Personnel: Eva Cassidy (vocals, acoustic guitar); Keith Grimes (electric guitar); Marcy Marxer (guitar, bouzouki, whistle); Lenny Williams (piano, organ); Chris Biondo (bass); Raice McLeod (drums).

Recorded between 1989 & 1995. Includes liner notes by Martin Jennings.

After seven posthumously released and well-received records, the tragic story of Eva Cassidy has passed into the realm of cult legend. The notoriously shy D.C.-area performer with the most powerfully gentle voice could render any song, no matter how well-known, no matter how frequently turned to by other singers, into her own. In fact, this eighth release, AMERICAN TUNE, contains a reworking of perhaps the most covered song of all time, the Lennon-McCartney ballad "Yesterday," and despite thousands of versions, she discovered a new interpretation hidden within the folds of the familiar.

At this point, it's practically impossible to disassociate "God Bless The Child" from Billie Holiday's original, and many have added their own takes, but Cassidy's voice earnestly and artfully rolls over the tune and a new angle emerges. Most remarkable about AMERICAN TUNE is despite the diversity of the sources, her voice forges a discernable, undeniable thread between songs; Cassidy is as comfortable with soul as traditional folk, pop as jazz, and her irreplaceable voice could wrap around just about any song. Usually, by this point, the well of a talent that passed so young would have long been tapped, but Cassidy proves so strong that her music seems inexhaustable, and AMERICAN TUNE rises far above pastiche into a stunning, consistent album of its own.

Entertainment Weekly (8/15/03, p.77) - "With a honeyed voice and not a drop of guile, Cassidy crafted singularly familiar songs....her gifts carry on..." - Rating: B+