Della Reese - And That Reminds Me/A Date With Della Reese

A Voice Truly "Touched By An Angel"

There are a couple of surprising things about Della Reese. First, for someone blessed with such an elegant voice she had a puzzling low total of Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit singles during her heyday from 1957 to 1961 [just three]. Second, only two of those made the R&B charts. Third, it is impossible to find a compilation that offers up the ten hit singles she put into the Hot 100.

This one from Collectables, for example, gives us just one, the vocal version of the Italian instrumental Autumn Concerto entitled And That Reminds Me, which also happened to be her first hit, going to # 12 in October 1957 for the Jubilee label with vocal backing by The Honey Dreamers and Billy Rock & His Orchestra. The flipside, I Cried For You, is not included.

Born Dellareese Patricia Early in 1931, she started out with the great Mahalia Jackson troupe singing gospel from 1945 to 1949. Later she moved to the Clara Ward Singers, and then on to Erskine Hawkins and his band in the early 1950s.

The gospel quality is clearly evident in this and the other CDs available for Della. I just wish someone would release the definitive hits collection to include: Sermonette [# 99 Hot 100 in January 1959 b/w Dreams End At Dawn, again backed by Billy Rock]; Don't You Know, her later 1959 smash after moving over to RCA Victor which, based on Musseta's Waltz from the Puccini opera La Boheme, reached # 1 R&B and # 2 Hot 100 that fall b/w Soldier, Won't You Marry Me? with the backing of Glenn Osser & His Orchestra.

In January 1960 she teamed with Osser again for Not One Minute More which reached # 13 R&B/# 16 Hot 100 b/w You're My Love, followed in March by Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You) with Neal Hefti & His Orchestra. With the flip Faraway Boy it peaked at # 56 Hot 100. In September she and Osser had a # 69 Hot 100 with And Now [b/w There's Nothin' Like A Boy], and early in 1961 the same team took The Most Beautiful Words to # 67 Hot 100 b/w You Mean All The World To Me.

Later that year she teamed with Mercer Ellington [Duke's son] on the old standard Won'cha Come Home, Bill Bailey, taking it to # 98 Hot 100 b/w The Touch Of Your Lips. There then followed a long drought before After Loving You peaked at # 21 on the Adult Contemporary charts and # 95 Hot 100 in July 1965 with Peter DeAngelis & His Orchestra b/w How Do You Keep From Cryin'?

Her final charter came in September 1966 when her version of the song introduced by The Kingston Trio in 1961 on their LP Goin' Places - It Was A Very Good Year [the Sinatra 1966 hit] could only manage a # 99 Hot 100 with the backing of The Bobby Bryant Quintet. The flip was Solitary Woman.

However, this release is well worth a listen. I just wish someone like Rhino, Ace, or Eric Records would give her hits their special treatment. I'm sure there are thousands of her fans just waiting. August 30, 2007

Della is hot!

I got the second album on this compilation years ago, used on vinyl. I don't remember why I took a risk on a Della Reese album, maybe she was covering a song I was familiar with by someone else. Oh, now I remember, Vaginal Creme Davis played a song by Della on a radio show she was guesting on, and that piqued my interest, tho Vag accidentally played a different track than what she was intending. I was on my post punk detour thru jazz vocalists and buying lots of stuff, getting into all the different versions of standards by everybody. I considered Della back then as an already washed up performer, appearing on Merv Griffin and being very boring to me as a kid. But once I dropped the needle on this live record, I was enthralled. Della burns up on stage, ripping thru songs, giving them such such verve and pep. Two words that come to mind are "sass" and "confidence." She knows what she is doing. She talks to the audience and alters lyrics (altering rhythms as she does it.) Her band is tight and hot. The horn section remeinds me of the theme to "Bewitched", all brassy and early sixties sounding. To this day, when I get the chills from a fun, spirited and peppy jazz vocalization (perhaps Joe Williams' "Alright,OK You Win" or Diane Reeves "Hello, Haven't I Seen You Before" [fast version]) I always think back to my first few spins of this record, the chills it gave me then. I am glad to see Miss Reese having so much success now. December 29, 2003

ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING PERFORMERS EVER HEARD ON RECORD

Della Reese is the ultimate performer.Her voice is beyond description:amazingly powerful,expressive with flawless elocution and most original articulation,that requires much taste to be appreciated by real connoissers!Each song is a unique composition and none is like the other.After you listened to Della,the other blues or jazz stars seem colourless,despite their own qualities,they all are outcasted by Della's incredible temperament and talent.She is the alpha and the omega of song:she can sing everything,from gospel,blues to jazz and even classical music!!Della reese is without contest the BEST singer in the world!She has the trumpets of Jericho in her voice,and sings like an angel!She makes songs alive,she is not only an entertainer (actually the best) but she delivers a message in singing,of life,passion and joy.She is true and authentic and once you heard her,she put a spell on you forever!Moreover,she is gorgeous,and charismatic!Della Reese is the ultimate diva! July 22, 2000

More reviews at Amazon.com ...