The Difference Between The Two... Kim & Karen 

facts lol i live for Karen

But Karen ain’t even THE Clark. Twinkie in her prime would demolish Karen. And even Karen herself would tell you. Lol

Have to disagree Twinkie yes, but Dorinda has both Twinkie and Karen, I feel like ppl like Karen more becuz of her rang, but just lookin at this u can tell Kim is more accurate in her run placement and hittin right note she intends too

Nasir Foster you are right!

@Jae B Of course! All of vocalist influence each other and we all are certainly influenced by the clarks, we listen to each other’s chords and choices of runs, that’s how u get better and expand ur skill set... it’s just my opinion that Kim is more accurate in the delivery it’s just clean cut most of the time... and her musical mind and ear are endless, she does things that make u wonder how did u even think of that lol but again it’s just my preference, and opinion

Yessss brotha you said it!!!!!!👍👍👍👍👍

Karen clark sheard for me anyday

Kim Burrell's dad was actually from New Orleans, Louisiana. She said in a recent interview that she developed her jazz musicality by way of her dad's influence, who was also a musician, as well as being fed up with the lack of musicianship in the industry. Kim Burrell's vocal performance praises and worships God, but she could may as well been a jazz vocalist. Her improvisation, scats, and smooth delivery up and down the major scale is her signature spin on her Mezzo Soprano range. Whereas, Lady Karen Clark Sheard definitely is a seasoned COGIC singer, vocalist. Her vocal performance is more of a worship. The technique and clear vocals are all her signature spins on her Lyrical Soprano range.

YES!!!!!!!! THIS WAS ALL I WAS LOOKING FOR HAHAHAHA! Kim has a piano scale on her vocals but Karen has higher octave piano scales, lead guitar scales and vocals from heaven all put together. Personally, Kim's scales can be distracting sometimes, but Karen sends a message with the vocals.

Amen brother, you worded that nicely!

NEW VIDEO: KAREN & KIM COMPILATION ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wf4bbll0sA4.html

Karen do a lot of growls and runs but they can be duplicated but Kim does jazzy runs from notes that she hear from a guitar and piano and every other instrument and they cannot be duplicated... but they both are GREAT in their own way

I concur

Nathan Woody right, Kim ear is unmatched. Even if one can execute the run, they’d never be able to come up with it on their own. An she is more tasteful in her risk taking & placement in every area. Karen sometimes fumbles n doesn’t translate her melismas at times.

You mad an excellent point!!!

all i got to say is that you are right but kim has a judgmental spirit

Not true. They both have oil!

@@Blueridge4000 your absolutely right, was convicted this Morning for this judgemental statement, all praise to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Thankful appreciated both of their wonderful talent 💕🎶💕

MrChampagne94 this comment is perfect!!! Everyone's on that jazz sound and when you get the hang of it, it's very easy to incorporate that into your runs. This is why we have so many kim duplicates. Karen is too spontaneous and her style changes every 3-5 years so it's hard for someone to keep up with her vocally. Kim is the best gospel vocalist when it comes to the jazzy style, but Karen has her own sound/style which no one can compete against. Truly in a league of her own!

Jazz has never been easy, not for those who really listen to it and play it. You think incorporating Charlie Parker, or John Coltrane is easy?

prof32 exactly Jazz is very difficult have they heard giant steps

I agree.

Yes!!

karen is very jazzy idk why people think she’s not... dorinda is just raspier. they’re both jazzy though

This is the comment I was looking for I totally agree

I agree!!

4:24-4:26 is the difference.... Hear how far Karen went off key! Kims precision....she would never go that sharp on a note

Clemsonshawty - Kim, just as every other human vocalist, has her off days as well. 🤷🏽‍♂️

@@LittleJ1576 yes she may have off days, but Karen has those moments a lot! i still love her tremendously but I can admit she has weaknesses

@@Clemsonshawty - In my opinion, I'd say it's pretty equal. The difference is Kim stays safe within her jazzy technical box, whereas Karen is far more adventurous and spontaneous with her vocals. Kim sings her notes from the piano she plays in her head (you can see her key them with her fingers while singing), whereas Karen randomly thinks notes and makes them work for her within that very moment. Precision is easily attainable when you play it safe, and if that floats your boat then I'm all for it. However, some of us prefer that spontaneity that keeps things fresh and not repetitive.

@@Clemsonshawty Wow you found one small mistake while she was literally crying and you are running with it so you don’t have to accept Karen is in another leagues.

