Carol Duboc Featuring Hubert Laws: Burt Bacharach Songbook

Pianist Jimmy Rowles once famously remarked, "Burt Bacharach's tunes sound like third alto parts." Well, don't try to sell singer Carol Duboc on that notion. Based on the effort she expended on her latest album, she's quite comfortable with the songwriter who hails from Carol's hometown, Kansas City. That effort extended to producing the session; doing all the arrangements; adding one of her own songs to the mix; and above all, securing flutist Hubert Laws to be principal soloist and gap-filler.

Their music-making pays off handsomely. While Bacharach's rangy lines and awkward intervals post a challenge to most singers, Ms Duboc is not your average vocalist. She boasts a clear soprano range -- so necessary to scale the frequent Bacharach peaks -- plus firm intonation, as well as the ability to swing. In short, she's an intelligent jazz stylist.

Duboc also possesses a warm, soothing alto range, which she puts to good use on her original bossa, "My Melody," and especially on "A House Is Not A Home." She takes "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" slower than most, plumbing its depth and finding a surprising poignancy in the tune, turning it into a ear-opener. "Wives and Lovers" is also given unique treatment: it has bookends in 3/4, but they bracket a straightforward, swinging 4/4. She also turns "The Look of Love" into a seductive swinger. Listen carefully to the beginning of "I'll Never Fall in Love Again:" following a clever, economical instrumental introduction, the first time Duboc sings the title, the first word, "I'll," slides off her tongue just like a Hubert Laws flute lick.

Whether that was planned, or a matter of osmosis, it makes for a convenient segue. Laws goes well beyond his second billing and very nearly dominates the session. His timbre is ideal for her voice; her gaps are custom-ma de for his pithy comments. The same kind of rapport is heard elsewhere: listen for the comping support from pianist Joe Cartwright; guitarist Danny Embrey; and particularly bassist Bob Bowman. Must be something in that K.C. water.
Thank you, Carol...3rd alto parts never sounded so good.

Duboc, with four other albums to her credit, has a smoky jazz-pop voice that really shines in smoothly swinging numbers like Wives and Lovers (a 1964 Grammy winner for Jack Jones) and Always Something There to Remind Me. Her singing has a laid-back, witty restraint that complements Bacharach's funky syncopation and unexpected harmonies…” No, I don't think Dionne Warwick has anything to worry about, and I won't forget the countless other distinctive artists who have covered Bacharach songs, from Marlene Dietrich to Petula Clark to Elvis Costello. But Duboc brings a snappy style to standards such as I'll Never Fall in Love Again that works very nicely, thank you, and her combo includes legendary jazz flutist Hubert Laws.

Burt Bacharach Songbook (Gold Note), in stores Aug. 18, has 11 songs by Bacharach and his longtime lyricist, Hal David, plus My Melody by Duboc, a songwriter, arranger and producer who has worked with Tom Jones, Stephanie Mills, Patti La Belle, Jeff Lorber and Fine Young Cannibals. It's hard to believe it has been so long since Warwick launched her amazing run of Bacharach-David hits like Don't Make Me Over (1962), Anyone Who Had a Heart (1963) and Walk On By (1964).

Duboc, with four other albums to her credit, has a smoky jazz-pop voice that really shines in smoothly swinging numbers like Wives and Lovers (a 1964 Grammy winner for Jack Jones) and Always Something There to Remind Me. Her singing has a laid-back, witty restraint that complements Bacharach's funky syncopation and unexpected harmonies, as in Say a Little Prayer, which features some wonderful Laws flute playing. There are a few classics not included here -- Alfie, Do You Know the Way to San Jose? -- but it's always a good idea to leave 'em wanting more. blogs.tampabay.com/arts

Carol Duboc Featuring Hubert Laws: Burt Bacharach Songbook

Personnel: Carol Duboc (vocals); Hubert Laws (flute); Luis Conte (percussion); Joe Cartwright (piano); Danny Embrey (guitar); Bob Bowman (bass); Tim Cambron (drums). Tracks: What the World Needs Now, Raindrops, Wives and Lovers, My Melody, Any One Who Had a Heart, Walk on By, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, The Look of Love, A House Is Not a Home, Close To You, Always Something There To Remind Me, Say a Little Prayer.

