27 Feb Jazz Ambassador Magazine, CD Review For the Record “… she’s a monster with a manuscript. I especially loved what was substituted over formerly innocuous pop hit, “Close to You.”

Carol Duboc Featuring Hubert Laws: Burt Bacharach Songbook

Personnel: Carol Duboc (vocals); Hubert Laws (flute); Luis Conte (percussion); Joe Cartwright (piano); Danny Embrey (guitar); Bob Bowman (bass); Tim Cambron (drums). Tracks: What the World Needs Now, Raindrops, Wives and Lovers, My Melody, Any One Who Had a Heart, Walk on By, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, The Look of Love, A House Is Not a Home, Close To You, Always Something There To Remind Me, Say a Little Prayer.

There was no promotional ma- terial/media insert accompanying this disc; suffice to say Carol Duboc’s latest CD is a collec- tion of regenerated Bacharach/ David hits, save an original she penned, “My Melody.”

Hubert Laws’ mellow flute figures fill out an already gifted backup band of (mostly) Kansas City greats – Danny Embrey, Joe Cartwright, Bob Bowman, Tim Cambron – plus another special guest star, Cuban percussionist extraordinaire, Luis Conte, whose deft accompaniment here is predictably exceptional.

“Wives and Lovers” (AKA “Hey, Little Girl”) is rearranged in 4/4 and several of the standards are re- worked structurally with smart and sassy alterations. Laws solos are lush throughout and several of our gang contribute clever takes: Joe’s solo pops the straight ahead (no more 6/4 measures) “Look of Love” and his samba chops sting on “Always Something There to Remind Me.” Danny delivers a lyrical “Wives and Lov- ers” and comps briefly on “A House is Not a House.”

The liner notes credit Duboc with the arrangements; if this is the case, she’s a monster with a manuscript. I especially loved what was substituted over formerly innocuous pop hit, “Close to You.”

She and Laws will be at the Folly Theater at 8:00 p.m. on December 12 if you’d like to witness them in person.