Carol Duboc: All of You

Carol Duboc has one of those voices that captivates in a quiet, almost subliminal way. Subtle enough that comparisons to other jazz divas are unlikely or unjustified, she won't immediately come to mind when listening to another. However, when her music is on, the listener will take notice. Duboc's voice is light, placid, yet powerful when necessary.

The Kansas City, Mo., native, who has a brief appearance in the new motion picture, Be Cool, gives us a mix of the familiar and the new on her new album, All of You. Seven of the 13 songs are covers of classic pop tunes, mostly presented in a dreamy, nightclub jazz style. In addition to these are several originals, either composed by Duboc or by Duboc and accompanist Tim Carmon.

After Duboc's elegant, romantic title song, she presents two of those covers. The first is an ethereal presentation of Bobby Hebb's "Sunny. The latter is the laid-back, scat-punctuated "Ain't No Sunshine, one of two Bill Withers songs on the disc. The other is the oft-covered — perhaps to the point of being overdone — "Use Me. Even so, Duboc delivers a soulful rendition worthy of repeat play.

Duboc's second original is the bluesy, somewhat funky "Empty. Here, her voice is complemented by exceptional background play from bassist John Leftwich, drummer Land Richards and a slick solo by Carmon on the Rhodes. Things only improve from there, as Duboc and Carmon present "Drowning, a sad, but beautiful song that features longtime jazz flutist Hubert Laws.

While the ensemble's presentation of The Police's "Every Breath You Take leaves something to be desired, their rendering of the same group's "Spirits in the Material World more than makes up for it. After an admiral outing on "Use Me, Duboc delivers a soulful presentation of "Spirits ...

With All of You, Duboc's third album, the singer firmly establishes herself as one of today's finest voices in jazz.

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