With vocals to match, the first lady of the saxophone is “live on stage” in 2021, more than 25 performances scheduled throughout the states.
Story by Terry Check
If you are a jazz enthusiast, then you certainlyhave listened to thejazz greats playing soul, rock, smooth, pop, and contemporary jazz musicians like, David Sanborn, Kenny Garrett, Mark Turner, and of course Mindi Abair. Noted for her innovations in composition, rhythm, melody, and technique, Mindi’s music is so distinctive, her signature so unmistakable always connecting with the audience.
The accolades follow when a musician is great not only for songwriting, and recording, but also performing on stage, mesmerizing the audience wanting far more than the last song.As a saxophonist and vocalist, Mindi Abair’s career, spanning the last 25 years, includes twelve #1 radio singles, two GRAMMY nominations, and two#1 Billboard albums. Performing with her band, Mindi Abair and the Boneshakershave recorded serval albums and in 2018 won eight Independent Blues Awards including the Artist of the Year.
In her earlier years, she toured with the greats like Aerosmith, The Backstreet Boys and Duran Duran, all influencing her heart and soul forever more. Her vocals are melodic, and her instrumentals are vibrant. Best of all …. She is a real person, like your next-door neighbor inviting you to her front porch for a glass of her musically inspired wine.
Terry “Mindi …. So nice to get together with you after City Winery in Atlanta a couple of years ago to finally write a magazine cover story about you with Masquerade Magazine.
Eric Guerra and you just finished an amazing 5-day event, “Mindi Abair’s Wine + Music Adventures” in Sonoma, California, a sold-out event. Your website, Reservetastings.com, describes in detail the daily happenings. Share with us the heart and soul of the adventure from your perspective. Was this your first adventure? And after the upcoming Tuscany adventure, what are your ideas for future adventures?”
Mindi “I’m still basking in the glow of our first Mindi Abair’s Wine + Music Adventure in Sonoma. The food, the wine, the settings, and the concerts were incredible. What I didn’t anticipate was the group, and the incredible bonds we built over our week together. It was a small group … 33 people … and it was the first post-covid outing for so many of us, and the energy was palpable. Experiencing all that we did over this week together was incredible, and we all just walked away with huge smiles on our faces!”
Terry “You pair your wine selection to your music. Do you pair your music to yourself or others around you?”
Mindi “My husband, Eric, has spent his life in the wine business. I’ve spent my life making music. He thinks and speaks about wine in geeky wine talk. I think about wine like I think about music. It represents feelings and sounds and lyrics to me. So, every bottle of wine we offer, I get to create the artwork for or have friends create it, and I curate a playlist paired with the wine. The playlists are all music that represents how the wine feels to me in music terms. Our new 2019 Sonoma Coast Flower Child Rosé has a “Summer of Love” playlist with a lot of hippie good vibes. Our 2019 Vive Le Soul Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir is paired with a playlist of incredible Soul music …. Sam Cooke, Booker T. Jones, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, etc.”
Terry “Did Eric bring wine into your life when you both got married, or did you always enjoy a glass of fine wine?”
Mindi “I always loved wine. I would go to our local K&L and have them recommend wines for me and I’d share them at my firepit with my neighbors. We loved to learn about wines. And I played so many incredible wineries like Rodney Strong and Mondavi. I’d always bring wine home with me! But meeting and marrying Eric took it to the next level. He’s as passionate about wine as I am about music! You must fall in love with wine through his eyes. I’ve learned so much and had so much fun trying things I’d never have known about!”
Terry “Setting wine aside (I love your “Wine + Music Club” concept.) During the lost pandemic year for so many folks, you spent the year writing music, working on a new album, and performing on your front porch, “Live at 5pm”. Share some of those moments with us.”
Mindi “2020 started as a year of ‘coming back to me.’ I had piled up so many songs over the years when we were making records and touring as Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers. These songs weren’t right for the band, but I knew at a certain point I wanted to record them. They were personal and heartfelt and in early March 2020 I went into the studio with friends to record my first solo Mindi Abair album since Wild Heart, which landed me my first GRAMMY Nomination. It was an incredible week in the studio, and as we were recording, the world started shutting down. It was a little surreal. We finished everything but a few of my lead vocal tracks before we had to go home and shelter in place. I figured the shelter in place would only be for a month or so, so I put together a little home studio and finished my lead vocals. We couldn’t even mix the album … we sent mixes back and forth remotely until I could go in months later and finalize the mixes in person with a mask on from about 10 feet back!
