Vocal Coach Reacts to Eva Cassidy "Time After Time" (Live) - Singing Analysis

[@magnusfovaeus4779]

Most individuals who respond to Eva's technique often overlook her exceptional guitar skills. From my perspective, she skillfully crafts the vocal phrases to harmoniously complement the chord progression, rather than the other way around. The truly remarkable aspect is the seamless synchronization between the guitar and vocals, creating a captivating ebb and flow of dynamics.

[@bradballenger6490]

If I found a genie in a bottle,one of my wishes would be to go back and watch this performance👏

[@AleksandraVocalCoach]

I hear you, Brad!

[@jeffstumpf9129]

My wish would’ve been that she hadn’t died so early so we still would be experiencing her beautiful musical genius.

[@hendrikkanavel8378]

I discovered Eva Cassidy many years ago. Often tears came to my eyes. Eva was born the year my wife and I were married and Eva died the year I retired from law enforcement. Much of her music recreates the love and emotion I have towards my wife but have always found difficult to express. We are old now and we happened this night to see the reaction videos that feature Eva. It has been a lovely evening. Listening and watching several musical experts comment on Eva's videos has affirmed everything I've experienced through her music. We are all blessed by her life.

[@timmathews8408]

Listening to Eva Cassidy I always get the feeling I'm sitting at the feet of a master. Nobody, NOBODY evokes emotions in me like she.

[@johnmerritt8448]

I love hearing a "reaction" video by someone who knows how to critique and also has a beautiful voice.

[@AleksandraVocalCoach]

Thank you for your kind words, John!

[@byzinski]

The singing voice I want to hear when I arrive at Heaven’s Gate > EVA CASSIDY 🙏🏾💗

[@jimmylee1776]

Aleksandra thanks for this video. You have a good voice & I hope u have produced some songs with your voice. Eva Cassidy’s voice is immortal. Every song she sang became her song, because she has a unique way of interpreting each song. RIP Eva. God bless you & keep you.

[@erinhafer228]

Eva was a perfect embodiment of Less Is More. She seemed to just inherently know when certain inflections were necessary, and her voice was so pure that she never needed what I call “vocal olympics”. I discovered her back around 1996 or so, and all these years later her voice still brings me to tears.

[@paulgardner6239]

Sometimes great singers don't know how great they are personally. I feel it almost a blessing record companies didn't get their hands on her and her band. She was stubborn yes, but to keep all those wonderful styles she could sing was pretty amazing rather than being stuck in a pidgeon hole. She is a truly amazing vocalist.

[@tom7471]

Wonderful analysis! Eva is my favorite singer of all, and I am not young. She seems to be a singer that singers agree on as a gold standard! Her guitar playing was superb and perfect for her voice. It was almost a duet happening before our eyes. The emotion given to us by her voice was beyond description...

[@furrycheetah]

She perform this song 10 months before she died of cancer 27 years ago.

[@theolamp5312]

Time after time, Eva turned pop songs into ballads (see Fields Of Gold). Arrangements are very underrated. Now almost all singers use Eva's arrangement of Over The Rainbow.

[@AleksandraVocalCoach]

You're right, Theo, her arrangements were simply brilliant. She never copied, she made these songs completely her own.

[@andrewmorton9327]

That’s why Eva didn’t sing covers, she remade other people’s songs in a way that always improved them.

[@777colin1]

I thought no one could match Cyndi Lauper singing 'Time After Time', until I heard Eva Cassidy sing it. She makes this song her own with sadness and despair. Cyndi would be so pleased and amazed to hear Eva sing this Reply

[@sandyk.]

With very few exceptions, I prefer Eva's version of songs over the original.

[@andrewmorton9327]

Singer, ‘How do you like my song?’ Eva, ‘Hold my beer!’

[@peterpereda154]

I subscribed once I saw how emotional you became just watching her performance. I saw the journey you were going on. Totally awesome!

[@joecurmaci5880]

It was beautiful just watching you watch her sing

[@AleksandraVocalCoach]

Thank you, Joe x

[@bassmaster1953]

I have listened to many reactions to Eva. It is satisfying to hear those who recognize what her intent evokes. The great voices turn vocal vibrations into communication that only emotion understands. You understand.

[@navrozelalkaka8457]

really wonderful to hear you & your reaction. As for her,I fully agree that there are no words

[@AleksandraVocalCoach]

Thank you, Navroze, happy you enjoyed it.

[@keithbird8910]

If angels sing in heaven - they sound like Eva Cassidy. Just wonderful.

[@etaoinbshrdlu]

A sensitive and insightful response. Enjoyed it!

[@AleksandraVocalCoach]

Thank you, I'm happy you liked it!

