Eva Cassidy's story is a sad one, certainly, but the bittersweet happy ending to it all is that her singing, music, and recordings continue to live on and gather fans and admirers even after her early death from melanoma cancer in 1996 at the age of 33. Cassidy was never really known outside of the Washington D.C. area during her lifetime, and her recorded legacy consists of a live album, assorted other live tracks, an album of duets, and a handful of demos. She was a masterful song interpreter, able to take on almost any song in any style or genre and spin her voice around it, giving it a kind of haunting and sincere freshness. This set makes a great introduction to Cassidy's style and substance, collecting her key and signature performances from all of the above sources. ~ Steve Leggett