You're right about one thing, Mark; the focus should definitely be on her interpretation and not her playing. If I had to grade on each, it would be playing - B, Interpretation - D-. Sadly, I agree with the last guy that posted. First, the song itself is 'fluff'. One good test of a (pop) song is whether any TOP jazz players will touch it. If little to none (as with this song), that means it was created from the ground up for the great unwashed - hence, the majority of posters who liked it. The song's chord structure lends itself to a lot of 'fluff' playing so there are probably lots of overblown interpretations of it out there. It's a great vehicle for showing off one's digital dexterity or technical virtuosity but not necessarily their 'feelings'.

I know this seems more like a critique of the song than of her performance, but with a song as popular as this one, it's hard not to point out it's role in this. JMO. BTW, I love these kinds of posts as they shine a light on how we evaluate, respond to, and ultimately how we PLAY music.

Forgot to mention 'til I read Bill's post above; Eva Cassidy was maybe one of the best ever at what she did---which is, touch the soul.

chas