing of the legendary London Symphony Orchestra. Two-time Emmy-winning producer/arranger William Ross, who created the album's "Autumn Leaves" track, said: "I can't possibly find the words to adequately express my thoughts and feelings about Eva, one of the most unique, hypnotic, and powerful singers of all time. Incredibly, Eva sounds as present and hypnotic within the sweeping orchestration as she did on her original acoustic take on the Fleetwood Mac favourite which she made entirely her own.

The album "I Can Only Be Me" pairs the vocals of the late Eva Cassidy with music performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. A day after the 60th anniversary of Eva Cassidy’s birth (February 3, 2023) I Can Only Be Me will be released. The goal with the orchestral version was to complement her pure vocal essence with a simple, yet broader instrumental arrangement – a lush musical landscape with Eva's voice at the center. To complete this picture, in between Eva's verses, I imagined two birds, represented by two high penny whistles up above the strings. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.

In the original live recording, the only accompaniment is Eva herself playing the guitar, lightly brushing the strings in a continuous tremolo. With her bright expressive soprano, the diversified singer with a varied repertoire was simply wonderful in everything she sang. The London Symphony Orchestra’s stately, immersive accompaniment elevates a song that became an instant Christmas staple when it appeared in the Richard Curtis blockbuster Love Actually in 2003 to spectacular new heights. People Magazine wrote of SONGBIRD at the time: "Whether in jazz, folk, or inspirational music, Cassidy's potential was huge, and this album stands as a testament to popular music's loss.Listening to I Can Only Be Me, where guitar lines have been stripped and replaced by moving arrangements, it’s immediately obvious that Eva Cassidy was one of the great singers of our generation, and the new record has managed to not only capture the essence of Eva, but highlight what made her such an incredible artist from the beginning.