Eva Cassidy, born February 2nd 1963, 60 years ago today
"Tall Trees in Georgia" is one of Eva's most haunting performances. In the original live recording, the only accompaniment is Eva herself playing the guitar, lightly brushing the strings in a continuous tremolo. For the orchestral version, strings replace the guitar, and the overlapping sustains and tremolos become a texture of forest murmurs. To complete this picture, in between Eva's verses I imagined two birds, represented by two high penny whistles up above the strings. While the narrator looks back on her life and laments the fact that "the sweetest love I ever had I left aside", the whistles/birds are heard calling to each other in the distance.
- Arranger Christopher Willis
evacassidy.lnk.to/TallTreesInGeorgia