We were supposed to be on tour all year, with tour stops in Mallorca, Italy, Mexico, and all through the US. Everything disappeared immediately. I felt this incredible longing for people… my friends… my fans… it all just felt lonely. So we decided to go live from my living room.I would play piano and sing. I’d play some acapella saxophone. It was just all about connecting. And people tuned in! It was incredible. I felt connected, and we did it again and again and again. Every Tuesday I would figure out 6 songs and go live. It was a blast. I would live off the high for the next week. And I did it until we could safely have someone over socially distanced and play. We played on the porch… it was safe… and down home. No microphones for a while… no effects… no band… just me and one other friend. That was so liberating to play with someone. I have had Peter White, Dave Koz, Rick Braun, Ellis Hall, Byrd the Bailiff, Casey Abrams, Bill Champlin, Chris Standring, Patrick Bradley, Greg Manning and a bunch more to the porch to play … we’re up almost to 50 shows at this point. It’s been my happy place to do what I do and connect during such a tough time. And my husband Eric would come on and pour wine for us and have a little Cork Dork Wine Minute where he teaches us something about wine. It’s been a blast to make it a family affair. Some shows we have a few thousand come out for… some we have had 150,000 come out for. Amazing.”
Terry “Your first solo album was Always and Never the Same, and now you created your next solo single, Forever. Share your thoughts about your journey and the single’s “heart and soul”, unfiltered.”
Mindi “Actually my first solo album Always and Never the Samewas independently released in 2000. I was on the road with the Backstreet Boys at the time and was writing so much music. I couldn’t get a record label to take notice and sign me, so I made an album myself and put it out. It was pop/rock with all vocals… only one song with saxophone! Two years later Bud Harner came to see me play with Jonathan Butler at a New Years Eve show and told me he’d love to sign me as an instrumental artist to Verve Records. I was over the moon and jumped at the chance. I made 3 records for Verve and 3 records for Concord (Wild Heart was in there!) before starting Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers. And we made four albums together. I recorded a new album Forever at the beginning of 2020, but I didn’t release it. I finally released the title track “Forever” late in 2020, as I just felt in my heart that it was the right time to put out some new music. We all needed it!”
Terry “You did not become the next David Sanborn. You became Mindi Abair, a badass saxophonist, creating a soulful blend of pop, rock and blues. When I look at visual artwork, I can usually name the artist ….. when I listen to jazz, I know when you are playing. Your music is your voice.
In the earlier years, you toured with Aerosmith and The Backstreet Boys. How did the tours help shape your signature music of today?”
Mindi “I never dreamed to become a “sideman” or play with other artists. I dreamed of being a solo artist.. playing my own music… touring with my own band… making my own records. That’s not how it ended up, though. I moved to LA from college, and no one would hire me. I played on the street. I realized that everyone already had their sax player, and they were good! I needed to create my own niche to flourish. I played anywhere they’d let me… on the steps of City Hall, in the Macy’s mens underwear department, roaming in hotel lobbies playing solo saxophone. I put together bands to play local clubs and really worked to find my own place in LA. Along the way people started hiring me to play in their bands … Bobby Lyle hired me off the street on Santa Monica Boulevard. Adam Sandler hired me after some of his bandmates heard me play in a wedding band. Teena Marie hired me to take over for her saxophonist for a little while. The Backstreet Boys took me on an almost 2-year world tour, and I ended up putting together Mandy Moore’s first band right after that. John Taylor from Duran Duran co-wrote and played on the title track to my first album on Verve Records “It Just Happens That Way.” He asked me to go on tour with Duran Duran for their Comeback to the United States Tour. I did a handful of the US dates before I went back out with my band. And many years later in 2011-12 I was the featured saxophonist on American Idol. My first night on the show Steven Tyler said “Forget you, Who’s your sax player?” He later asked me to tour with Aerosmith, which you can’t say “No” to. Of course, I said “Yes!” Every one of these bands helped me find myself as an artist. I never thought it would be my journey to play for other people but delving into these artists’ music and finding my voice in them helped me find my ultimate voice as an artist. What a great gift to have these incredible bands around to teach me and lead me and allow me to grow up in them as an artist. The journey was killer!”
Terry “With the latest release of the album, The Best of Mindi Abair, with 19 great songs including “April”, what is beyond the best of Mindi Abair?”