Brandon Keith bear comment ever

Exactly!

In my opinion Twinkie is much closer to Kim's accuracy than Karen.

I love them both equally......BuT= I ABSOLUTELY AGREE with you!

You're correct! Karen is singularly a singer. Kim Burrell sings like a musician. Her key changes and chord choices are of someone who understands music. Both are gifted and anointed, but Kim is the more technically proficient of the two. I do think their styles are a bit too different to make a clean comparison, however.

kayy0000 I never said Karen lacks technicality lol it’s just not in the same boat as Kim. Like I said on the contrary Kim doesn’t have nearly the same range. Doesn’t make one better than the other, just a matter or personal preference.

NEW VIDEO: KAREN & KIM COMPILATION ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wf4bbll0sA4.html

the crazy thing is they both have a lot of range and technicality, but just in different ways and to different extents. but their creativity is about equal

Karen has technicality great too.

@@r.a.l.p.h she does. Just not as clean as kim. Her range outshines Kim’s tho.

You love high notes? Try to react to some filipino singers.. they will shower you some highnotes.. hahaha.. Especially, Regine Velasquez except from high notes she had also that dramatic act in stage.😄😊

Just My Opinion Kim is indeed great, though, her without her raspiness, she wouldn't be able to execute her notes well. Who do you prefer? Dorinda or Kim?

@@courtneypoland6621 Still I'm going for Burrell. 1st let me say I don't think shes a better singer. I just like her voice and runs more. I know the Clark's are legends and tbh theyre more versatile than Kim and are more at home in their upper range than kim is.... I just like her voice better. High pitch voices get old to me fast. I know Doe got that rasp too but I just like kim idk why. I even like when her voice gets hoarse and tired sounding I like the struggle and pain in it..... Honestly I prefer Leandria over all of them tho. To me her voice is just darker and heavy and I feel like her sound is more common, like you've heard it already but at the same time its more versatile and dimensional than always high pitch Karen or always raspy Kim. Leandria honestly can do it all with her voice go high or low sing clear or gritty. And I know that she obviously can't touch Karen's high range but to me she is has all the trades. Leandria can go high enough and low enough and tbh she can hang with kim and the Clark Sisters in the inflections department. I will say that I prefer Dorinda's tone over Karen's. I'll tell you in a heart beat that Karen is easily 1 of my top 10 female vocalist but I'm talking about her ability, not her voice. Not that its a bad thing but TO ME Karen's voice sounds like a more mature Tamar Braxton.

Yess I keep saying this lady is a human saxophone 😩🙌🏽💫 🎷

Kevin Green hmmm I kinda get what you're saying but I would say that Kim shows her technical side a lot more than Karen but Karen can be technical when she wants to lol! I'm gonna make a jazz compilation for Karen to show her technicality🤷🏾‍♂️

Kevin Green ppl say that bout KeKe Wyatt n Beyonce .. They say Keke has the range n Bey is technique but i love all 4

kayy0000 lol please do!

Nah nah Kim has major range. U need to check her new stuff out. And still technical so she’s on another level.

yessss. pls do that!!!!!

Sc0rpion tbh I never understood why Dorinda was called the jazzy sister. Karen and Twinkie both do scats and are more technical

kayy0000 idk about Twinkie, but i do agree with Karen. Karen is more jazzy than Dorinda, Dorinda just has a lot of “funky” music.

Latavious Garrison Twinkie can be very jazzy... if you listen to some of the clark sisters old songs and all the chord progressions and unique melodies, you really do need someone with an impeccable ear to come up with those stuff. In terms of jazzy runs, she does a jazzy run at the end of 'there is a fountain'... she laughs after she did the run because even she knew that what she did was crazy lol

Latavious Garrison but yes Dorinda is definitely funky... well so is Twinkie and Karen

Sc0rpion Because Dorinda has rasp and she scats. And while yes, Kim may have the rasp - Kim is all about Runs, Runs, Runs. Which is why the comparison is made between she and Karen. But Karen ain't nothin to be played with! Lol

Karen is my favorite also.... I lost all respect for Kim when she came for Fantasia Barrino.

Karen is a Piano too. Listen to the song he’s a real friend by the Clark sisters. Those runs were scary to me.

@@r.a.l.p.h one of the under rated songs Karen leads!!!

