Featured Album: Nightbird - Eva Cassidy

Nightbird is an album by Eva Cassidy. Released in November 2015, the album was originally a 2-disc CD, plus a DVD, of her live performance at Blues Alley in Washington D.C. in January 1996. It was the last album Cassidy recorded before her death in November of that year.

Nineteen of the songs on Nightbird were included on Cassidy's self-published album, Live at Blues Alley (1996). Twelve had never been released.

If you don't know who Eva Cassidy is, she's amazing. Angelic and soothing, her voice can mesmerize you. We can't feature all 31 songs from Nightbird, but we can pluck out seven of our favorite in honor of this great talent and incredible entertainer. Ladies and gentleman, Eva Cassidy.

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SONG OF THE monDAY

Ain't Doin Too Bad was originally released by the Sinatra of the Blues, Bobby Bland in 1964. Eva Cassidy's cover is the second track on Nightbird (2015).

SONG OF THE tuesDAY

Ain’t No Sunshine was written by Bill Withers and was released from his 1971 album, Just As I Am. A break-through hit for Withers, it peaked at No. 3 on Billboard Hot 100. Eva Cassidy's sultry cover is the third track on Nightbird (2015).

SONG OF THE wednesDAY

Blue Skies was written by Irving Berlin in 1926 for the musical, Betsy, and first performed by Belle Baker. It was one of the first songs featured in a talkie when Al Jolson performed it in The Jazz Singer (1927). Eva Cassidy's cover is the first track on Nightbird (2015).

SONG OF THE thursDAY

Nightbird was originally recorded in 1996 at Blues Alley in DC and first released on the album, Live at Blues Alley (1996). Eva Cassidy died of melanoma in 1996 before the world knew who she was. Nightbird was re-released posthumously on her album Nightbird (2015).

SONG OF THE friDAY

Written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell (under the pseudonym John Davenport), Fever was originally recorded by Little Willie John and released in 1956. Peggy Lee’s 1958 version is the most-popular. It was nominated for three awards at the first ever Grammy Awards in 1959. Eva Cassidy’s version is the eleventh track on Nightbird (2015).

SONG OF THE saturDAY

Written in 1945 and released in 1946, Autumn Leaves (Le feuilles mortes) is a French song. Composed by Joseph Kosma, with lyrics by Jacques Prévert, Johnny Mercer translated it to English. Tons of artists have covered it. Eva Cassidy included her version on the 1996 album, Live at Blues Alley. The song’s the twelfth track on Nightbird (2015).

SONG OF THE sunDAY

Fields of Gold was written and recorded by Sting and first appeared on his album, Ten Summoner’s Tales (1983). Eva Cassidy’s cover appears on several of her albums. It charted in Sweden, the Netherlands, and hit No. 1 in Poland. It’s the fourth track on Nightbird (2015).

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