Time for Love is a collection of fourteen standards from The Great American Songbook with some vintage soul songs mixed in. Inspired by and dedicated to Christopher Boscole's grandmother, the album is both a trip down Memory Lane and a fresh update on some "oldies but goodies." I should say upfront that I've reviewed several of Christopher's previous releases and have known him as an excellent pianist/composer, so it was a surprise to discover that most of the tracks are vocals and feature Christopher on soprano sax as well as electric piano, string synthesizer and organ - a fun and very pleasant surprise! I should also clarify that Christopher doesn't sing on the album. Solo vocals are provided by Stephanie Porter, Greta Matassa, Nancy Erickson Lamont and Angela Petrucci on from one to four tracks each - two tracks are instrumentals. There is a similarity in the range of the four singing voices that creates a consistency from one track to the next, yet there are distinct differences in singing styles that keep the 72-minute album interesting from start to finish.

The cover photo is of Christopher's grandmother and he explains: "Madge Barnes - my grandmother - sang, danced and played mandolin as a member of 'The Masqueria Sisters' and after endorsement by the Gibson Guitar Company, they became 'The Gibson Girls,' a national act that toured the country as a headliner for years in the vaudeville circuit. This album is in tribute to her memory."

Time for Love begins with "Betcha By Golly, Wow," a ballad made famous by The Stylistics in 1972. Sung by Stephanie Porter, the song features some silky-smooth and soulful sax as well as guitars, bass and drums - a beautiful start! "Chan's Song" was written by Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, and is also sung by Stephanie Porter - smooth and soulful. "I'm Glad There Is You" dates back to 1941 and was written by Paul Madeira and Jimmy Dorsey. Considered a jazz standard, this version features Greta Matassa's vocals along with sax, drums, guitar and bass - perfect for a romantic slow dance! "You Are So Beautiful" was made famous in 1974 by Joe Cocker and others followed suit. Boscole's arrangement is an instrumental with sax in the lead backed by guitars, drums and bass - again, very soulful! "Moon River," Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer's award-winning hit from 1961 gets a fresh make-over with Stephanie Porter's vocals, sax, drums and bass. Christopher's sax is especially poignant and dreamy on this one! "Summer of '42 (Main Theme)" has been a favorite instrumental of mine since the movie was released in 1971. Porter and Boscole give it a soulful update that reminds of why I like the song so much! "The Girl From Ipanema" is a bossa nova classic from the mid-1960's refreshed with sax, strings, bass, drums and vocals by Angela Petrucci. The second instrumental is the closing track, "My Funny Valentine" by Rodgers and Hart - so smooth and heartfelt as well as the perfect ending to an excellent album.

Time for Love is available to download or stream from Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes as well as on many streaming platforms including Spotify and Pandora. Highly recommended!