EVA CASSIDY - OVER THE RAINBOW | REACTION 

You don't just hear Eva sing. You feel it.

Her cover of Fields of Gold is sublime.

Eva is the greatest vocalist/musician that ever lived. Begin your wonderful journey. Every single phrase she ever did is so emotive it’s impossible to understand her gift. A. J. is certainly wonderful and to be truly enjoyed. Eva/ will change your life. Savor every moment of your discovery for Eva is gone and the end of your search will come. Savor every tune. Autumn Leaves from this same gig is simply the most incredible vocal moment I’ve ever heard. It’s shakes my bones every time. Have fun. 🎺

Eva was something special. This performance brings me to tears every time.

This version is the best ever, and Eva owns this song. She died very young, but I still listen to her songs. RIP Eva.❤️❤️

My first introduction to Eva Cassidy was through this song. I was walking through my living room with a basket full of laundry and I heard this beautiful, clear vocals coming from the Tv (I think it was 60 minutes doing a feature on Eva Cassidy)...it stopped me right in my tracks. I was mesmerized by this person singing a song I thought I knew; but I did not know...I have never heard it sung with so much melancholy, wistfulness, and soul...there was this sadness to her. So much talent, gone too soon. Thanks for reacting to her and this amazing rendition.

I never get tired of listening to Eva's vocal gift. Remember, this is a live recording at Washington, D.C.'s Blues Alley nightclub. Oh, and Eva had a cold that night. A proud daughter of our DC Metro area here, Eva lives and lives and lives. #RIP Songbird.✝✝✝

Eva could sing anything - jazz, blues, country, folk - and sing it well.

If your eyes do not rain tears , your soul can have no rainbow ( Native American wisdom ). This was more than a song, this was Eva's prayer. Rest in peace Eva. God bless

yes, super clean playing here and on top of that she really altered the timing of the lyrics and they are not neatly synched with the picking and the chord changes. This is difficult. If the cadence of the lyrics fall on the beats of the picked notes, it is much easier. She doesn't do this, so she is essentially keeping different time with her playing and her singing simultaneously. Mad respect for the delicate and melancholy vibe she layed down on this. Out of this world.

A beautiful duet between Eva's voice and her guitar 💓💓💓💓

A master class in vocal dynamics, phrasing, composition, breath and vibrato control and, emotive performance. A master piece. RIP Songbird.

Judy Garland introduced this song in the movie 'The Wizard Of Oz' 1n 1939. It has been an American classic ever since and watching the movie and listening to her sing the song will always be required viewing and listening for America's youth when they are growing up. And then, came Eva Cassidy in the late 90's with her version of this song which you just heard. What can you say? This was, without question, one of the finest pieces of work I have ever listened to in my life. How she played the guitar so magnificently while she sang so emotionally made for a moment that will be remembered forever. And, if that wasn't enough, to understand she left us less than a year after this performance, I just shake my head because it is so sad.

For me, there are 2 artists that can take a well-known classic, reinvent it and create the new standard that will be the absolute refence afterward: Eva Cassidy and Lara Fabian. For Fields of Gold, even a talented creative young lady such as AJ had to follow the path that was paved by Eva, it says a lot. This was captured on Jan 3rd 1996 in Blues Alley, Washington DC. She wanted to book it to record a live for the first time. She was a nurse and could only afford to book it that date, just after new years eve, the worst timeframe in terms of attendance and audience focus. In June of the same year, she was diagnosed with a skin cancer relapse and she passed away in November of the same year. She was only discovered a few years later when a BBC show broadcasted her songs. She immediately topped the UK charts. You should check her time after time, autmn leaves, songbird covers or her more jazzy stuff.

I love her Autumn Leaves, too. Oh! and Time is a Healer, too.

This is my fav from Eva she is a magnificent singer this is Eva’s song for Ever no one can touch this👌❤️

RIP Eva Cassidy. While I listen to a wide variety of music, since learning of Angelina Jordan and then Eva Cassidy and The Warning, I have to come to understand what I love most, are musicians who are awesome story tellers. Thanks for the reaction Jesse.

One of my favorite things about this arrangement is how a few times she plays the straight melody on the guitar while improvising with the voice. Beautiful touch.

