★★★★★
It can sometimes appear as if the saxophone is the only instrument in contemporary jazz music. That's not true, but smooth jazz fans do love themselves some sax players. Some of that has to do with the success of Grover Washington Jr., who became a bona fide pop star on the instrument in the 1970s and 80s. Washington, in turn, was likely inspired by players such as Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Johnny Hodges, Sonny Rollins and of course John Coltrane...
- www.soultracks.com
2014-06-07
★★★★★
I've been a fan of this high-energy saxophonist since her debut CD. I thought I'd heard the funkiest that this recently married cutie (I guess we were all just a little too late, fellas!) had to offer when she brought us "Lucy's" and "Flirt" back then. Boy, was I ever wrong! Three CDs later, she's proving to have more than enough staying power and creativity to remain in our entertainment center CD racks and on our CD players in cars and homes everywhere...
- www.jazzreview.com
2010-08-23
★★★★★
Track Listing: Any Way You Wanna; All Star; L'Esprit Nouveau; Get Right; Be Beautiful; Down for the Count; Girls' Night Out; Let the Whole World Know (Sing Your Song); It's A Man's, Man's World; Take Me Home; The Alley. Personnel: Mindi Abair: alto saxophone, vocals, horn arrangement; James E...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2010-07-09
★★★★★
If all you've heard from Mindi Abair is what's played on smooth-jazz radio, you've probably got her pegged as a Sanborn-style saxophonist who offers bright and catchy songs. As a singer she's written and performed several girl-power-type ballads that are no worse than anything you might hear on your preferred soft-rock station. But Abair has also revealed a not-so-smooth edge. On In Hi Fi Stereo, her sixth CD, that edge is sharper than ever...
- www.jazztimes.com
2010-06-18
★★★★★
Track Listing: Any Way You Wanna; All Star; L'Esprit Nouveau; Get Right; Be Beautiful; Down for the Count; Girls' Night Out; Let the Whole World Know (Sing Your Song); It's a Man's Man's World; Take Me Home; The Alley. Personnel: Mindi Abair: alto saxophone, horn arrangement (1, 2, 4, 6-9), vocals (3, 5, 8); James E...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2010-06-10
★★★★★
In Hi-Fi Stereo is an outstanding salure to the ongoing creative genius of Mindi Abair as a saxophone performer. Her performances are flawless, and the musicians she is working with provide a remarkable background to her unique sound.This is a lively CD collection, and its jazz sounds will enchant a large listening audience. There are eleven songs in the collection...
- www.jazzreview.com
2010-05-20
★★★★★
Mindi Abair fans, mark your calendars. Your favorite sax player is about to drop her latest CD set called "In Hi-Fi Stereo" on May 18th. The CD gives listeners a treat as Mindi is paired up with some really solid industry musicians such veteran drummer James Gadson, bassist Reggie McBride and then there is the incomparable Lalah Hathaway who would blow you away with her impressive chops...
- www.jazzreview.com
2010-05-13
★★★★★
GRP Records has released Mindi Abair's latest CD entitled Life Less Ordinary, an album that is light years ahead of her second recording Come As You Are. This time out, Mindi revisits the energy and spontaneity of her 2003 release It Just Happens That Way. With assistance from a stellar cast of seasoned musicians, Mindi's alto saxophone blows new life into a sometimes stagnant array of smooth jazz offerings...
- www.jazzreview.com
2009-06-08
★★★★★
Everyday, jazz is bastardized, maligned, obscured and ridiculed in the name of art; however, that does not mean that aficionados and connoisseurs of the music should constantly be subjected to a standard that is mediocre at best. Smooth jazz is a term created by radio to highlight a style that does not always fall under the correct umbrella. In fact, this type of music makes for good airplay and is often married to pop and R&B; genres to specifically capture a selected target audience...
- www.jazzreview.com
2009-06-08