Eva
Cassidy

von Gerhard Rinderle am 01.10.2023 - 13:50 Uhr | melden

In the 90’s Mick Fleetwood had a club in Alexandria called Fleetwood’s. Alexandria is near Washington DC which was the area where Eva Cassidy lived: ‘When I went there I wanted to know what the sensibilities were with the local talents. So I set about meeting and hearing local musicians and she was one of them. I am always driven by passion and that’s about it. I don’t have a judgement call on technique or anything. It’s all about: Am I moved? Is this sweet? Does this got drama to it? When Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac it was like: that’s it, let’s go! And that’s how I first met with that feeling about Eva; her voice was her ultimate tool of magic, but she was like a perfect band member, really. Emotionally she reminded me of playing with Peter Green.

I remember talking with her and I was aware of this person was just as pure as snow. Crystals. Just totally. But sort of stubborn: she was trying to get a record deal. Trying to be noticed. She was looking for someone who understood her. Except that there was no one out there who understood her. I said: ‘Why don’t you go and play the game?’ So off she went to get together with record company Blue Note in New York. They loved her music apparently. And they saw her potential. But it was THEIR potential it wasn’t HER vision. So she came back from one of these trips. And I remember saying: ‘How did it go?’ And she answered: ‘Well, nothing happened. I basically all but walked out and said: ‘I’m not going to do that, I’m not interested.’’ They wanted to take the essence of Eva and make it more accessible, but to her it was: ‘What about ME? What about IT? The essence of ME?’

I never brought it up again. Because I realised it was off limits. The very thing that they wanted to change became the uniqueness of her forever success and regard from all corners of the earth. Her persona; that was all about her music. She was a gorgeous girl that had no interest in fluffing up. She just wanted to sing. You don’t have to be brilliant. But she WAS brilliant and she had that childlike, lovely thing that was just … the magic! I call that: IT. So I look at her as an interpreter of songs and she had so much power and conviction about herself, that she could do that. I mean some of the songs that she sang were so public domain; Why do you want to do that song? It has been done by everyone! ‘Well, because it’s a great song. And I can sing it.’ She was fearless. She wouldn’t play the game. She didn’t choose a song to satisfy someone else; if it didn’t feel right, she wouldn’t do it. In terms of Eva and how she is perceived, received and loved through her music: I am certainly not surprised, but I know when these moments were really really real. That was when I realised: something is happening now!’

Quelle : https://www.evacassidyfanclub.nl/blog/2015/08/mick-fleetwood-about-eva-cassidy/