Hi Jesse, I hope all is well with you. I'm glad you had the opportunity to react to this song after hearing the mashup of Angelina and Eva. This is considered by many to be the finest version of Over The Rainbow ever recorded. Evil was known for her crisp and clear vocals, which are sometimes described as looking down to the bottom of a crystal clear lake. She rearranges this song and certainly makes it her own while customizing the guitar and vocal arrangements herself. As you mentioned, her guitar playing abilities are superb and are sometimes playing second fiddle to her voice which is so beautiful. I don't think I've ever heard anyone play acoustic as masterfully as Eva. It is too tragic that she passed away in 1996 from cancer, as she would likely have become one of the great female vocalists of our time. That is clear because she has become legendary even posthumously although not as well known as she should be. I had the good fortune to be introduced to her 25 years ago. On her RU-vid page, Eva has a number of songs to choose from. The black and white video you just reacted to is part of a set that she played at the Blue valley lounge 11 months before she died. There are 12 songs, the only quality videos of her performances her ever recorded. There are many other audio only. A few I would recommend, both video and audio. Bridge over troubled water Time after Time People get ready Autumn leaves Fields of Gold (solo) Danny Boy Songbird There are many other favorites of her fans, but I think those are good to start with. Thanks Jesse and peace out.

This performance was during her Blues Alley taping for her Live At Blues Alley cd; but this cut wasn't included on the cd because she didn't like the imperfection of her voice breaking at the end. And yet, it fits with the song's emotional performance. Something which can't be duplicated, nor topped. I never tire of hearing this.

Bruce is correct. Eva was coming down with a cold. To me that is noticeable at the beginning and at a couple of vocal breaks. Songbird and maybe other albums have the studio version of this song and as one might expect, are flawless. The fact that this version was done live, in one take and her with a cold, truly shows Eva's brilliance and raw talent.

Best cover for me to hold them notes then fade away to nothing stunning. 👌🇬🇧

Simply the most beautiful rendition of the song I have ever heard. All I got. Thanks Jess for this one.

Intense, tasteful and intelligent arrangement. All three delivered with the voice of an Angel. Ava should never be forgotten and take solace knowing she is a true Angel now and forever.

Try "Oh, had I a golden thread" by her. Then you will be able to judge her vocal abilities. Absolutely mind blowing !

I listened to Eva's stuff in my mid 30s when I was going through a "female artists who died tragically" phase for some reason. There was mainly Eva, Dusty Springfield, Patsy Cline, Aaliyah, Selena, Amy Winehouse, and Janis Joplin on the playlist. It was right after my jazz/blues and misc Spanish language pop and before my Bollywood and female dance pop phases. 😄

The best singer I have ever heard in my bloody life... And I heared thousands...❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

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.

An absolute vocal masterpiece of this iconic song ! Eva had such a beautiful heartwarming and captivating voice ! Her guitar playing is first class and effortlessly performed ! I have not ever heard a more emotional rendition of this song ! Eva left this world far too soon and sadly didn't have the recognition she so deserved in the US till her songs emerged on UK radio two years after her passing and she became a chart topper there with her song "Songbird" going to number 1 ! Amazing legacy of a truly talented artist ! I would suggest "Fields of Gold " as another fantastic cover ! Thank you for reminding me of this most talented artist ! 👍🇨🇦❤️

Eva doing this song just completely guts me, every. single. time...her phrasing is just jaw-dropping, as is her arrangement. The pure emotion that she wrings out of every note, every syllable, is mind-blowing. Her dynamics are face-melting as well. She was a treasure, now she is playing amongst the angels. Eva absolutely OWNS this song. The BEST version of this song I have ever heard, bar none...

Oh, I love Eva Cassidy. I remember first coming across her sometime way back in the late 90s. A talent that left us too soon.

All of the technical artistry and stunning voice is completely in service of the song - the words, the soul of the music. She never calls attention to herself - she's no show-off, but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Try it with your eyes closed…hauntingly beautiful! Love this rendition so much. Thanks for the reaction.

Her mastery of dynamics in this cover is phenomenal.

What she does with this is make it a living creature. When she sings "clouds are far behind me" ...... the way she does it makes them really back there and she is leaving to another place. ABSOLUTELY brilliant!

I admire Angelina's talent very much. Cassidy's interpretation of this classic song is untouchable. She imbues such a wistful quality to the lyric it brings tears to my eyes. The poignant aspect of the unrealized wish is so beautifully expressed.

Give her cover of Autumn Leaves a listen.

You are absolutely spot on about her guitar playing on this. They way she accompanies herself is perfection.

Eva had the ability to WOW listeners in so many ways, soft and so very sweet , to powerful vocals that lift you to the heights of emotion. Yes, live in a bar, one take and no such thing as autotune back then.....MAGIC!

