A new Eva Cassidy album: Walkin’ After Midnight

A new Eva Cassidy album, Walkin’ After Midnight, will be released on September 6th. The album has twelve previously-unreleased tracks, which were recorded at the Maryland Inn’s King of France Tavern in Annapolis in 1995. Alternative renditions of most of these songs have appeared on previous albums, but these new ones have a different western swing sound. Eva is joined by her regular lead guitarist and bassist Keith Grimes and Chris Biondo and guest fiddler Bruno Nasta.

The title song is ‘Walkin’ After Midnight’. Vocals: Eva Cassidy, lead guitar: Keith Grimes, bass guitar: Chris Biondo, violin: Bruno Nasta. Other songs on the album are among others ‘Blue Skies’ and ‘Down Home Blues’.

King of France Tavern

Bass player Chris Biondo made the recordings on a DAT recorder. In these Maryland Inn-sessions Eva sang more freely than on other live-recordings, probably because she didn’t have to sing over the drums (the space was too small for a drum kit). A good example of ‘less is more’. Striking is the role of the groovy playing Biondo who gives Eva’s voice an extra push into the direction of real swing style. During this concert Chris Biondo also made the recordings of ‘Time After Time’ that ended up on the album of the same name in 2002.

Maryland Inn, Annapolis

Eva loved the small, homely and intimate Maryland Inn. It was built in 1772 on Drummer’s Lot where the town drummer would cry the daily news. The rules of the old inn are still prominently displayed, ‘No thieves, fakirs, rogues or tinkers. No skulking loafers or flea-bitten tramps. No slap an’ tickle o’ the wenches. No banging o’ tankards on the tables. No dogs allowed in the kitchen, no cockfighting. Flintlocks, cudgels, daggers and swords to be handed to the innkeeper for safe-keeping. Bed for the night one shilling. Stabling for the horse four pence.’ Eva liked to play here because the audience really listened to her music.

‘Down Home Blues’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhF4Vjui4sg