Mindi Abair

20 | SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS 20 | SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS Mindi Abair

A JOYOUS, EMOTIONAL RETURN TO PERFORMING

AND TOURING By Ken Capobianco

Over the course of her two-decadeplus career, saxophonist Mindi Abair has been a restless artist who’s never been afraid to explore the boundaries of her talents. The smooth jazz star has ventured into hard rock with Aerosmith, explored the pop world and got down and dirty with the blues. After a period of experimentation that saw her collaborating with blues and rock legends such as Booker T. Jones and the late Gregg Allman, Abair has turned her focus back to smooth jazz. Earlier this year she released a careerspanning compilation, The Best of Mindi Abair. While it contains songs from all the periods in her career, including an unreleased blues song with Jones, the set is primarily centered around her finest smooth jazz work. It features her hits “Lucy’s,” “Bloom,” “Come As You Are,” and the concert staple, “Be Beautiful.” Abair claims the record’s concentration on smooth jazz was an intentional decision after a period of reflection. “I took time during the pandemic to look back. I usually only look forward; ‘What am I doing tomorrow, and where are we going on tour?’ I never really thought about what type of musician I was,” she said via phone recently. “I just wanted to create music that made me feel something and moved me. In looking back, I realized I had this beautiful community in smooth jazz. That has been my thread, my community, and my friends. I found great joy with those people. And that’s why I created ‘The Best of.’ There are a few songs on there that were from records I did that were more blues-rock, but the majority is smooth jazz. That’s really where my heart lies.” While Abair is happy with the comprehensive collection displaying the many shades of her art, she had other plans for a new record until the pandemic hit. Like most people, Abair was forced to make an adjustment. “I recorded a record the weeks before the world shut down in March of ’20. That was my coming back to smooth jazz. We were in the studio in March, and I had written the songs over the few years before 2020 when I was doing blues-rock, but these songs came out of me. I didn’t have a place for them at the time. “They went on a shelf, and there came a point where my shelf was laden with songs. I looked at it and said, ‘I have to come back to me, and what I would say as a solo artist.’ And, what I had to say were more personal and touchy-feely songs—maybe a little more funky poppy, so I made the record.” The album is called Forever, and will be out next year. One track from the album’s recording sessions, “April,” closes out The Best of Mindi Abair. She believes the climate just wasn’t right to put out Forever in the middle of a pandemic. It was clearly the right choice because many albums released in 2020 got lost amid the chaos. Abair is back on the road this year with her band and the Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns Tour with Kirk Whalum and Vincent Ingala. She confessed that her first shows with her band earlier this year were very emotional. The personable and wonderfully engaging musician said the

Photo: Greg Allen

pandemic-imposed isolation was trying. Finally connecting with audiences and making music with her band again was a deeply moving experience. “Some of the first concerts we played were for the new record, and I went back to my hometown, St. Petersburg, Florida,” she said. “Some of the places were close to my heart with family and friends. I felt safe. It was almost an out-of-body experience for those first couple of shows. Usually when I’m onstage, it’s kind of a zone that I’m in. “It’s a happy place, where I’m playing and I’m communicating with the audience—that beautiful back-and-forth energy. During those first couple of shows, I felt like I was looking at myself on the stage. I was thinking ‘Are we really here?’ ‘Is this really happening?’ And, I got choked up.” She paused momentarily and asked to emphasize one point. “We didn’t go on the road until we were vaccinated. That was a priority. We were safe, and we’re going to keep each other and everyone safe. We wear masks everywhere, apart from being onstage. That’s for us and other people. If we happen to get it, we make sure not to give it to others. We are incredibly aware of safety in all aspects, especially travel. You have to have respect for everyone and do the right thing.” Abair will be headlining both of the Thursday night “Unplugged Under the Stars” shows at the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival in October, and she can’t wait to get back to the island and the festival fans. “I love playing Catalina Island. I started playing Catalina in 1994. Art Good [the festival founder] saw me at a club—I was a sax player in another band in La Jolla—and he came up to me and said he’d love to have me as a special guest. “I’d never been to Catalina, and found it amazing. I sat in as a special guest with Keiko Matsui. I had no record and hadn’t done anything. I sat in with Rick Braun at a local restaurant, The Blue Parrot, afterwards. That was the start of our friendship. I really feel Catalina Island is like a second family for me. I love to go, and have so many friends. I’ve been there almost every year for something, whether it was the unplugged shows, the main stage, the Wrigley Ranch, whatever. It’s the mainstay of my career, and where I built it.” That career also evolved to include participation in annual smooth jazz holiday concerts. This year, she returns to A Peter White Christmas tour with the popular British-born guitarist and her Summer Horns bandmate, saxophonist Ingala. The Hollywood resident has added a new title to her resume through her joint venture with her husband and wine connoisseur, Eric Guerra. Together they launched ReserveTastings.com, a membership-only club that pairs wine and music. It has expanded to include wine-music travel adventures. Abair explained the impetus for the company. “I have spent my life creating music, and Eric has spent his creating incredible wineries. At a certain point, we looked at each other and thought, ‘How do we live the life we want to live?’ “I’ve pretty much lived my dream throughout my life, and our dream was to be with each other more. With this, he can do what he does—his passion is wine—and I could do what I do—be out on the road, play with my band and create music.” She went on to explain the unique concept. “He finds incredible wines that no one else can find, and we brand each one of them. I create the artwork, and sometimes I use the artwork from my friends, but it’s all music-centric, so each bottle has its own music-oriented label. Then I curate a music playlist to go with each wine.” continued on page 22

