Since her emergence onto the adult contemporary/urban jazz scene in the early 2000s, Carol Duboc has generously shared her wisdom and insight about love and romance in song via both compelling original material and uniquely stylized covers of pop classics. On her multi-faceted new album Smile, the sultry singer and songwriter goes deeper emotionally than ever before.
Inspired by the steep challenges and great joys of keeping a long term relationship afloat, the 10 track collection invites fans and new listeners alike to experience compelling moments along the journey—from confusion and darkness to sparks of daylight and the assurance that no matter what, all will somehow work out for the best.
Carol co-produced Smile (and co-wrote all but one of its songs) with Grammy nominated keyboardist, recording artist, composer and producer Jeff Lorber, who played on her popular 2002 release Duboc and co-wrote the track “I Wanna Love Someone” with her on that album. Lorber invited several of the studio greats who worked on his most recent Jeff Lorber Fusion recording Galaxy to add their jazzy sensibilities and soulful power to the Smile sessions – including drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, electric bassist Jimmy Haslip and guitarist Michael Thompson. Select tracks of Smile feature Grammy nominated bassist Brian Bromberg.
Carol has received much critical acclaim for her solo recordings and live performances over the years. Christopher Loudon of Jazz Times Magazine wrote: “…keenly imaginative Duboc [is] one of the most interesting and dynamic jazz singers of her generation.” Don Heckman of the LA Times referred to her as an “Unsung hero” and declared that her “singing has the strength and originality to move her into the top level of jazz vocalists regardless of genre.”
The Kansas City native first stepped out as a solo artist with her unique urban jazz style on her 2001 Gold Note debut With All That I Am, a set of original songs which earned critical acclaim and established her as a dynamic new jazz-influenced singer/songwriter. Sandy Shore, founder of smoothjazz.com captured the industry and fan response when she declared, “Smooth Jazz has a new poster girl!” This album featured legendary three time Grammy nominated flutist Hubert Laws, whose inimitable contributions have been a joyful constant throughout the singer’s recording career.
Upon the release the next year of her self-titled Duboc, a collection of mostly original songs featuring guest spots by Lorber, keyboardist Patrice Rushen and saxophonist Gerald Albright, Christopher Louden of Jazz Times spoke for many when he exclaimed: “ “Those who think that lightning never strikes twice are advised to lend an ear to Carol Duboc’s sophomore CD.” All Of You (2005) and Songs for Lovers (2008), both of which spawned singles that reached the Top 5 of the Radio & Records airplay chart, continued the singer’s trend of mixing colorful, romantic originals with classics by everyone from The Beatles, Bill Withers and Sting (All of You) to Marvin Gaye and Roberta Flack (Songs for Lovers).
After moving back to her hometown of Kansas City after many years in Los Angeles, Carol released a powerful tribute to another KC native, the Burt Bacharach Songbook. The 12 track set featured Laws along with the singer’s all-star Kansas City quartet including Danny Embrey (Sergio Mendes, Karrin Allyson), Bob Bowman (Freddie Hubbard), Joe Cartwright (Mel Torme) and Tim Cambron. Duboc originally recorded one of the Bacharach classics (“Anyone Who Had A Heart”) on her Duboc CD.
Beyond her career as a recording artist, Carol has had her songs on many gold and platinum recordings whose sales total over four million units. Over the years, she has written and arranged for Patti Labelle (“This Word Is All” on the gold selling Gems), Chante Moore (the title track on the gold selling Precious), Tom Jones (“Fly Away,” a Top Ten hit in the UK), Stephanie Mills (“Never Do You Wrong”), Jade (“That Boy” on the platinum debut Jade To The Max), Ricky Lawson, Maurice White, George Duke and The Fine Young Cannibals, among many others.
The singer made her big screen debut in 2005 as “Pumpkin” in Be Cool, which starred John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Danny DeVito. In addition, Carol has been a special guest on several Ladies’ Jazz all-star compilations along with icons from different eras, including Sarah Vaughan, Jane Monheit, Diana Krall, Dinah Washington and others.
Carol started started playing piano at age five and saxophone at age 8. She moved to Los Angeles to attend USC’s School of Music, where she majored in vocal performance and music composition and minored in music engineering. While at USC, her soulful vocal style and songwriting talents attracted the attention of legendary hip hop producer Teddy Riley–and as word spread of her diverse talents as a singer and songwriter, she began working with the top artists and producers in the business.
Carol currently lives in Los Angeles California and is the founder of the popular website Wineandmusic.com, the #3 radio station in the genre on Live365.com, which specializes in pairing fine wine with great music