[@blastingweevil2968]

how can you sound this good playing live in a blues club with just a guitar for company.....

[@joekickass7521]

thank you for reacting to this song. her rendition of this absolutely soothes my soul. RIP Eva Cassidy, taken far too soon 💙💙💙

[@ninacobfeld6240]

Love your comments and obvious appreciation of Eva’s amazing voice. I want to be able to sing this song in her style but I’m starting to realise it’s going to be quite challenging but very worthwhile. Thank you

[@danielmclaughlin9385]

wonderfully insightful reaction Aleksandra. Please react to Eva singing live "Over the Rainbow' from the same live concert. She knew she was to die shortly afterwards. You can see the hopelessness in her eyes towards the end of the performance. So emotional.

[@RossM3838]

Eva didn’t want that video released because she had a cold and thought that her voice wasn’t up to it’s best. How it could get better is a mystery.

[@RossM3838]

Check out josienne Clarke. She is a disciple of sandy denny and to my ears really good. By the banks of the primroses is my favorite but there are many videos on KZbin.

[@RichDoes..]

Yes ...she deserves to be listened to no need to stop every 10 seconds..

[@nonyab1969]

don't understand your response?

[@ronaldsanfran]

I really like your close analysis of her musical choices. One of my favorite performances of hers is "You've Changed," where she does so many different things with her voice. ALL of her performances are rich in this respect, but if you ever want to revisit her I recommend that!

[@AleksandraVocalCoach]

Hey Ronald, thank you for your comment. I also love that performance!

[@karlvanboxel561]

The one and only EVA Cassidy an amazing talent taken way too soon Miss u Eva R.I.L 💕😎

[@WithMyOwnEars]

You are an amazing singer. I can hear that right away when you sing!

[@resr39]

You said nothing about her guitar. In addition to her wonderful voice, the coordination with her guitar at the same time is truly phenominal.

[@donstrasbaugh663]

Eva has no peers. She is it all alone at a level humans cannot achieve. Autumn Leaves from Live at Blues Alley is beyond belief.

[@AleksandraVocalCoach]

Hi Don, I'd agree, Eva was simply stunning. I do love her interpretation of 'Autumn Leaves' as well. Mesmerising.

[@musicalperson17]

Ella Fitzgerald is on that level, but that’s it

[@discoveryman59]

Artists like Eva Cassidy???? Who would that be exactly?

[@douglasheath411]

I agree with you that her ability reaches way beyond the norm. The tragedy is she is no longer with us. Thank God for blessing her with a gigantic talent and God bless you and others for reacting to her. I loved Cindy Lauper. But Eva is other Worldly. Cancer might have overcome her physical body, but her soul's ability will live on forever.

[@mikkibaker6907]

When a voice is good, it's good. Eva Cassidy didn't live long enough to gain the fame she deserved, but that doesn't make her musical interpretations any less timeless. I'll be listening to her until I'm no longer here, much like I do with Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, and the best of them all, Billie Holliday. Timeless.

[@todradmaker4297]

Wow, you are quite the singer as well. Thank you, I really enjoyed this.

[@donlawson3330]

She had a cold when this was recorded. Imagine her at her best!

[@AleksandraVocalCoach]

This cannot be true! This is true perfection despite of it. This is how you recognise a professional:)

[@johncavanaugh2517]

She also found out the day of this performance that she had untreatable cancer.

[@saltrockshakers4205]

@@johncavanaugh2517 Hey John, sorry for the correction, but this was recorded Jan 3rd, 1996. She found out the seriousness of her hip pains in August of 1996 at Johns Hopkins by way of "numerous tests and X-rays." She was diagnosed with cancer in her bone and lungs and told "if she didn't take action, she only had four months to live." It wasn't until that visit that her doctor linked it to a malignant melanoma removed from her back three years prior. (Pg. 106, "Behind the Rainbow") None the less, profound news no matter when it's received.

[@ronaldsanfran]

@@AleksandraVocalCoach Yes it's true - she in fact didn't want to release the live recording because she didn't like how it affected her voice. She spent a whole lot of personal cash to get the recording equipment to record her those 2 nights at Blues Alley. The recording from the first night was ruined (don't remember how, some technical problem), and so this was it. She was a perfectionist!

[@Drewg351]

@@ronaldsanfran the first night was the planned recording and the band felt they played great and were very satisfied with their performance. That is until they listened to the taped recordings. Their was a "hum or buzz" throughout the recording caused by electrical interference from the lighting. They were devasted. The second night was supposed to be a more relaxed night, let it all hang out, not worry about maybe screwing something up slightly, but they had to do it all over again.

