One Month Music Discoveries

If "No Boundaries" is the name of the latest thing released and wasnt produced by Chris Biondo, my understanding is (1) it's absolutely horrible, and (2) Eva's family didnt want it to be produced and would appreciate it if you didnt buy it.

There are four cds to buy (well, actually 5 if you really want to). "Songbird" is a compilation from the other 4. Songbird has also gone platinum in the UK and was recently on the top of the charts there. Iin additio to "Live at Blues Alley," "Eva By Heart," "Time After Time," and "The Other Side" - with Chuck Brown are the ones to buy.

Craig - if you dont have "The Other Side" get it.

Hi Paul; thanks for the additional info. on Eva Cassidy's music. Craig

Eva Cassidy's No Boundaries is a classic case of a producer with his idea of how an artist should sound & as a result that " magic spark" that is unique to that artist is subverted. Paulwp you are correct in guessing that the album is terrible; caveat emptor.

Craig, and anyone else who might be interested in women singers (non-operatic), I have previously mentioned the best ever, Barbara Keith, and Delores Keane, who Maura O'Connell calls the Queen of all the Irish women singers.

I was introduced to Barbara Keith by Skip Weshner, who had a radio show in the early-mid 70's. Skip always said Ms. Keith had made the best album by a "distaff singer" in the last 10 years (eponymous on Verve and unavailable), then, Skip said, she made an even better album (eponymous on Warner and available as a Japanese cd through Amazon). If you buy the cd, and you can, try reversing phase. Mine sounds better that way.

Ms. Keith is a songwriter. All but one of the songs on the second album were hers and several have been covered by others. Sort of folk-rock. Now, some 25 years later Ms. Keith and her husband and stepson have a 3 person rock band called Stone Coyotes. Their first album, called Changing of the Guard is a killer. Their second album is also great. This is no folkie music. Its grown up rock and roll. (And I though rock and roll had reached its zenith with Cesar Rosas's "I Walk Alone" (Los Lobos, The Neighborhood).) The Stone Coyotes have a new album out in the next few days. They also have a website where you can get more info and order cds.

Now Delores Keane is not a songwriter. She is an Irish institution. She's recorded a lot of Irish folk songs (not my cup of tea) but also some popular music. Several of her cds are available through Amazon, including a "Best Of" disc that's probably a good start. I first heard of her at a Maura O'Connell concert (very small venue where I could talk to Maura after the show) where Maura was selling cds of "A Woman's Heart," a collection of songs by Irish women.

garfish: my "5 cd's of eva cassidy" did not include "no boundaries" but did include "songbird." the latter is the 1st of eva's discs i purchased and is, indeed, a compilation. i find it an easy way to transport test tracks on a single disc. i agree with others that her best cd is "live from blues alley."

BTW, another recommended disc of my last month's acquisitions: eliza gilkyson, "hard times in babylon." some more good self-penned stuff. (in case you couldn't tell, i've a preference for singer/songwriters.) -kelly