by Angela Hail, Oklahoma Correspondent

Sandy Zio’s debut album, All That I Am, is a good, solid adult contemporary CD.  With a rich, soothing voice that took me back to the hay days of Gloria Estefan and Amy Grant, with accompanying music to match, Sandy Zio is an emerging artist that can hold her own vocally and will appeal to anyone who is looking for a new mellow pop CD to add to their collection.                                                 

She opens up with the title track, “All That I Am,” which sets the tone for the rest of the album.  It is sweet and sentimental with very few surprises.  Track 4, “Don’t Stop Talking,” takes it up half a notch.  This is a love song with a little more sass and some interesting vocal layering.  It’s a little freer, a little more upbeat than the first three songs.

The sixth song on the disc is a fun, jazzy version of the old Carpenters song, “We’ve Only Just Begun.”  Backed by electronic piano and a snappy drum track, this is one you might find yourself clapping your hands and bobbing your head to.

On “Sister Madelene,” the album’s eight track, we get a taste of what Sandy can do when she really lets loose.  She pushes herself vocally, displaying pipes impressive enough to stand next to any pop diva, and even shows a little attitude.  I wish there were more tracks on the album like this one.  With a surprise electric guitar mini-solo and what sounds like a full brass section backing her, this song really grooves.

Sandy takes it down a notch after “Sister Madelene” and slips back into the smooth jazz dream she had established at the beginning of the disc.  Track 10, “Dayanu,” caught my ear with its sophisticated musical undertones. Richie Cannata, who renders a beautiful soprano sax solo, is not listed on the album credits, but is mentions on Sandy’s website.

And track 12 is a well-executed cover of Stevie Wonder’s, “Overjoyed.”  Here again the vocals are impeccable, and the mood is intoxicating.  One of my favorite tracks, this is a song to be relished.

The final track on this CD, “Questo Dolce Sogno,” is an Italian version of the fifth track, “Ever After.”  Backed by melodic piano, it leaves you with a lingering sentimentality.

The CD art for this disc (because I’m a sucker for good album art) is a pleasant mix of tasteful photos of Sandy Zio, backgrounds done in rich earth tones, and full lyrics for each song. There are also occasional sketches that have a sometimes Victorian and sometimes 1920’s flapper-era vibe that I found particularly nice.  Sandy Zio’s These are credited to Robert Cobuzio for “original artwork.”

All That I Am is a tasty little album by an emerging new talent.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 11:31 pm and is filed under CD Reviews, Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.