Eva Cassidy Gets “JAZZED” in New 10-Song Collection from Blix Street Records

Eva Cassidy could seemingly sing anything. Her repertoire spanned pop, R&B, blues, country, and the Great American Songbook. That range made her difficult to categorize—and, perhaps, harder to market to a mass audience during her lifetime. Since her death at 33, Cassidy has become celebrated not only for her ethereal voice but also for transforming familiar songs into distinctly personal performances. Blix Street Records, which has shaped her limited archive into more than a dozen posthumous compilations, now highlights her gift for jazz on a new collection titled JAZZED.

Using modern technology, the album pairs Cassidy’s vocals with new jazz arrangements and remixed versions of her original accompaniments. The 10-song collection offers a bittersweet glimpse of the musical directions she might have pursued. JAZZED arrives in stores November 13.

Cassidy’s interpretive gifts shine throughout JAZZED. The album opens with a lively take on Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” delivered with Ella Fitzgerald-like verve. Next is Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies,” a duet with 23-year-old Max Cooper III, a runner-up on Season 28 of NBC’s The Voice. Both tracks feature new arrangements by award-winning composer and arranger Christopher Willis (Veep, Schmigadoon!, The Death of Stalin, The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse).

Willis also provides new arrangements for Etta James’ classic “At Last” and Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek,” drawing on the vibrant orchestral traditions of Nelson Riddle and Billy May. For “You’ve Changed” and Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” he channels the emotional depth of Gordon Jenkins in performances by the London Symphony Orchestra. The collection also includes “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess, “Honeysuckle Rose,” Harold Arlen’s “Blues in the Night,” and “Still Not Ready.”

Cassidy’s crystalline voice remains at the center of the album. Audio-restoration technology separates the vocals and instruments from the original mono recordings—many captured live—revealing new clarity and depth in her performances.

Track Listing

1. It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)

2. Blue Skies (duet with Max Cooper III)

3. Summertime

4. At Last

5. Honeysuckle Rose

6. Blues in the Night

7. Still Not Ready

8. You’ve Changed

9. Cheek to Cheek

10. Ain’t No Sunshine