AMG Review of Duboc

Jonathan Widran
All Music Guide

This sweet-voiced, independent, adult contemporary artist is aiming for a mix of Diana Krall's deep sensuality and Sade's lighthearted seduction, with a slight tip of the cap to Astrud Gilberto. Hardly a powerhouse, but sweetly endearing all the same, her high and gentle vocal approach finds her tackling standards in both a gentle, smooth jazz way ("Anyone Who Had a Heart") and also with a Brazilian lilt ("Walk on By"). The latter tune has a pleasant lead vocal but is most memorable for its gentle samba guitar line by Wayne Johnson and Hubert Laws' twirling flute solo. Aside from going down easy, Duboc's chances for success in the genre are helped by numerous smooth jazz elite like saxman Gerald Albright and keyboardist Jeff Lorber. Also impressive are her songwriting skills, although perhaps she shouldn't be so obvious about her ambitions to compete with Sade (one of her songs is "This Is No Ordinary Love"). Maybe the laid-back, restrained style will work in her favor, too. Marilyn Scott, however, doing similar type material and with a much stronger vocal presence, has been trying for years to establish herself in the format and has only gotten so far.