Caesar’s Genuine Style Enlivens Night of Gospel

Shirley Caesar was the chief saving grace on Saturday night’s ambitious but ill-designed gospel concert at the Forum. Of the more than a dozen acts who sang a cappella or to prerecorded tracks during the three-hour affair, she was one of the few able to rise above the show’s limitations and inject some spontaneity into the program.

During the concert, which was taped for TV syndication, Caesar’s brand of gospel wasn’t slick or smacking of show business. It was raw and heartfelt, partly because Caesar, a minister, wasn’t content just to sing and entertain her audience--which on Saturday was sparse.

She also did an ample amount of down-home preaching. “Oh, I wish I had time tonight to really have church,” she teased at one point.

There are gospel singers, such as the late Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward, who manage to attract fans who rarely if ever visit a house of worship. They accomplish this without softening their message to placate the less-than-committed.

Caesar is that type of gospel singer. While young Christian artists appeal to listeners by playing music that is as worldly and mainstream as possible, Caesar stays the course with her purely traditional style.

Unfortunately, Saturday’s long list of performers (many of them relatively unknown) meant that Caesar was limited to less than half an hour. Other stars received even less time on stage.

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The regal and elegant Yolanda Adams is years younger than Caesar, but she also travels the more traditional path. She may not have a sanctified sound that gets people up and shouting in the aisles, but there is an authenticity and sincerity in her delivery that made the audience respond to her favorably.

Blues shouter Linda Hopkins charmed the house with a simple approach: She sang “Amazing Grace” a cappella and barefoot. Though her voice sounded strained at times, it didn’t stop her from being one of the evening’s highlights. Ann Nesby, whose R&B; videos are a regular feature on Black Entertainment Television, performed her brief set with breezy assurance.

The night contained several big disappointments. R&B; star Faith Evans was a no-show, and the Winans performed just one brief holiday-themed number. And the reliance on prerecorded backing tracks was a major mistake because the power of gospel relies on the freedom to improvise and embellish upon a song’s lyrics.

Aaron Neville made a game attempt in his segment to light a spark in that sterile structure. Wearing braids and a theatrical black cape, Neville sang a version of “Ave Maria” that was lovely and moving.