Carol Duboc: With All That I Am

Another local phenom, Kansas City-born Carol Duboc is busy carving out an impressive reputation in boites and bistros 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 gutsy 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-2021; 56:56). 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.

Originally Published December 1, 2001