The focus wasn’t to compare vocal range. It was to compare the musical technique used by both vocalists. I do understand what you are saying in terms of comparing artists who don’t have the same range as vocal range does play a part in their approach to riffs and runs, however, Karen is arguably more technical/jazzy when it comes to runs, riffs and scats which is why she’s always compared to Kim.

It's not about saprano or alto it's about technic

Kim burrell is actually a trained Soprano

Both great gifts. Kim-jazzy/snazzy. Karen-EVERYTHING but add CHURCH>if u wanna go to church take Karen!

@@MrKevykev22 y e s!!!

Exactly,

ddoddy76. We dont agree

ddoddy76 kim is bad WITHout all the riffs Karen is Bigger but by Group kim is a solo Artist so yea how can you compare

Kim is Karen an twinkie smashed together

Damon Mayes what planet are you own??? Kcs is a solo artist as well....mmmm 🤔🤔🤔🤔 kim sweet...and its all preference...but if i had to choose a overall vocalist ima stick with my musician/ choir director ear....kcs

Well your musician/choir director ear (which is hilarious btw) isn't sharpened to understand voice and tone because if we take away everything else, that is all we have left. Kim Burrell possibly has the best female VOICE of ALL time. 🤷🏾‍♂️

I do agree!! Karen’s runs may not be perfect every time, mainly because she’s hoarse most of the time, but when she’s in her full voice she can do some impressive things (I didn’t hear Karen make any mistakes in that last clip). Obviously, Karen is almost in her 60s now, so we’re not expecting her to be flawless 100% of the time, but we still appreciate and honor her voice. It’s also common for singers who have a natural raspy tone to make fewer vocal mistakes (cracks, bad notes). I can honestly say I’ve never heard Dorinda hit a bad note. Karen & Kim are both vocal gems, it’s all done to preference. (Thank you for commenting, I appreciate it🙌🏾)

Thats because Kim doesn't have much range. When you a big range of course you are going make mistakes

Well Said. ♥️

Kim seem more like Dorinda Clark with those Jazzy notes not Karen.

Well said they should have not put these two together because there's no comparison KCS is the 👸

LaCole Craig I agree, and even Dorinda would win with a jazz gospel competition if Kim was in it. Cause Dorinda riffs are so different each time, and will go higher then low, while I feel Kim will stay in her altoish notes.

Umm she wasn't off key lol . she was raspy and it just "sounded " messy because were used to the clear tone. Learn what she did at that part and sing it. You SHOULD know she was in key.

True. Plus it sounded like she was in the middle of holding back tears, so..maybe that's why it came out like that.

Latavious Garrison karen is kims favorite she has stated that many times

4:24-4:26 is the difference.... Hear how far Karen went off key! Kims precision....she would never go that sharp on a note

No we are not leaning towards Karen because she is a soprano we are leaning to her because she is way on top of Kim’s vocal league. And you point on Kim being more technical than Karen is in valid. If you look and Dorinda Clark Cole and Jazmine Sullivan and other raspy Jazzy singers you will see when you have that type of voice precision is the key to maintain that style. You also said Karen is not technical. For a woman to be 60 and still being a monster singer she has to be using some sort of technique! Karen was under Mattie Moss Clark’s training for 30+ years. Have you thought about how you need technicality to have that range?

@@r.a.l.p.h no, y’all lean on her because of exactly what I said. This happens in every single genre with female singers. Karen isn’t way on top of Kim. Kim is more technical than Karen, that’s just a fact. Kim is a true musician and student, she also has cleaner technique. Being raspy and jazzy doesn’t mean you can’t be technical, you’re just raspy. You will sound like you’re singing harder or laboring more than you actually are. Precision isn’t the only key and Kim is more precise. Karen isn’t a technical singer, she just has a lot of ability and has learned to sing in a head dominant mix. Being in your 60s and still being in good voice is not uncommon. Karen is just born with a ton of range and a high placed voice, it’s not really technique. There are a lot of singers who get training and the teachers don’t have a degree in vocal pedagogy. I take that training with a grain of salt. They are just naturally gifted. There is nothing to think about.

Even though I prefer Karen, I totally agree!! Karen can be sloppy with her runs at times

Absolutely

newme10 newme10 perfect commentary

Karen ain’t exactly humble...

Elaborate......

newme10 newme10 I’ve seen interviews where Karen brags about leading most of the Clark sister songs. One time “the clarks” with Kiki were all doing an interview and karen was talking about some project they did with the woman’s and she was like “of course I sang the lead” and kierra was like “you sound fleshy”. Basically calling her mama out for being full of herself.

