On
Everlasting Love
,
Vanessa Williams
covers her favorite
soul
songs of the '70s, often with help from
the London Session Orchestra
. This is a classy set of material that straddles the line between faithful renditions and creative reinterpretations. The strummy
folk
-
of
the Isley Brothers
'
"Harvest for the World"
is turned into
jazz-funk
for the dancefloor; the natural exuberance within
"Never Can Say Goodbye"
is toned down a few degrees, thanks in part to
George Benson
's guitar and
James "D-Train" Williams
' (!) backing vocals. Nothing really grabs you by the throat or makes your body hairs stand on end, but that's all right.
Williams
' music career has almost always had more to do with caressing the ears than anything else. This disc is nothing if not a fan pleaser. ~ Andy Kellman