AVID Jazz continues with its Four Classic Album series with a re-mastered 2CD release from Della Reese, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details
“The Story of the Blues”; “The Classic Della”; “Della By Starlight’” and “What Do You Know About Love”
Born in 1931, Delloreese Patricia Early, began singing gospel music at an early age and was hired to sing in Mahalia Jackson’s gospel group at age, only 11! Changing her name to Della Reese she began performing in nightclubs and fell under the influence of the great female jazz singers of the age, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. Her singing career was defined by two long spells with major record companies, in 1953 she signed to Jubilee and later in 1959 to RCA. Our four fine selections show off the best of Della from both these periods. From Jubilee we have the wonderfully sultry, “What Do You Know About Love” and the themed concept album “The Story of the Blues” in which Della provides the introduction to each song. From RCA we present the sublimely lush albums “Della By Starlight” and “The Classic Della”. A fitting tribute to a great lady of music who passed away only last year (2017) at the age of 86.
CD1
1-11: ‘The Story of the Blues’
1. The Story of the Blues
2. Good Morning Blues
3. Empty Bed Blues
4. Squeeze Me
5. You’ve Been A Good Old Wagon
6. Sent For You Yesterday (And Here You Come Today)
7. St. James Infirmary
8. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be)
9. Things Ain’t What They Used To Be
10. Stormy Weather
11. There’ll Always Be The Blues
12-23: ‘The Classic Della’
12. The Story Of A Starry Night
13. These Are The Things I Love
14. If You Are But A Dream
15. My Reverie
16. Take My Heart
17. Stranger In Paradise
18. Gone
19. Serenade
20. Moon Love
21. Softly My Love
22. Till The End Of Time
23. Don’t You Know
CD2
1-12: ‘Della By Starlight’
1. The Touch Of Your Lips
2. He Was Too Good For Me
3. That Old Feeling
4. I Had The Craziest Dream
5. I Wish I Knew
6. Lamplight
7. How Did He Look?
8. More Than You Know
9. These Foolish Things
10. Deep In A Dream
11. Embraceable You
12. Two Sleepy People
13-24: ‘What Do You Know About Love’
13. What Do You Know About Love
14. When I Fall In Love
15. Something I Dreamed Last Night
16. I Got It Bad
17. I’ll Never Be The Same
18. You Better Go Now
19. I’m Nobody’s Baby
20. I Never Knew
21. I Thought Of You Last Night
22. You Don’t Know What Love Is
23. I’m Thru With Love
24. That’s All There Is