There was no promotional ma- terial/media insert accompanying this disc; suffice to say Carol Duboc’s latest CD is a collec- tion of regenerated Bacharach/ David hits, save an original she penned, “My Melody.”

Hubert Laws’ mellow flute figures fill out an already gifted backup band of (mostly) Kansas City greats - Danny Embrey, Joe Cartwright, Bob Bowman, Tim Cambron - plus another special guest star, Cuban percussionist extraordinaire, Luis Conte, whose deft accompaniment here is predictably exceptional.

“Wives and Lovers” (AKA “Hey, Little Girl”) is rearranged in 4/4 and several of the standards are re- worked structurally with smart and sassy alterations. Laws solos are lush throughout and several of our gang contribute clever takes: Joe’s solo pops the straight ahead (no more 6/4 measures) “Look of Love” and his samba chops sting on “Always Something There to Remind Me.” Danny delivers a lyrical “Wives and Lov- ers” and comps briefly on “A House is Not a House.”

The liner notes credit Duboc with the arrangements; if this is the case, she’s a monster with a manuscript. I especially loved what was substituted over formerly innocuous pop hit, “Close to You.”

She and Laws will be at the Folly Theater at 8:00 p.m. on December 12 if you’d like to witness them in person.

The attractive-voiced singer sounds far more varied and involved here than she did on her Songs for Lovers CD, an album too often sinking into the sluggish low-energy cool jazz somnambulism. This one, however, is a cozy, jazzy outing. The hit record and usual treatments of these songs have generally emphasized the super-catchiness of the melodies and the dominating and driving rhythms, often overwhelming any other aspect. Carol is no slave to expectations or pre-existing versions by Dionne Warwick and others. Though some selections hew closer to those well-trod musical paths, others are slowed down, certainly less regimented musically, less commercial—and it's all to the good. A songwriter and arranger herself, Carol is too creative and original to go in for sound-alike, karaoke copycatting predictability. She arranged and produced all the tracks herself and they show subtle shifts in tone, emphasis, beats and rhythms.

When she gives in to a lick or musical phrase, it's her own delicious luxuriating in it, like riffing on "a part of me" in "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me," reminding us of the way the little phrases in these songs are ingratiating. Curiously, "The Look of Love," which might be ultra-romantically tender or could sizzle with the heat of anticipated passion ("I can hardly wait to hold you, feel my arms around you/ How long I have waited ...") becomes neither, settling for a less satisfying casual, almost diffident treatment.

Phrasing naturally, but often stressing an unexpected word, her versions almost always ring true and sincere. She never oversells or pushes; rather she has impact by understatement and treating the lyrics seriously when appropriate ("Anyone Who Had a Heart"). Some lyrics are illuminated anew; for example, in "Walk On By" she brings new light lines like "Let me hide" and "I just can't get over losing you." This attention to words brings up a pet peeve of mine, something done by many singers: giving short shrift to the lyricists. It's egregious to me to name the album just for the composer. Bacharach worked with other lyricists, but all the ones chosen here are by the talented wordsmith Hal David and he deserves shared title billing. There are a few little instances of not being true to the lyrics: I've heard audiences chuckle appreciatively at the line in "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" with this playful rhyme about the downside of kissing a guy: "You get enough germs to catch pneumonia/ After you do, he'll do, he'll never phone ya," but Carol ignores the intentionally cute/forced rhyme written and sings "he'll never phone you).

"I'll Never Fall in Love Again" is the only song from the only score written for Broadway by Bacharach and David, Promises, Promises. A few of their movie songs are here, but nothing from their one full-length score from the not-well-received Lost Horizon. Perhaps a Volume Two might dig deeper into the large catalogue and find the more neglected but worthy material. There are only 11 samples of the team's output, with one original number written by the singer thrown into the mix: titled "My Melody," her melody (and lyric) are ingratiating and have an ingratiating and natural appeal.

