In the arena of God given talent, it is apparent that Mindi Abairs’ were “supersized”. A reat saxophonist, a terrific vocalist and an adept composer all adds up to one very alented artist. With “Stars”, her debut release on Peak Records, Mindi catapults her supercharged mix of pop, soul and jazz, with its stellar melodies, insinuating rhythms, sultry sax, and seductive vocals into the realm of the extraordinary.

Her 2003 debut CD, “It Just Happens That Way”, debuted in the Top 5 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and remained in the Top 10 for 19 consecutive weeks. The hit single “Lucy’s,” was #1 on the airplay charts for a record-breaking eight weeks and Abair as hailed for leading a new movement in contemporary music. Abair has not only set sonic trends, but has broken all the boundaries as she continues to define the less raditional future of jazz.

For Abair, named the Best New Artist at 2003’s National Smooth Jazz Awards, it’s been wild few years, and her 2004 follow-up disc “Come As You Are” which dug into deeper emotional and stylistic territory while spawning two more hit singles kept the momentum jetting skyward. In 2006, Abair released “Life Less Ordinary” which sustained her string of chart topping albums. Her songs have been featured on everything from Aaron Spelling’s hit “Summerland” to a Women in Jazz feature at the Grammys to
Panasonic’s Jumbotron in Times Square.

Once again helping Abair convey the emotion, groove and sparkle that puts her music over the top is Matthew Hager (John Taylor of Duran Duran, Simply Red, Scott Weiland, Mandy Moore), her friend from their days at the Berklee College of Music who has been a trusted collaborator and her producer since “It Just Happens That Way”. The two cowrote nine of the new tracks, starting from the mindset of doing something completely different musically.

When asked about their childhoods and musical influences, many artists look back fondly on a certain album or song they heard, or certain moment of epiphany where their future came clear. "Not me," says Abair, a St. Petersburg, Florida native who spent much of her early life on the road with her father's band. "Between watching my father onstage and spending time with my grandmother who was an opera singer, music was always around me. My parents gave in to my constant banging on the piano with lessons at age five, and when I was able to choose a band instrument in fourth grade, I copied my father and went straight for the saxophone. Music was always my normal. I never considered doing
anything else. And by the time someone told me it was odd for a girl to play an instrument for a living, thankfully it was too late."

Abair was never handed success, though. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams. After months of waitressing, bouncing back and forth from odd jobs, and sitting in at every club that would let her, she decided to forgo the usual "day job" approach and take a different one. She decided to play her saxophone acapella on the street in Santa Monica, CA. "I was desperate to play, and it wasn't easy to break into the L.A. music business as a newcomer. I decided to "do what I do", no matter how unglamorous the situation was. It paid the rent for a while!" It
didn't take long for people to recognize her talent and get her off the street. Jazz veteran Bobby Lyle took her card as he walked by one day and hired her to record on his Power of Touch CD and tour with him. Since that time, Abair's impressive career as a sideperson has included touring and/or recording with a wide range of artists Mandy Moore, Jonathan Butler, Lee Ritenour, Bobby Lyle, Adam Sandler, Keb Mo, and The Backstreet Boys on their famous 1999-2000 Millennium Tour, which found Abair playing keyboards, percussion and saxophone, soloing before thousands of screaming teens every night. More recently, she sat in with 80s pop icons Duran Duran for a handful of dates on their recent American tours; and joined Josh Groban as his opening act for his 2004 sold out fall tour.

Not one to be pigeonholed, “Stars” represents a musical shift for Mindi. In addition to her signature sax sound, she has effectively integrated more vocals on this album expanding her reach musically and hopefully expanding her reach into a wider audience. Listeners who are constantly searching for something fresh may find renewed zeal in Mindi Abair’s latest release. Production-wise, Abair and Hager complement her core vocal-and sax-driven sound with contributions from a series of top L.A. session and touring players, a few personal heroes, and a couple of famous friends.

As one of only a few female saxophonists in the music world, Mindi Abair is definitely making her own statement and her presence known. “Stars” sends a message worth listening to, as it places Mindi in a stand-alone category when compared to her contemporaries. On top of everything else this CD has to offer, versatility is but one of its many attributes. It‘s guaranteed though that once they get a listen, everyone will be gazing at “Stars” from Mindi Abair.

http://mindiabair.com/