First time seeing you. I have listened to Eva sing on this video so many times and often become teary-eyed. She does sing with SO much feeling that it takes the listener on a journey with her. I think what is SO attention-grabbing about this, is that it is so pure throughout. Just Eva in a duet with her guitar. Nothing else is needed when you have a beautiful, soulful voice as rare as her's. Thank you for your reaction which is spot-on. You have a great personality. Good Luck with your channel. ☺

Eva Cassidy is my favorite artist of all time. Unfortunately she died shortly after this live performance at Blues Alley.

What a sad shame she died so early in life. What a talent! This rendition brings tears to my eyes. Flawless beauty.

I too am a huge AJ fan, but I discovered Eva in the past year and found her beautiful music. I would love to hear Angelina do this cover sometime.

The fact that she never found success before her death is a travesty 😢 her voice caresses your soul! She’s definitely flying high above that rainbow 🌈 now ❤️

It sucks so much when artists don't get representation because labels don't know what genre to put them in.

I love Eva and have watched quite a few folks react to this song. Some folks are more emotional than you, but you were more appreciative of her incredible guitar and dynamics than almost anyone else. I marvel at how she goes from "10" in her volume at "Somewhere over the rainbow" near the end then drops down to "1" with "skies are blue". Who else can do that?

Eva, is and was the best female artist my ears have ever heard..🥰

My favorite song by Eva. So beautiful . ❤ Thank you!

There have been lots of beautiful performances of this song, but for me this is the perfect one. This is now Eva's song!

Eva's father taught her how to play the guitar. She was one of a kind, with such conveyed emotion in every phrase. I nearly fell from my chair the first time I heard her voice around the turn of the century. What a truly amazing artist. She had a cold on this night when it was recorded live. Thus that last cracked note. Thanks for your reaction.

Спасибо большое за Ваши эмоции на Еву!!! Она в наших сердцах!

there are many many hours in her playing , and when you listen to her recorded work you can hear how good she actually was... her dynamic use of the guitar alone is not something you can teach easy... there is so much natural ability in there , her dad taught her how to play .... she really understood her own instrument and the guitar ability just lifts it to the next level... as sad loss to us all and to music.... greatful i got to discover her early on and still never get tired of her versions of songs ... her version of the old classic "autumn leaves" is still without question the best verion i have ever heard ...

I heard that Eva wasn't happy with this performance because she had a cold. Maybe that's why her voice had a little break at the end.

She was very ill when this was recorded. I believe she found out she was out of remission in June and passed in November. My personal favorites she has done are, "Imagine" and "What a Wonderful World". Wonderful World was the last song she performed live a week before she passed. She performed with some of the best jazz artists of our time. Thank you!

The G.O.A.T IMO!

This actually was a live performance at Blues Alley in 1996. Her set was recorded on a camcorder of all things. Within a year she had passed away from melanoma. Sort of makes the pullout, and fade at the end prophetic, yes? It was this recording, and others from the set that were introduced to the world by radio stations. If it wasn't for these recordings, we wouldn't even know her name. Other recordings were found, and put together into albums after her passing. It nearly makes my heart stop to think by, what a thin chance, we were introduced to Eva Cassidy.

Eva is my favorite, her “ I Know You By Heart” also makes me cry, as does “Fields Of Gold”.

This is part of a live performance at Blues Alley. There are videos of the complete performance and of each song. There are 2 artists that have stopped me in my tracks. I was on vacation in Canada and went into a gift shop for a souvenir. Eva’s album was playing. That was all that I left with. The other artist was Nina Simone who’s music was the soundtrack of a movie (I forgot about the movie-I just wanted to see the credits to find out who was singing!) check out her I put a spell on you

So melancholy. It's like she knew she wouldn't be here much longer

Excellent excellent reaction. Uniquely beautiful performance and lady. Perfection. Personal and intimate. Ty. Mark

She is amazing❤thanks.

Simple and elegant -- perfect definition of Eva's style. She transfers emotion like AJ by telling a story. Great reaction, as always. Eva, RIP. If you want to hear great finger picking, listen (of course!) to Tommy Emmanuel: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-S33tWZqXhnk.html and Molly Tuttle: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-k5aFKTvLqMg.html

I have been watching your reactions for quite some time, of course initially with Angelina Jordan, and then from there to Eva Cassidy. Your reactions are really a joy to watch. No fooling around to please us viewers. In stead you appear honest and competent. A rare quality with reactors. Keep on going (an naturally you can never react enough to AJ...). I promise I will be a loyal viewer- at least when you react to AJ and Eva :)

HOW HOW HOW.. HOW can you sound that Good LIVE in a Clues club.....even though she is no longer with us she is probably in the top 5 female artists of all time !!

