Carol Duboc: Songs for Lovers

Opting to invade the arena of blue-eyed soul, Kansas City’s Carol Duboc ably captures the mountain-stream purity and tranquil contentment of Minnie Riperton throughout this change-of-pace fourth album. 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.