::ALBUM REVIEW::

There was no mistake about it that Karen Clark-Sheard had the talent and the blessing to record a solo project; after helping send the Clark Sisters to the top of the charts with hits like "Is My Living In Vain?", "Pure Gold" and "You Brought The Sunshine" during the 1980s with her expertise in vocal melismata. But this realization didn't come true until "Finally Karen" (1997) was released...almost a decade later. And since the elements of gospel music changed in the contemporary fields, Clark-Sheard needed more than a few catchy tunes to fit her kind of royalty. But this album possessed all the right moves and curves, starting with a good mix of studio and then floating into a soulful live segment. The chemistry of the two helped make this project her greatest solo entry to date. Hard to believe since this is a debut solo project from Clark-Sheard, but the proof is highly evident.

"Just For Me" opens up the studio side and is a nice, mellow number containing a catchy melody and a memorable glow. "Nothing Without You", produced by Stanley Brown, finds a Mary J. Blige 1990s sound upon the gospel diva's rich vocals, while R&B's Faith Evans joins in for a colorful ride. Then comes the four PAJAM productions. "Praise Festival" and "Unconditional (Mad Love)" are excellent showcases of warm-sounding, hip-hop tunes; helping to give Clark-Sheard that extra urban crossover appeal. "Gotta Right..." goes a little further into an urban vibe as it carefully blends in a sound best remembered from the vaults of R&B's Jodeci. While these are early J. Moss productions, they inhabit a cool groove that keeps getting better after each play.

Live tracks, handled by Donald Lawrence and Cedric Thompson, are just as great as the studio portion. Actually, it is the live cuts that are best remembered amongst die-hard Clark-Sheard fans and serious gospel enthusiasts. The reunion of the Clark Sisters on their classic "Jesus Is A Love Song" is a breath of fresh H2O. Each Clark sibling throws their solos into the arena, while Karen takes off towards the end. When the vamp kicks in, the Clark Sisters showcases a burst of harmonic exuberance that could easily match up with any R&B act. And Cedric Thompson and Daniel Witherspoon throws in keyboard thrills that add more to the hype. A few more remakes are also posted here, including the thrilling rendition of Twinkie Clark's "Balm In Gilead" and the wondrous arrangement of "A Praying Spirit" (this time with the Tri-City Singers' delivering the background vocals). Donald Lawrence contributes the upbeat, contemporary number "Heaven", while David Frazier's "Holy, Thou Are Holy" is a brilliant masterpiece glorified with its amazing string inclusions from the Motown Romance String Orchestra.

Most people will also remember the album finale': Karen Clark-Sheard's duet with her daughter, a young Kierra, on Richard "Mr. Clean" White's "The Will of God". Definitely a classic and defining moment in gospel music history.

Karen Clark-Sheard's "Finally Karen" reached #2 on Billboard's Gospel music charts and reached #28 R&B. The album was certified gold by the RIAA; her only solo project to receive such a honor. She also was nominated for nine Stellar Awards and took home four of them (Female Vocalist of the Year, Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year, Music Video of the Year, Children's Performance of the Year), won the Soul Train Lady of Soul award for Best Gospel Artist and was nominated for a Grammy in 1999. All because of the greatness that stemmed from "Finally Karen".