[@jimfryer1]

I very much enjoyed your analysis, Aleksandra, thank you. You taught me a lot, and your singing is lovely! I am a musician who has been listening to Eva's recordings for over 20 years, so with your indulgence, I shall add a few notes here. It is always good to remember that Eva was a very fine guitarist who accompanied her vocal arrangements perfectly. Her microphone technique is excellent, you can see her working the direction and distance to the mic very deliberately. It is important to listen to the original recordings for all of her "covers". Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time was a huge hit, and the original is quite beautiful, but VERY different from the way Eva performs it. (There is also a Cyndi Lauper video of of the song from that MTV era.) Eva quite often alters lyrics, which can be a bit controversial: how much should should a re-interpretation actually change the lyric? In this case, she "reverses" a critical line from the original. At 8:12 of your video, she sings: "I'm wondering if you're OK"; the original line is: "You're wondering if I'm OK". This change significantly alters the meaning of the song in a very deep way. My last comment would be about the difference between her live performances (such as this one from the famous Blues Alley gig of January 1996; there are other live Eva recordings) and her studio work. She had complete control of her studio arrangements, including arranging and singing her vocal backings. Eva was a great studio musician as well. Pardon me for going on a bit, I have listened to her recordings so many times and never tire of them. Please keep up your good work!

[@cyclops153]

My favorite of hers is Night Bird

[@saltrockshakers4205]

Nice critique, Aleksandra!!! Great points! I also sneaked a listen to "She Used To Be Mine" on your website. WOW!!! You have a beautiful voice!!! Many of the attributes I speak of below are in your voice!!! Till the end of time, awestruck singers, musicians and music lovers all over the world will continue to study Eva Cassidy's natural singing abilities only to find them unfathomable. I am one of those awestruck musicians obsessed with Eva's sound, and like most Eva fans, I am continually astonished that she almost effortlessly blends her normal singing voice with her soft, whispering voice, falsetto voice and vocal crescendos throughout many of her songs. It's other-worldly. Another thing I find so mesmerizing is her natural ability to harmonize. In her bio book "Behind the Rainbow," it was said when Eva was very young, the family sang barbershop style harmonies together, and whenever a song came on the radio, Eva would always sing a second part harmony. And Daddy Hugh would callout when to change to next level harmonies. She just naturally gravitated to the harmony. Recording studio owner, Chris Biondo said it was amazing how fast Eva could add four part harmony to her songs. Each track was usually performed in one take. To me, all of those attributes, plus her vocal range and guitar skills make Eva Cassidy the greatest singer/musician I've ever heard, and I've only scratched the surface of her musical talents.

[@AleksandraVocalCoach]

Hi there, thank you so much for taking time to write this insightful comment. I thoroughly agree with your points about Eva. She was simply wonderful. Thank you for your nice words about my singing as well. Appreciated! I hope you will stay here for a bit longer :)

[@mikkibaker6907]

I wish you'd go deeper into Eva Cassidy's songbook and let us know what you think of Eva's Jazz arrangements. Those were always my favorites. Had she focused on her impressive Jazz talent she would have gotten a recording contract with Blue Note Records. But Eva was stubborn -- she would not change from her multi-genre approach. After she was gone the president of Blue Note admitted he had made a big mistake.

[@CBHS1962]

FANTASTIC REVIEW OF EVA. Suggestion Sarah Vaughan singing APRIL IN PARIS with Clifford Brown on Trumpet 1954 Voice only but incredible quality recording,. MARIA Sarah V 1964 black and White film on KZbin. Al Bowlly on film and on KZbin mid 1930s singing THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU with great accompanist on piano.

[@navrozelalkaka8457]

you can actually touch her voice

[@inkoinfinity2]

Nice Bowie pic

[@grantritchey7509]

you are in that bunch of 'explainers', 'describers', of what, those of us who have heard Eva sing, already know. She sings to us, from her heart. No one before or after, has ever had the impact on me. You may be talking to inspiriting singers. I apologize, if I've stumbled into your world of instruction. I have heard this angel sing for 20 plus years. She's one of a kind. She'll sing at my funeral.

[@carmenmarryshow3164]

Sounds and waives that only you make by ear and voice

[@stevebradbury1914]

Eva is the GOAT, followed very closely by Ms. Hayley Reinhart IMO.

[@RichDoes..]

finally at 5 minutes you get it...

[@RichDoes..]

sorry can't stay here, wish you well.

[@suzannejane1035]

I doubt she prepared anything xxxx but thanks

[@jeffreyjacobs390]

I would suggest you do two things ..... HEAR with listener engagement ..... the other thing is do not sing what EVA Cassidy just did as if you are replicating the Lyric line in examination .... you simply have not the vocal gift for that. Please know that your knowledge is appreciated .... just needs a little respectful reaction ! GBjj