On a recent Sunday afternoon, Disney Hall hosted a multi-faceted musical extravaganza pairing one of our local community’s true artistic treasures, the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, with premiere R&B singer and Grammy nominated songwriter Sheléa.
The foundation of the unique several hour presentation was the 17th annual season finale concert of ICYOLA performing well known works from prominent 20th Century Black classical composers William Grant Still (1895-1978) and Robert Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943) and the world premiere of “Elements,” a fascinating original five movement orchestral work rooted in the dynamic relationship between Los Angeles and the natural world. Sheléa was billed as, and stole the show, as a featured artist in a second half segment officially titled A Tribute To Quincy Jones and the Black Divas of Soul.
Most of the few thousand in attendance seemed to be there in support of the young men and woman in the orchestra and was there to celebrate their achievement, the beauty of orchestral music and the deep impact of community investment represented by the orchestra under the direction of Founder, Executive Director and Conductor Charles Dickerson III. But it’s likely that Sheléa, despite several decades of accolades and enduring love from industry giants, was something of a newcomer to them.
Truly the current generation’s most dynamic Black Diva of Soul, Sheléa is perhaps best known for being mentored by and having toured with Q while earning non-stop hosannas from icons like Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliot, Queen Latifah and David Foster. She has developed her stellar reputation as the industry’s “go to” performer, paying homage to the legends who inspired her own beautiful personal artistry.
Whether she’s channeling the spirit of the greats who came before her or showcasing her artistry on her solo recordings, she has an innate ability to draw on the emotional power of a song to connect the hearts and souls of multiple generations. Her new PBS special Aretha! With Sheléa and the Pacific Symphony is currently airing nationwide. She also recently released her brand-new self-penned songs, “I Don’t Care,” “Time Machine,” and “Never Give Up on Love,”available on all streaming platforms, and her new EP Spirit, which she calls her “retro-soul happy Amy Winehouse album,” will be released August 29.
In addition to regaling the rapt audience with her charm, charisma and powerhouse pipes throughout the 30 minute set which began the program’s second half, perhaps the most captivating aspect of Sheléa’s show was how, instead of sticking strictly to the announced repertoire, she inserted a fun, freewheeling segment where she sat at the grand piano center stage and fulfilled audience requests to channel snippets of classics by previously unannounced divas like Chaka Khan (“Through the Fire”), Sarah Vaughan (“Misty”), Whitney Houston (“Saving All My Love For You”), Gladys Knight (“Midnight Train To Georgia”) and Roberta Flack (“Feel Like Makin’ Love”). The only one of those with direct connection to Quincy was “Misty,” but the crowd was having a blast and didn’t mind her transcending formality at all.
Same with her stirring, super-infectious rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Until You Come Back to Me,” backed by the full sweep of the youth orchestra, which launched the set. It’s not a Jones-affiliated tune, but still the perfect way for Sheléa to introduce herself to the crowd. By then she had everyone’s ears wildly attentive, so she took the opportunity to showcase one of her most compelling new original songs, the defiantly optimistic ballad “Something’s Coming,” which she performed as a special guest on Wonder’s 2024 “Sing Your Song!” tour to a collective audience totaling over 100,000.
Sheléa’s two full Q-centric classic diva numbers were her soaring, emotionally impactful renditions of two Broadway classics, Aretha Franklin’s spirited, jazzy version of “Somewhere” (from West Side Story) and “Home” (from The Wiz), whose film version featuring Diana Ross was produced by Jones. The singer captured all the drama of the expansive Franklin arrangement of “Somewhere” not only vocally, showcasing the fullness of her range, but also as a talented improviser on piano. Before presenting her equally heartrending take on “Home,” she pointed out that it was a triple diva song – first sung by Stephanie Mills on Broadway and once by a young Whitney Houston on The Merv Griffin Show.
Although the purpose of the concert was to celebrate talented kids of all ages making sweet and inspiring music as part of ICYOLA’s Season Finale, I would have loved fewer spoken commercials for the organization and an extra half hour of Sheléa!
