Della Reese remains a powerful, dynamic singer and performer. At age 80 “and a few days,” she told a rapt audience the story of her life in words and song — emanating warmth and love and grace and grandeur. Her voice is still full and rich, and the enunciation that’s been a part of her “sound” for a career spanning more than 60 years is still there, in all its glory.

She made her way to the stage in an electric scooter, then walked to center stage to sing “I Want to Sing for You,” which set her agenda for the evening:  “I want to reach way down inside you/And touch you to your soul.”

And that’s what she did, for more than 90 minutes, seated in a large chair surrounded by sumptuous flowers — utterly regal in her bearing, with a self-deprecating sense of humor and an abiding acceptance of everything life has sent her way.

Reese sang only snippets of two of her biggest hits — “And That Reminds Me”  (adapted from Camillo Bargoni’s “Autumn Concerto,” with English lyrics by Al Stillman and Paul Siegel) and “Don’t You Know” (adapted from Puccini’s La Bohème, with English lyrics by Bobby Worth).  However, she sang full-out versions of several other songs as she spun the story of her life.

One early highlight was “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” (Civilla Martin/Charles Gabriel) — a throwback to her early days singing with Mahalia Jackson that linked up with her current role as pastor at the Understanding Principles for Better Living (UP) Church in Los Angeles — with Reese starting the song slowly before picking up the tempo to swing it a bit.

She got down and funky with “It’s Still Called the Blues,” which had the audience swaying to the beat, with strong support from Bill Pittman on electric bass, Tom Sala on drums and T.C. Campbell on piano. She sang a powerful “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Paul Simon), with several of her own lyrics inserted, to reflect on the death of her adult daughter in 2002, and a gospel-tinged version of “This Man I Love With,” which Reese wrote to reflect on her love for her husband of more than 30 years, Franklin Lett.

To illustrate what she’s learned about life, Reese sang a medley comprised of  You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You” (Russ Morgan, Larry Stock, James Cavanaugh) and “Make Someone Happy” (Jule Styne/Comden and Green).

Along the way, she also sang: “Someday” (You’re Gonna Want Me)” (Jimmie Hodges), one of her hit songs, marred by a slight hoarseness in her voice; “Walk with You” (Marc Lichtman/Martha Williamson) the theme song from the TV series Touched by an Angel: followed by her own self-penned song, “Touched by an Angel,” which she wrote with pianist Campbell.

She closed with the hymn, “God Is So Wonderful to Me.”

The audience was clearly hers from beginning to end and grateful for how wonderful she had been to them.

Elliot Zwiebach
Cabaret Scenes
July 14, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org