27 Jun The Entertainment Bank: Smile (Carol Duboc)

Carol Duboc takes us on a thought provoking musical journey through the ups and downs, and finally dissolution, of her marriage with her newest CD “Smile” on Gold Note Music. She took all of her sadness, feelings of helplessness and anxiousness and put pen to paper to compose the lyrics for the 10 tracks of this CD.

Jeff Lorber, who plays keyboards, moog and guitar, arranged all of the tracks and served as co-producer. Also present and helping to convey Duboc’s message are the talents of Brian Bromberg on acoustic bass, Hubert Laws on flute, Michael Thompson on guitar, Luis Conte on percussion, Tim Carmon on piano, and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums.

“Elephant” opens the CD, and describes how she and her husband finally address the fact that their marriage is over.  Duboc creates imaginative and innovative lyrics to express her deepest feelings.  With “Smile”, Duboc artfully shows listeners that one can recover from such a life changing ordeal.

Jeff Lorber’s arrangements also do not disappoint, heavy with funky and soulful rhythms. Each arrangement highlights the happy or turbulent times of Duboc’s relationship. Hubert Laws unmistakable style on the flute is aptly displayed on “Telepathy” and “Parachute” with jazzy solos.  Lorber’s imprint is unmistakable on each song.  His signature funky style is a great accompaniment to Lorber’s lyrics and soulful voice. This is a CD with meaning and flavor, and one that was very much enjoyed by this reviewer.