What people search:
 | Title : The Other Side
Author : Chuck Brown
Release Date : 19951212
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $17.98
Amazon.com Price : $13.49
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Editorial Reviews :
Only in America could an album like this have come together: Eva Cassidy, a young vocalist who, had she lived, might have gone on to become her generation's favorite song interpreter, trading verses with Chuck Brown, seasoned godfather of the D.C. underground funk movement known as go-go. By the time this was recorded in 1992, the go-go trend had long since peaked for Brown, while the twentysomething Cassidy was still an unknown local session vocalist. Yet, on this set of standards, the two collaborate as if they were picking up where they'd left off decades earlier, from easy-riding versions of 'Let the Good Times Roll' and 'Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You' to near-definitive renditions of 'Over the Rainbow' and 'Dark End of the Street.' And while it's easy to focus on the posthumously acclaimed Cassidy, Brown's haunting solo turn on 'You Don't Know What Love Is' suggests that unjustly overlooked talents are still making music in the shadows of our nation's capital.
Buyer Reviews :
Grabbing you from the first notes of 'Let the Good TimesRoll' and holding you until the last chord of the immortalrendition of 'Over the Rainbow' and then some, this CD showcases the incredible talent of Eva Cassidy. Chuck Brown proves to be a perfect foil to Eva's sultry, haunting, wailing, bluesy alto voice. His gravelly bass/baritone reminds me a bit of the great Johnny Hartman, but with more of an edge. They seem to be a perfect match on all their duets and obviously had great chemistry and synergy. Their musicianship is outstanding and the arrangements are first rate. 'Let the Good Times Roll' sets the stage for what is to come, swinging perfectly, both singers flexing their chops, getting your toes tapping right away with a terrfic horn arrangement in the background. One of several excellent duets, 'You Don't Know Me' is a tender, wistful ballad. Eva and Chuck trade verses and phrases, never coming together until the very end. 'I Could Have Told You So' gets back in a nicely grooved jazz big band setting. Eva shows that she can scat with the best of them- and my god, this is her first featured album! She sounds like she has been scatting with Ella Fitzgerald for decades. 'Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You' is a bluesy, 'last call' type of tune. It's easy to imagine the two singers sitting around the piano in an intimate little club, just tossing this one off effortlessly. One of the joys of listening to Eva is hearing tunes where she sings backup vocals as well as lead. 'Drown In My Own Tears' features Eva on backup vocals and here she sounds like a choir of angels floating on the clouds. There are several standards covered on this CD, including 'The Shadow of Your Smile', 'Fever', 'You've Changed', all which are done very well, but the two standouts are 'God Bless The Child' and 'Over The Rainbow'. WOW! Eva solos on both and these two alone are worth buying the CD for. Billie Holiday wrote, and up until now had sung the definitive version of, 'Child'. I love Billie Holiday's music, but she has given up her spot as premier interpreter of this song to Eva. She starts softly, gently; builds gradually, bending notes pefectly, singing the bluesiest notes at the right time, then shrieking, shouting, crying in agony as she bemoans the fate of the blessed child. A three minute master class in how to sing a bluesy ballad. The crowning masterpiece of this CD is 'Over The Rainbow'. I've discussed this tune in another review of Eva's music, but suffice it to say, musical perfection such as this comes along once or twice in a lifetime, if one is lucky. If Eva's music EVER gets heard by a wide enough audience, this will go down in history as THE definitive version of this song, and one of the great works of popular music ever recorded. So buy this CD and start spreading the word. It may be the best money you ever spent on music.
(by Chris Norbury)
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