If this is what you have bare witness to, I will not argue. I will say that I am happy that Kiki brought her back down to earth. This is kind of unsettling for me knowing the legacy of Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. She stood for nothing but "true" holiness and humility. In her life, God was the star. She ensured, expected, and demanded that her girls knew the Lord. Through bible study, evening services, Sunday service, they learned what they were singing about. Also, as of recent years Karen became lead vocal. Prior to Twinkie facing major health issues, she was lead. Karen was 2nd lead. Because of the Lord's mercy, Twinkie is coming back in full power...who knew???!!!!!..... however, this is not about Twinkie. It just goes to show that everyone is human. Too much praise will go to anyone's head ......God bless

omg, u hit it right on the nose..

Ben Smith Kim is unmatched in what she’s best at! Her jazzy influence, rasp, clarity, precision, and ability to replicate vocally, what she’s wanting her accompaniment to play is so unique. She’s a music icon, as is Karen and both of them are comfortable in their on lane. People like Whitney, Beyoncé and even Karen admire her for a reason. Try again, sir.

But couldn't the argument be that they all run too much by what you just said? It's not true that all Kim does is runs. She can sing straight tones and her vocal color often gets overlooked for the simple fact that she has such amazing agility and, as Ben Smith has said, accuracy. Kim may shove things into a jazz box because she also plays piano, which gives her more access to those other notes that most singers wouldn't think of doing because they don't play an instrument. I love them both and feel that there really is no comparison. It's really a preference at the end of the day as you've stated. I think most instrumentalists may prefer Kim but the layperson or singers who don't play will prefer Karen.

Ben Smith, listen to "Is This The Way Love Goes" for a refined Kim who actually can calm it down some. You get to hear her tone and you get to hear her use more of her head voice, which is nice. But you mean two songs constitute no running or riffing? I'm not debating that she runs a lot but the difference to me in that area is so minimal between the two. The riffs are part of gospel music aren't they? It's right up there with squalling.

Ben Smith And I would agree with you but I don't think these are the extreme cases. I feel like gospel singers are way better at it than the pop singers who try to imitate this style of singing. Singers such as Christina Alguilera are the ones bastardizing melisma. I am a voice professor myself and believe you are correct; I just don't hear it the way you hear it. I feel like the singers who imitate Kim's style are the ones who overdo it because they never bothered listening to the tone behind the riffs. If Kim never did a riff, she would still be able to sing. Same with Karen. I've always said pretty much what you've said to my students which is the tone is the foundation; it is the cake. Range, power, and riffs are the icing. The fact is Kim plays and can hear inside the chord just a bit deeper. She's like Lalah Hathaway in that sense, except I don't believe Lalah uses them as gratuitously.

Ben Smith, I clearly understand what you're saying and I'm saying that is your perception of that. It's all relative. There are people who don't care for any of this at all, regardless of whether it's Kim or anybody else. I personally don't think Kim is any more over the top than Karen with melisma. I happen to love them both for what they do regardless. It's a choice. I'd rather hear them do it and get the credit than some of these pop singers trying to even scratch the surface of what these two can do. I tell my students who want to learn to listen to gospel singers, for they are the best at it.

Kim poorly sings?

No one has unlimited range..what are you saying?

Hmmm I hear you. Kim has a wider understanding of music and scales. Her runs are more accurate than Karen’s because Kim knows what she’s doing musically. Whereas Karen relies on her spontaneity and creativity in her approach to runs rather than her musical knowledge. Sometimes her runs flop, other times she surprises herself and does the unthinkable. Even when she flops, I know exactly what she was trying to do, and Im just as impressed🤷🏾‍♂️And this is why I appreciate Karen more than kim. I appreciate how Karen has evolved as a vocalist. Difference between her runs in the 80s compared to the 2000s is mind-blowing. It’s all about preference.

Also, Were there any flat notes in this video from karen? I must’ve ignored them

@@Kcs.Vocals I didn't actually watch it all but I know for sure that Karen sang a whole butch of flat notes as usual. I will go back and watch it now actually

Exactly.. I just left a similar comment elsewhere.

She didn't borrow or take anything. They have 2 completely different tones of voice so.... That can't take from each other vocally. I know ow music. I'm young but.... If I know ow anything I know this. Studied them both.

Thank you! Like what type of vid is this. Both are in categories by themselves. By comparing the 2...people are literally discrediting the other they are going against. Ridiculous. Comparison is the thief of joy.