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Mindi Abair at The Empress Theatre

By Walter Atkins

Mindi Abair And The Boneshakers The Empress Theatre The EastWest Sessions CD Release Party Vallejo, CA November 10, 2017 Two time Grammy nominated saxophonist Mindi Abair, primarily known as a successful smooth/contemporary jazz musician and vocalist has moved into a new funk and rock oriented direction. Tonight's date at downtown Vallejo's Empress Theatre, featured tracks from her new CD The EastWest Sessions (Pretty Good For A Girl Records, 2017). Along her musical and personal ...

The Soul of Jazz: Stories and Inspiration from Those Who Followed the Song in Their Souls

By Trish Richardson

The Soul of Jazz: Stories and Inspiration from Those Who Followed the Song in Their Souls by Trish Richardson (Grayson James Press, 2011) includes interviews with nineteen world renowned jazz artists. The following is an excerpt from saxophonist Mindi Abair's chapter: What have you learned about your character as a result of being in this business? My dad was a musician, but he would never teach me music. My dad played sax and keyboards and bass--he ...

Mindi Abair: Game Changer

By Trish Richardson

You know a dream is like a river, Ever changing as it flows. And a dreamer's just a vessel, That must follow where it goes. --"The River," vocals by Garth Brooks, lyrics by Victoria Lynn Shaw You know what it's like to wake up in the middle of the night with a vivid dream? And you know that if you don't have a pencil and pad by the bed, ...

Mindi Abair: Wild Heart

By Jeff Winbush

Courtney Love courted controversy in a Rolling Stone interview when she shrugged off Clarence Clemons, the late and great “Big Man" saxophonist of Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band, “My Springsteen problem is just that saxophones don't belong in rock & roll," she said. “They just don't belong." Mindi Abair would like a word with you Miss Love. The fusion of jazz and rock was not the most beloved of hybrids. As practiced by bands like Chicago and ...

Mindi Abair: Defining the ‘It’ Factor

By Trish Richardson

It. What is It? How does one know if one has It? And more importantly, where does one get It? It. Such a small, unassuming word, barely taking up any space on the page. But just what is It? It. It is that almost indefinable, though easily recognizable “X" factor. It's quite obvious when someone has It--and when someone doesn't. It can be the difference between having a career in show business and not having one. ...

Mindi Abair: In Hi-Fi Stereo

By Jeff Winbush

As soul music has vanished from urban radio, driven out by the predominance of rap, hip-hop and Auto Tune, it's become harder to find real soul made with real instruments, either on record or on the airwaves.

A Mindi Abair album is not the go-to place that comes to mind for a showcase of old school soul and bluesy funk. Abair has carved out a niche as a capable, if not always inspired, smooth jazz saxophonist, cut from the cloth ...

Mindi Abair: In Hi-Fi Stereo

By Woodrow Wilkins

Sometimes, trends are a good thing. A number of recording artists have dipped back into old-school sounds--not necessarily remaking hits, but making new music using older styles. Saxophonist Mindi Abair follows suit with In Hi-Fi Stereo, a set of mostly original music. Abair was surrounded by musicians as a child, with a grandmother singing opera and a father playing saxophone and Hammond B-3 organ. At the age of 5, she took up the piano. She later studied woodwinds, ...

Mindi Abair: It Just Happens That Way

By Cheryl Hughey

With the release of It Just Happens That Way, Mindi Abair has rocked the jazz scene. Daring to go where no sax gal has gone before, she’s taken the music world hostage. The singles, “Lucy” and “Flirt,” have managed to climb their way up the charts, while positioning Abair as one of the top players in smooth jazz radio. However, Abair doesn’t label her music as jazz. It just happened that way.

“It’s been so cool because we ...