I Can Only Be Me

Product Information

Eva Cassidy’s original vocal parts have been isolated and accompanied by new arrangements written by Christopher Willis (Schmigadoon! When singer Eva Cassidy wandered into producer Chris Biondo's studio in Glenn Dale, Maryland to make extra money by singing on a band’s demo, she began an unprecedented journey that would lead to more than 12 million albums sold worldwide, largely posthumously.

Lukes, the 18th century former Anglican London church that currently serves as the London Symphony Orchestra's home, conducted by Chris Egan. 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.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. 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. For an artist like Cassidy, who was well known for being introverted and quiet, the collaboration with one of the world’s leading orchestras seems almost antithetical to what she stood for as an artist. There has also been continuing use of her arrangements and recordings on television talent shows such as The X Factor, The Voice, Masked Singer, American Idol, America’s Got Talent and Dancing With The Stars.

The release of the “Songbird” track coincided with the song’s debut airing on BBC Radio2 in England. Unable to secure a record deal that didn't compromise her penchant for wide-ranging material, she cashed in a small pension to pay for the recording of her first album, LIVE AT BLUES ALLEY, in 1996. But as I went deeper into Eva’s life story and catalogue, I came to understand the extent to which she herself had experimented in the studio and had been looking for new ways to record her songs. Where previous posthumous releases for the American artist, like 1997’s Eva By Heart and 2000’s No Boundaries showcased the raw talent and emotional depth of Cassidy, highlighting her one-of-a-kind voice with a purity and clarity that was both angelic and soulful, 2023’s release with The London Symphony Orchestra provides a previously unheard side of Eva’s work.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. The album’s title track is a radical reworking of a little-known Stevie Wonder penned song, Eva Cassidy’s musical idol.