God bless Mainstream Records' Bob Shad for pairing soul singer Alice Clark with jazz arranger Ernie Wilkins back in 1972. Clark's sultry voice would have sounded great no matter who she'd been matched with. That's apparent when you listen to "Never Did Stop Loving You," which sounds like it's straight out of Philly. But Wilkins' jazzy arrangements make Clark's songs stand out from the pack of other soul singers of the era.
She still burns through her vocals, but the romantic embellishments of the arrangements soften her sound. As a result, she seems both sophisticated and gritty ... like a link between classic jazz singers and soul shouters.