A huge asset here is the very prominent presence of the star flutist Hubert Laws. Pictured on the cover, he's given featured billing there, too. He shows masterful playing, weaving in and out of the songs, setting moods, whether in the foreground soloing in breaks or presented as a duet partner as Carol sings in her very pleasing, clean tone, and adding more understated, briefer comments among the other musicians. Guitarist Danny Embrey is especially effective in setting up and accompanying a lovely and thoughtfully plaintive (not plodding and pleading as some would have it) "A House Is Not a Home." Recorded with a small group of local musicians in Kansas City, Missouri, hometown to the singer and Mr. Bacharach, the CD never sounds like a nostalgic romp through the 1960s, but rather feels quite modern.

talkinbroadway.com/sound

The jazz singer keeps her vocals firmly planted in the genre that she feels most comfortable and makes a subtle, effortless change to the songs... Duboc has included hits such as "Say a Little Prayer," "Wives and Lovers" and "What the World Needs Now." Each of them is tailored to Duboc’s singing style which welcomes the songs into a new format while still paying homage to the original source material.

Dig These Discs :: Carol Duboc, Listen, Ilad, Farrad, Don Henley

EDGE is traveling the musical timeline this week with a pair of greatest hits albums, a debut album and a band three albums into their career. Don Henley is releasing "The Very Best of Don Henley" which allows listeners to get reacquainted with any past hits that they may have forgotten about while jazz singer takes on the greatest hits of Burt Bacharach. On the other end of the spectrum is the benefit album "Listen," which is written completely by teenagers who are part of the Our Time organization. Just so that there werenít just the two polar opposites, Iladís third album is thrown in to fully complete the spectrum.

Carol Duboc - The Burt Bacharach Songbook

The Burt Bacharach songbook is probably one of the most overly done songbooks in music. His songs have been covered by countless artists as well as having been done more than once on American Idol.

Carol Duboc is the latest artist to cover his work with new album simply titled "The Burt Bacharach Songbook." One of the problems of doing an album like this, filled with songs that are engrained in the American consciousness so much, is that if the singer merely does a replica imitation it becomes clear that they are just going through the motions with the records.

Here Duboc, along with Hubert Laws backing her up, avoids that trap by adding her own interpretation to the songs.

The jazz singer keeps her vocals firmly planted in the genre that she feels most comfortable and makes a subtle, effortless change to the songs to make them fit her singing style.

Among the songs that Duboc has included hits such as "Say a Little Prayer," "Wives and Lovers" and "What the World Needs Now." Each of them is tailored to Dubocís singing style which welcomes the songs into a new format while still paying homage to the original source material.

Building on the significant strength of her first two albums, Carol Duboc slows things considerably for her third Gold Not disc, All of You. At first flush, it sounds like a straight forward assemblage of ballads, with originals and contemporary cover from the Bill Withers, Lennon and McCartney and Sting songbooks nestled in cozy, acoustic settings. But closer listening reveals that the keenly imaginative Duboc, one of the most interesting and dynamic jazz singers of her generation, has cleverly shaped an evocative excavation of love in all it's forms, exploring such disparate themes as obsessive love ("Every Breath You Take," "Drowning"), romantic misjudgment ("I Underestimated You"), satisfying devotion (the Duboc-penned title track and Bobby Hebb's ebullient "Sunny"), romantic subjugation (Withers' "Use Me," "Empty") and self-delusion ("My Luck is Going to Change") and the promise of romantic renewal ("Blackbird"). Tying the album's various threads together, Duboc concludes with "Love You More Than Life Itself," which sassily suggests "que sera sera" resignation to love's vagaries and our individual and collective inability to chart the heart's path.

Working with just keyboards (accompanying herself on two tracks, then turning the keys over to producer/arranger Tim Carmon), accented with flute (courtesy of the great Hubert Laws) and, on three tracks, the guitars of Dennis Dodd and Agape Jerry, Duboc settles into an easy Natalie Cole-esque groove as bright and heartening as a breezy summer day. It's a stylistic approach that fits well with all but one of the eight Duboc originals and two covers included here. Among her other compositions, several, including the simmering "Night Moods," the cleverly tongue-tied "Around You" and the misty title track, are estimably tantalizing... As for the covers, her "Feel Like Making Love" captures the same sense of languid satisfaction that made the Roberta Flack original so engaging.

