Imagine

'Imagine' (featuring all previously unreleased tracks) is the first Eva Cassidy album released since 'Songbird's worldwide success. 'Songbird' is certified Gold in the U.S., was No.1 on both Billboard's Catalog Album Chart & Internet Chart in 2001, & was a No. 1 pop album & certified triple platinum in the U.K. In addition to Eva's starkly moving tribute to John Lennon's 'Imagine', Eva Cassidy re-interprets 'It Doesn't Matter Anymore' - distinctly different from the Buddy Holly & Linda Ronstadt versions. Ryko. 2002.

For anyone who suspects that record companies will soon be releasing Eva Cassidy's voice mail messages, it's extraordinarily pleasing to note that Imagine is more than just a bottom-of-the-barrel-scraping exercise. All of these tracks are previously unreleased and most are live recordings, but listeners who already own Live at Blues Alley know just how refreshing Cassidy's live performances were. Check out her take on Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" to feel a shiver of delight at another effortlessly ideal cover, or listen to her laid-back "You've Changed" from the Blues Alley sessions to experience more of her soulful jazz. Elsewhere, the solo acoustic reading of Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" shows off her guitar skills, and if "Imagine" doesn't ever scale the heights of Songbird's "Over the Rainbow" it still demonstrates how she always had something new and uniquely compelling to say when performing a familiar standard. Studio recordings "Still Not Ready" and "I Can Only Be Me" are, oddly perhaps, the least successful cuts. Happily, the album concludes with another lovely solo standard, "Danny Boy." The recording quality varies noticeably from track to track, and there are a few awkward fade-outs--presumably to remove audience noise--but still the sparkling music comes across quite vividly. Imagine may not be the best way to discover Eva Cassidy for the first time, but established fans will warmly welcome this new collection. --Mark Walker