2010 · Album
A Time for Love
Recorded 2009–2010 · Concord Records · Produced by Jorge Calandrelli and Gregg Field
Sandoval Strips Down, Lets Melody Breathe
A departure that lets Sandoval's trumpet sing without excess, pairing him with first-rate musicians in intimate settings.
A Time for Love is restrained by Sandoval's standards—a deliberate step back from the Latin fusion and pop-inflected arrangements that have defined most of his career. The trumpet sits front and center, uncluttered. When Chris Botti appears, it's two horns trading phrases over piano and bass. When Kenny Barron takes the wheel, the tempo settles into something conversational. The production, handled by Jorge Calandrelli and Gregg Field, favors clarity over spectacle. You hear the room. You hear the breath.
This is late-career Sandoval, and it matters because it signals a genuine shift in priorities. After decades of making records designed to please everyone—crossover albums, pop collaborations, Latin jazz spectacles—he's made something that simply asks you to listen. The emotional restraint is startling. Kenny Barron and Shelly Berg provide piano accompaniment that never overwhelms; Monica Mancini adds voice where the arrangement calls for it, never oversells the moment. AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek noted the sharp contrast with his catalog, suggesting this might be his strongest work, though he wisely hedged that only time would tell.
It's not a reinvention. Sandoval is still Sandoval—the technique is immaculate, the tone warm and centered. But the ambition here is smaller and, paradoxically, more daring: prove that his trumpet alone, partnered with excellent musicians and honest arrangements, is enough. For listeners who've found his earlier work too eager to please, this is the record to start with.
Who's playing
Chris Bottitrumpet