Carol Duboc's new release "Songs For Lovers" is just what it promises -- a smooth collection of romantic tunes for couples. Ms. Duboc, while not a household name, has been around for a long time and has written songs for others musicians, including R&B artists Patti LaBelle, Stephanie Mills and Chante Moore. On "Songs For Lovers," her third album, Duboc wrote all the new material, and produced the album with her musical arranger Tom Carmon. Ms. Duboc's style is a mix of jazz and R&B, and her lyrics and songs are uplifting. The album is perfect mood music for a romantic evening, or just for relaxation. "My Valentine," the first single is a nice opener. Other songs that standout on "Songs For Lovers" are "Brownies and Wine," "Around You" and "Night Moods." The latter is my favorite song from this album, reminding me of Sade's "Smooth Operator" days. Two highlights on this album are instrumentals, with Duboc on the piano, "Passion" and "A Longing," that are the shortest songs on the album and serve almost as interludes to the other more upbeat songs. Duboc does a great job covering two R&B classics, Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" and Roberta Flack's "Feel Like Making Love." She adds her special touch to these songs. "Sexual Healing" is a bit slower than Marvin's and sung in a way that it could initially pass for another song. Duboc takes the sexy lyrics slowly, giving them the chance to be savored. Duboc's version of "Feel Like Making Love" is more upbeat than the original, with a tinge of funk. While a fan of the original, this listener favors Duboc's version a little more. "Songs For Lovers" is a great collection for easy listening and for when you've got romance on your mind and want to set the perfect mood.

Directly preceding Carol Duboc's cinematic moment in the film Be Cool (she's part of a female trio one of the main characters is desperately trying to leave), the singer had a CD release party at Catalina's. All of You, is the title of her new recording and she in turn gave all of herself for the show.

Well supported by Mark Stephens-keyboards, Darrell Crooks-guitar/background vocals, Tony Dumas-acoustic bass, and Cory Mason on drums, the headliner nearly played every song from the showcased recording. "Empty," a scintillating funk groove opened the set and was cooly tempered by Duboc's alluring singing.

After satisfyingly reeling the audience in with her seductiveness, she stepped things up with a tasty rendition of the R&B classic "Sunny." The band stretched out a little, while the vocalist soulfully soared. She was clearly in her element, but nevertheless threw in a change up with the Beatles chestnut, "Black Bird" done as an easy flowing contemporary groove.

Staying in that mode, Duboc played keyboards and impressed everyone in attendance with the emotional ballad, "I Underestimated You." The torch-like mood quickly disappeared though, when the singer and band shifted to Latin rhythms with "Moody," a tune from her previous CD With All That I Am.

It notably featured Stephens and Dumas turning in stellar solos and blowing the crowd away, while Duboc countered with sereneness. Wrapping up a successful performance and CD inauguration, the talented vocalist and her band encored with the pop hit "People Make the World go Round." The ever-appealing song was given a funky treatment and proved to be a perfect choice for Duboc's dynamic and engaging singing.

Be Aware! Once you press "Play", you will want to listen over and over. Other CD's in your collection will get jealous. Carol Duboc has created something special with her latest release "All of You". Listen carefully, you will hear offerings of old and new. "All of You" quietly sneaks up and taps you softly on the shoulder.

This music is fresh and clean and never in a hurry. I say there is quite "simply" a lot going on here. You will like every song. Carol totally "uncovers" the cover tunes with fresh, soulful arrangements. Just sit back and listen to Sunny, Ain't No Sunshine, Every Breath You Take, Use Me, Spirits in the Material World, Blackbird.

They are all done in a way you won't expect. Carol's original compositions compliment nicely and display her talents. More Originals please! I especially like "Drowning" and Land Richards' brush work. He creates a nice flowing stream of water that could drown any listener. I predict you will listen to "All of You" with a book by the fire in Winter, morning coffee at the beach during Summer, with friends and dinner on the deck, you can't go wrong. Listen and get ready to relax.

This is music without a mold and that is what I like about it. Quickly something about the instrumentation, Fender Rhodes, thanks for the "old school" sound. Upright bass provides the perfect bottom deeper than the ocean. Good drumming is "felt". Well done!!! This CD has earned a place in my collection. Smooth Jazz? Maybe, but look out for the curves. They will pleasantly move you.

Thanks Carol!

Another Unsung Heroine With a seductive romantic and velvety voice that is absolutely irresistable, Carol Duboc has blossomed into one jazz's top shelf contemporary vocalist. After attending a live recording session for Al Jarreau's 1994 hit, Tenderness, the experience was the beginning of a new kind of tomorrow; the kind of tomorrow that lives forever the world of jazz.

