The Other Side Music

The Other Side and other best sellers. Great prices on The Other Side and other best selling Popular Music. To find additional Popular Music browse the Music categories, or use the search box at the top of this page.

by: Chuck Brown, Eva Cassidy

See Larger Image


Customer Reviews
Average Rating: Rating: - Buy all her others... I bought this CD solely because of Eva Cassidy's incredible voice. If that's your prime reason for seeking out this CD, I would suggest buying any (or all) of her other CD's first. There is just too much of Chuck Brown (my apologies to his fans, but his is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it kind of voice), and a few too many mediocre band tracks for even Eva's flawless singing to save. If you're a Chuck Brown fan, an Eva collector, or just a Blues nut, then this is a must have. However, if you're like me, and you just want to hear Eva sing, then buy all her other albums first. You might wind up just a bit disappointed with this one. Rating: - Fabulous, stylish duets by two legends of Washington, DC This was Eva Cassidy's first CD, and her collaboration with Chuck Brown was an artistic leap for both of them. Cassidy had been singing backup for other artists and Brown was known locally as the "Godfather of Go-Go" for his particular brand of danceable soul. They came together on this album of jazz standards, which would be an asset to any record collection. Brown said in an interview (I think it was with the Washington Post) that he was thinking about the classic combination of Louis Armstrong and Peggy Lee, with the raspy-voiced, worldly man and the sweet-voiced, soulful woman into the perfect duo. This is the CD to put on when you've spread the bearskin rug in front of the crackling fire, and poured the wine. (Although for this particular purpose you might skip past the rollicking opening number, "Let the Good Times Roll.") Some of the best romantic duets on "The Other Side" are "You've Changed," "Drown in My Own Tears," and "You Don't Know Me." Cassidy's fans will not want to miss her solo "God Bless the Child" which is simply mesmerizing, and if you haven't heard her famous "Over the Rainbow" (which is also found on the CD "Songbird") you're in for a treat. Brown recently released a solo jazz CD called "Timeless," which he dedicated to Cassidy's memory. Rating: - An Incredible Debut Album Grabbing you from the first notes of "Let the Good TimesRoll" and holding you until the last chord of the immortalrendition of "Over the Rainbow" and then some, this CD showcases the incredible talent of Eva Cassidy. Chuck Brown proves to be a perfect foil to Eva's sultry, haunting, wailing, bluesy alto voice. His gravelly bass/baritone reminds me a bit of the great Johnny Hartman, but with more of an edge. They seem to be a perfect match on all their duets and obviously had great chemistry and synergy. Their musicianship is outstanding and the arrangements are first rate. "Let the Good Times Roll" sets the stage for what is to come, swinging perfectly, both singers flexing their chops, getting your toes tapping right away with a terrfic horn arrangement in the background. One of several excellent duets, "You Don't Know Me" is a tender, wistful ballad. Eva and Chuck trade verses and phrases, never coming together until the very end. "I Could Have Told You So" gets back in a nicely grooved jazz big band setting. Eva shows that she can scat with the best of them- and my god, this is her first featured album! She sounds like she has been scatting with Ella Fitzgerald for decades. "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You" is a bluesy, "last call" type of tune. It's easy to imagine the two singers sitting around the piano in an intimate little club, just tossing this one off effortlessly. One of the joys of listening to Eva is hearing tunes where she sings backup vocals as well as lead. "Drown In My Own Tears" features Eva on backup vocals and here she sounds like a choir of angels floating on the clouds. There are several standards covered on this CD, including "The Shadow of Your Smile", "Fever", "You've Changed", all which are done very well, but the two standouts are "God Bless The Child" and "Over The Rainbow". WOW! Eva solos on both and these two alone are worth buying the CD for. Billie Holiday wrote, and up until now had sung the definitive version of, "Child". I love Billie Holiday's music, but she has given up her spot as premier interpreter of this song to Eva. She starts softly, gently; builds gradually, bending notes pefectly, singing the bluesiest notes at the right time, then shrieking, shouting, crying in agony as she bemoans the fate of the blessed child. A three minute master class in how to sing a bluesy ballad. The crowning masterpiece of this CD is "Over The Rainbow". I've discussed this tune in another review of Eva's music, but suffice it to say, musical perfection such as this comes along once or twice in a lifetime, if one is lucky. If Eva's music EVER gets heard by a wide enough audience, this will go down in history as THE definitive version of this song, and one of the great works of popular music ever recorded. So buy this CD and start spreading the word. It may be the best money you ever spent on music.

The Other Side Music

Related Music Searches