The Best of Eva Cassidy: Piano/Vocal/Guitar Book

This collection gathers Cassidy's most essential recordings in one accessible package, making it straightforward to build programming around her artistry. The 18 songs span blues, jazz, folk, and pop standards, giving students and performers genuine interpretive choices rather than rote arrangements. Her father's introduction adds personal dimension that contextualizes her music for audiences unfamiliar with her story.

Intimate and unhurried. These arrangements prioritize space and emotional clarity over complexity, creating the sense of a late-night performance where the singer and listener are the only people in the room. The collection moves fluidly between melancholy blues, gentle folk interpretations, and jazz standards, maintaining a contemplative mood throughout.

Singers developing interpretive maturity will find a goldmine of material that rewards close study. Pianists and guitarists working with vocalists can use this book to accompany performers at multiple levels, from beginners exploring these songs for the first time to advanced singers making them their own.

• Study the original recordings before beginning any arrangement. Cassidy's phrasing often sits behind the beat or ahead of it in ways that won't appear in notation; listening first prevents mechanical execution.
• Treat the harmony as a suggestion, not a cage. Many of these standards appear in multiple keys and voicings across the book; experiment with transposition and reharmonization to match your voice.
• Let silence do work. Cassidy's power comes from what she leaves out. Resist the urge to fill every space, especially in the ballads.
• Balance the vocal line with transparent accompaniment. The piano and guitar parts work best when they support rather than compete with the singer's phrasing.

Program a vocal recital or jazz ensemble set built entirely from this collection, letting the varied material showcase different sides of the same interpretive sensibility. For jazz combos, the standards work beautifully as a vehicle for improvisation while still honoring Cassidy's approach. Choir directors might extract arrangements for concert programming or use individual songs as models for student interpretation projects.

• Phrase shaping and breath placement in popular song contexts
• Harmonic reharmonization and transposition for voice accommodation
• Stylistic flexibility across blues, jazz, folk, and pop idioms
• Collaborative listening between vocalist and accompanist
• Interpretive restraint and prioritizing emotional communication over technical display