"When Al started singing, I thought, that's what I want to do as a singer. I loved the idea of using my voice as an instrument; since my favorite thing to do is write for instruments. I love improvisations, at times, singing notes without words. I then focused my passion and followed my philosophy of never simply duplicating a song, but finding something authentic about myself within it. I'm always happiest when I have music going and [I] believe that is what I'm made to do."

Looking through the rearview mirror, the Kansas City native was moved by Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross and Earth, Wind & Fire's heartfelt vocals and burning R&B chord changes. Teddy Riley noticed Duboc when she was a student at USC's School of Music working with hip hop acts before emerging professionally as a popular songwriter and arranger for R&B divas like Patty LaBelle, The Word is All from the gold selling Gems CD, Chante Moore, The title cut from her CD, Precious, and Stephanie Mills', Never Do You Wrong. Duboc's critically acclaimed first two independent releases on Gold Note Music With All That I Am (2001) and Duboc (2003), charted high on smoothjazz.com charts, while receiving constant airplay on Satellite Radio XM and many commercial stations throughout the country. L.A. Times hails her sultry voice as having 'the strength and originality to quickly move her into the top level of jazz vocalists."

Just a few months back, Duboc released All of You. This album coincided with her film debut in the MGM/Sony movie, starring John Travolta-Uma Thurman, Be Cool, the long-awaited sequel to the classic Get Shorty. Duboc played "Pumpkin" one of the singer/dancers in a three-girl group. All of You featured a few familiar favorites, unlike her previous albums of mostly original material. "I enjoyed the challenge this time of mixing new songs I'd written with guitar based arrangements of different covers. I love Bill Withers, I love the Police and Sting's style has been an influence. All of the originals were personal, either written when I was madly in love or hurting over someone." (It's amazing how some of our best work comes out of extreme emotions like love, pain and disappointment, Ouch!)

We sometimes think that success happens overnight, but really, that would be the exception rather than the rule. Duboc has been practicing her craft and honing her skills for more than a decade. However, judging by the reception of her latest album and a motion picture debut, good things do come to those who wait.

With her jazzy approach to All of You and considering jazz is like a house with many rooms, let's just stay tuned to see what room she will visit next.

Carol Duboc Jazz vocalist brings originality to All of You her latest CD on Gold Note Music. She has the voice and the talent to interpret a song with a particular jazz sense that sets jazz singers apart from other genres of music. The lyrics of her songs come across with distinctive phrasing and solid rhythms that create an ambience of intimate jazz clubs of the past but in this case the very fresh vocal styles of a jazz singer for the future. Jazz vocalists are hard to find and a good jazz vocalist even harder but Carol delivers all of what true jazz lovers want to hear. She connects with the distinctive lyrics of her songs that are both beautiful and emotionally charged. The 15 track CD features some classics "Ain't No Sunshine," "Sunny" and original compositions by talented composer Carol Duboc.

Laidback and emotionally-charged, Carol Duboc sings of love and all of the sentiments that accompany it. Her new CD All of You, features a well thought out selection of original compositions and covers that she offers with vocal insight and a soulful style. Lending an old-school feel to the project is the phenomenal ensemble of Tim Carmon (Piano and Rhodes), Darrell Crooks (Guitar), John Leftwich & Tony Dumas (Upright Bass), Land Richards (Drums), Hubert Laws (Flute) and Luis Conte (Percussion).

All of You is a great record to chill with and best of all you'll feel like you're catching a set at your favorite jazz club! From the subtle scat on the covers, Sunny, Ain't No Sunshine and Blackbird to the uptempo vocal improv on Spirits in the Material World, Duboc is clearly at home with this jazz expression. Easy and effortless, she's amazing and I'd love to hear a 'live' performance to experience it further. She also brings on some attitude with the first radio single, Use Me.

