Carol Duboc - Songs for Lovers (2008)

Carol Duboc originally began her musical career as a background singer and a songwriter, writing R&B hits for Chante Moore, Stephanie Mills, and Patti LaBelle. Her solo career, which has as of this writing resulted in four CDs, features her performances mostly falling in the smooth field where her likable and warm voice is heard at its best on ballads. Her Songs for Lovers has Duboc's voice showcased throughout, other than a guest appearance by flutist Hubert Laws. She contributed eight of the ten songs with "My Valentine" (also released as a single) being featured in two versions. While some of Duboc's pop songs might be covered by otherwise, her most memorable performance in this program is her rendition of "Feel Like Making Love." Still, it would be preferable to hear her with a "real" band, since Tim Carmon (with his overdubbed keyboards and drum programming) is responsible for all of the music, other than a few appearances by two guitarists and Laws, and the performances lack much spontaneity. Fans of Carol Duboc's voice, however, will want this release. ~Scott Yanow