continued from page 21 The traveling component takes members to different locations, where wine is shared, and music is played. “We take people on adventures,” she said enthusiastically. “We had one in June to Sonoma for five days, and we’ll have one in Tuscany in November. “We visit wineries, do tastings, and eat at Michelin restaurants. There is a concert each night in a different style to suit the winery. Guests have included Braun and guitarist Randy Jacobs. “We eat amazing food, drink amazing wine, and build these wonderful relationships with others. It bonds people. The plan is to do two adventures per year— one in the States and one abroad.” Abair is a very thoughtful, curious conversationalist, and she has a lot to say about her art and passions. She admitted that the music industry can often be unforgiving and difficult to negotiate, but added that she has followed certain principles and ideals that have guided her through her career. “Anyone who is an artist follows their passion—whether it be fine art, music or something like that—you have to keep inspired. I’ve seen friends go through incredibly inspired years, and they lose themselves. Inspiration can be fleeting. I went through a period like that when I kind of got bored with myself. I thought, ‘I created all this music and achieved my dreams, so what do I do from here?’” She hesitated to consider her words before continuing. “I didn’t want to make the same record again, and wanted to grow, but I had to find inspiration because the same one wasn’t working anymore. We go through changes and have different experiences, but we have to keep searching.” Ultimately, she focused her energies and committed to trying new things. “I did a lot of things I love and sat in with people I never had before. I said yes to things I wouldn’t have years earlier. That turned out to be incredible. I went on the road with Aerosmith, played for a night with Bruce Springsteen and went on the road with Max Weinberg [Springsteen’s drummer].”

Photo: Chyna Photography

ON TOUR

Oct. 14 and Oct. 21

34th Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival “Unplugged Under the Stars” Descanso Beach Avalon, California www.jazztrax.com

Nov. 1-5

Mindi Abair’s Wine + Music Adventure in Tuscany Grand Hotel Continental Siena (a five-star resort) Siena, Italy www.reservetastings.com/ tuscany-2021 888-758-8687, ext. 3 Nov. 17-19

3rd Annual Mindi Abair’s Punta Gorda Wine + Music Festival Various venues Punta Gorda, Florida www.mindiabair.com

Dec. 19

A Peter White Christmas featuring Mindi Abair and Vincent Ingala Sycuan Casino El Cajon (San Diego County), California www.sycuan.com

The lesson Abair learned is a simple but important one that should resonate with all artists. “What I realized is that sometimes you have to open up yourself to things you may not feel comfortable with. You have to allow yourself to grow. You have to believe that what you are creating is what’s in your heart.” For more information on Abair, including her complete tour schedule, visit www.mindiabair.com.

Various dates in November and December

A Peter White Christmas featuring Mindi Abair and Vincent Ingala Various venues nationwide www.mindiabair.com