Mindi “There is much more music to come, but my recording career has now spanned 21 years and this past year gave me the time to reflect on all this music. I’ve spent my life emoting and living song by song with my fans and friends. It was time to commemorate that with an album of my biggest hits, some new songs that no one had ever heard, and some songs that are uber meaningful to me. “April” was recorded in 2020 as part of my Forever album. I really wanted some new music on The Best of Mindi Abair. So we included this song… the album came out in April… the song was recorded as the world was shutting down. Now the world is opening up. It was fitting.”
Terry “When you write a song …. Where do you find the inspiration?”
Mindi “I always just take the melodies that are in my head. I’ll be driving and humming something, and I’ll record it on my phone. My phone is chock full of ideas for future albums! I think it’s fun to get together with friends and write… it’s so social and you just bounce off each other until you arrive at a song. I love that, and I haven’t been able to do that in some time now!”
Terry “Your vocals are beautiful. Are we going to hear more vocals in the future?”
Mindi “Thank you so much. My albums have always included a few vocals from me. Some are more vocal-heavy than others. The Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers albums are especially vocal-heavy. It was the right setting for me singing more. I’ll always play and sing. Saxophone reaches people differently than vocals. And I always feel something different when I write a song. I love to be able to go back and forth from sax to singing.”
Terry “Yes, you are an exceptionally talented musician, but how did you become such a great performer, connecting on a personal level with the audience?”
Mindi “I love that you say that. Thank you. I used to watch my father on stage with his band The Entertainers. They were a high energy soul band and they were so much fun. And throughout my childhood my dad put together rock bands to tour. I used to sit in their practice rooms for hours and watch them. I was glued to them! When MTV came around, I soaked it all in. No one told me it was odd to be a girl and play the saxophone until it was too late. I wanted to sing like Tina Turner. I couldn’t. But I could scream and whisper and emote like her on saxophone! And I loved the way Bruce Springsteen gave 1000% on stage. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were brothers out there. I realized I learned so much watching Joe Perry play … he’s a true rock star. I watched the best and tried to learn. I then toured with so many incredible bands… I had to write a book on stage performance “How To Play Madison Square Garden – A Guide To Stage Performance.” Hopefully it saves younger artists some time and effort. All the mistakes I’ve made and all the incredible things I’ve seen are in there to help someone take their art and help them connect to an audience.”
Terry “It looks like your “dance card” is full for the remainder of the year with about 25 live performances scheduled throughout the USA. Do you plan any live performances abroad?”
Mindi “I love that 2021 is filling up with live performances everywhere. I’ve missed everyone so much. We’re absolutely making it around the US EVERYWHERE! And I’ll be in Mallorca and Cancun and doing my Mindi Abair’s Wine + Music Adventure in Tuscany in November. Life is good!”
Terry “Looking forward in three to five years, where would you see yourself and career?”
Mindi “My life is simple. I want to keep making music and learning and growing. I always push myself to create and open myself up to more every year. I always want to grow musically. I love to tour, and I’m loving pairing my shows with wine tastings and our wine + music company http://www.reservetastings.com . We have so many amazing members throughout the US and it’s become such a family with people who love wine + music. I’m loving it. So… more of that! And I’m so eternally grateful for my friends and fans who helped me make it through this year. We did it together staying connected via Facebook live on my porch. What a special year it’s been connecting in a different way… that won’t stop. I’m going into the future with such a new perspective of connection with everyone who listens to my music and comes to my shows. What a beautiful thing.”
Masquerade Magazine extends a special thanks to Mindi Abair and her management team for the one-on-one interview with our feature writer, Terry Check. We will catch up with Ms. Abair during her current tour and publish a continuing story. Until then, enjoy her latest album, “The Best of Mindi Abair” her greatest hits, previously unreleased tracks and the latest single, “April”.
TRACK LIST:
The Best of Mindi Abair
1. Lucy’s (Radio Edit)*
2. Bloom (Radio Edit)*
3. Flirt
4. I’ll Be Your Home (featuring Keb’ Mo’)
5. Imagine*
6. Come As You Are (Radio Edit)*
7. Be Beautiful
8. True Love
9. True Blue
10. Wild Heart
11. Seven Day Fool – Mindi Abair And The Boneshakers
12. Make It Happen (featuring Booker T. Jones)*
13. Haute Sauce
14. Good Day For The Blues (Radio Edit) – Mindi Abair And The Boneshakers*
15. Pretty Good For A Girl (featuring Joe Bonamassa) (Radio Edit) – Mindi Abair
And The Boneshakers*
16. Just Say When (featuring Gregg Allman)
17. Smile
18. I Love To Play The Saxophone – Mindi Abair And The Boneshakers
19. April (Radio Edit)*