Singing with a touch of guilty pleasure, you'll enjoy her rendition of this Bill Withers classic. While Love You More Than Life Itself, one of my favorite tracks, takes a bluesy edge and is a very satisfying piece. Listen up for some radio airplay of the romantic title track All of You in the near future. If Duboc seems familiar to you, it could be because of her work with Jeff Lorber, Gerald Albright, George Duke or Joe Sample. Perhaps you've recognized the hits she penned for Chante Moore (Precious), Patti LaBelle (This Word is All), or Stephanie Mills (Never Do You Wrong). Undoubtedly, you were moved by her composition I Stand for America, used on a special segment of CNN's Larry King Live (a tribute to the victims at Ground Zero) and more recently, you may have witnessed her debut on the big screen with John Travolta, Uma Thurman and The Rock in the movie Be Cool.

In the zone where jazz meets R&B singer and composer Carol Duboc is already a behind-the-scenes fixture. She's a former Kansas Citian who has always written music. "Anything" from classical to R&B to jazz," she says. "I've always liked the feeling of R&B, and I've made a living writing it for other people."

On the phone from her Los Angeles-area studio, Duboc runs down a list of artists she has written for, Patti LaBelle, Stephanie Mills, Chante Moore..." "I've worked with Teddy Riley. He found me in the studio, and I started writing with him...It doesn't get much better than that for that kind of music."

But now it's time for Duboc to strike out on her own as a performer and songwriter. The singer with the flexible voice appears Thursday at the Grand Emporium. It's her first show in her hometown as a headliner.

She says she grew up across the street from Loose Park on 55th Street, and her musical talent emerged early. "I did whatever there was to do," she says. "I did the musicals all through high school; I was the lead in 'Guys and Dolls,' And, of course, everybody has to perform in a mall, and I did that."

After graduating from Pembroke Hill School in the '80s, she headed for the music school at the University of Southern California. "I got in as an opera major, with a double major in composition. Then I got a minor in music engineering. I went back as a jazz major later, because the theory and approach were so different - I wanted to be able to talk to my band."

After her behind the scenes success in the world of R&B, she still wanted recognition as a performer, and she wanted a change. "I wanted to do something where I can be freer - where you're supposed to make mistakes and work with them, as opposed to the pop world, where everything's supposed to be perfect." Duboc said an epiphany came at an Al Jarreau concert. "I liked the way he was improvising but still has the R&B element. And Joe Sample was playing with him.

Afterward she started working with keyboardist Sample and got the vision for what she wanted to do next. Duboc describes her current musical offerings as approaching R&B as a jazz singer, with the instrumentation of a jazz band. "The whole time, my music had lots of jazz in it. I really like the chord changes. But the element of R&B is still there."

Those who believe that lightning never strikes twice are advised to lend an ear to Carol Duboc's sophomore CD, Duboc. Building on the deserved success of last year's With All That I Am, Duboc is back with a dozen fresh tracks, including nine new originals, that provide the crystalline voice of hers quiet a workout.

Demonstrating hightened dexterity, she alternates from the www. electricity of "This is No Ordinary Lover" and red-hot, discoish fervor of "I Wanna Love Someone" and purposeful naivete of the self-delusional "Secrets." Rounding out this inspired collection are two Bacharch-David covers - a heartbreakingly earnest "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and perfectly chilled "Walk on By" - and a spicy "El Gaucho" on which Duboc ably evokes the seductive other worldliness of Lani Hall

Another local phenom, Kansas City born Carol Duboc is busy carving out an impressive reputation in boites and bistos throughout the L.A. area. As a songwriter, arranger and keyboardist Duboc has long been known and respected among the West Coast cognoscenti, working behind the scenes in support of such disparate artists as Patti LaBelle, George Duke, and Stephanie Mills.

Two years ago, she dared to step into the spotlight and go it alone. Now, the gusty gal from Charlie Parker's hometown takes another daring step with the release of her self-produced debut album, With All That I Am (Gold Note). Getting even the most ardent jazz fans to part with cold hard cash for a disc from a new, unproved voice is always a daunting challenge. The stakes become nearly insurmountable if the disc in question isn't loaded with familiar ballads and standards. In Duboc's case, the risk is well worth taking.

With a voice like spiced honey, she winds her way through a dozen self-penned tunes that range from palatable to scrumptious. Standouts include the spirited "I Wanna Know," the spiritual "The Promise" and a trippy, Caribbean-tinged salute to mood swings called, appropriately enough, "Moody." With All That I Am is the first that most folks will have heard of Carol Duboc. It won't be the last.