April 1998

Linda Sandoval
Jazz Sketches
Jazz'n' The Garden Records

By Sunsh Stein

Vocalist/pianist Linda Sandoval exhibits a flair for the oddball tune, as in "Cow-Cow Boogie" or her own "Roxbury Drive." She gives a nice twist to "Parker's Mood" and throws us a Spanish "Continental." With Joel DiBartolo on bass, she presents her choices in a clean, unadorned fashion, sticking close to the melody. Her spare piano styling offers just the right accents behind her clear, evocative voice, which is alternately spunky and mournful.