I don’t know if anyone mentioned it, but the small ‘break’ you hear in her voice is due to having a cold when this was recorded. Yet, she is so gifted and human, it’s a ‘beautiful accident’. AI CAN’T GET CLOSE TO THIS! Eva, “On silver wings … “ We’ll see and hear you sing/play again ‘on the flip side’. Love, God bless, Marianne ❤😇🎸👏 9:48

Probably the most beautiful song on youtube.

Her "Autumn Leaves" is a favorite.

I see the cat made a photo bomb!

gentle, sublime, elegant, loving, . . .

Great, smart reaction, too.

We lost Eva way too soon.

This rendition reaches into our deepest selves. Dare I say "spiritual".

I like how the cat showed up at the door when she sang about blue birds.

Apparently she had a cold that night and didn't want to perform ( hence the break at the end) How fortunate for us all that she did.

I don't know how to explain it in any musical terms, but it's like she was somewhere with her guitar, and something happened that the both saw, and now they are telling you the story. So they take turns and play off of each other but always let the other one speak when it's their time.

IMHO the most emotional, beautiful and powerful version of this classic song.

We are all born to cast a shadow ... Eva left an impression.

Eva was on another level.I bought her CD the same year it came out and nobody comes close, well maybe Aurora.

Totally a live performance filmed by her friend. This was done several months before she passed from Cancer. I believe a gift such as hers can only stay here among us mere mortals for a brief time. She makes every song her own. Sting, said of her version of "Fields of Gold" ,, "This is now her song, The magic of Eva was truly a gift, although brief, splendid in its brief moment in time.

Try Eva's Danny Boy. And Eva's ''Blues In the Night'' shows a COMPLETELY different side of her voice. Blows the roof off the joint.

For me, with Eva, its all about the emotional narrative of the piece and being immersed in it. When you intersperse another singer in you interrupt that narative and mute the emotion, its too intricately crafted. Eva is best solo.

That last note she dropped a half note flat, a blues note: pure genius?

Eva's unique re-interpretation of these classic songs, has made her much loved. Her guitar work is sophisticated and accomplished. As a performer, she just oozes charm. Her voice and range are wonderful. Mick Fleetwood, Barry Gibb, Bill Straw and Carole King all raise her up as someone special. I came to late to know her, for she has now passed on, but I am blessed she has left her recordings for me to hear.

In my book Eva and AJ are among the best female singers ever. Eva is a better guitar-player but AJ is a better songwriter !!!

Her band (she considered herself a member of the band, and they were on the stage with her when this video was made) has been interviewed since she started to become famous 3 years after she died in '96. They have said they had to browbeat her into playing the guitar because she didn't think she was good enough. Recommendation: her rendition of "Autumn Leaves" is a heartbreaker. I'd recommend the video made the same night as Over the Rainbow rather than the mashup with the London Symphony Orchestra done after she became famous.

I truly believe had Judy Garland been able to be around to see this performance, she would have absolutely loved it and given her a standing ovation. That version is the only version outside of Garland’s that I can listen to.

Your cat really liked the ending there.

I miss her very much, every day.😢😢

This is a live performance recorded professionally for an album. She also sings jazz, blues, folk, and pop...all exceptionally well. Does this remind you so someone else???

That night was the single greatest musical performance in the history of mankind.

Angelina and Eva, my two favorite singers ever. Great choices! If you really want to have your mind blown check out the up and coming brother/sister duo of The Band Lawrence - 'Don't Lose Sight" acoustic version. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-C01nBm6vV5c.html

Please react to Eva Cassidy Blues in the Night, just stunning range. One of a kind lost to us way too soon.

My ears are too satisfied with Judy Garland, Judy sings like a butterfly, dipping up and down with the same wing flutter. Her Vibrato is so naturally calming.

Eva makes me cry.

Eva Cassidy -- Blues Alley Concert (55-plus minutes): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SgBTG_HOvMQ.html

thanks for that

RIP EVA!!! You should listen to danny boy made me cry the first time I heard it

A live performance yet you could hear a pin drop in that place. That says a lot.

The perfect example of " less is more"

@8:57 even the cat had to come see who was singing.