Mindi Abair's Based On a True Story: A Genre-Defying Journey of Love, Life, and Music

On June 13, 2025, acclaimed saxophonist, vocalist, and songwriter Mindi Abair is set to release her 14th solo album, Based On a True Story, under her label, Pretty Good For A Girl Records. This highly anticipated album marks a significant evolution in Abair's musical journey, blending sleek pop production with the timeless soul of retro grooves. Inspired by her real-life experiences, the album conveys moments, memories, and emotions through music, offering a deeply personal collection of songs.

Born on May 23, 1969, in St. Petersburg, Florida, Mindi Abair was immersed in music from an early age. Her paternal grandmother was an opera singer, and her father was a saxophonist and B3 player in a blue-eyed soul group called The Entertainers. By age five, she was playing piano, and by eight, she had transitioned to the saxophone. Abair attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, graduating magna cum laude in 1991 with a degree in Woodwind Performance. She quickly made a name for herself in Los Angeles, performing with artists like Adam Sandler, Duran Duran, and Aerosmith. Her solo career has produced ten No. 1 radio singles, two No. 1 Billboard Jazz CDs, and four more solo CDs that have landed in the top five on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts. Abair was also the featured saxophonist on American Idol and has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 

Based On a True Story: An Album of Personal Narratives

Based On a True Story is a bold, modern album that blends sleek pop production with the timeless soul of retro grooves. Inspired by Mindi’s real-life journey, this deeply personal collection of songs conveys moments, memories, and emotions through music.

Produced by multi-platinum producer/songwriter Wayne Rodrigues and Mindi Abair, and mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Tony Maserati, the album is rich with lush arrangements and heartfelt storytelling. With special guest appearances by legendary bassist Marcus Miller, R&B icon Kenny Lattimore, keyboard virtuoso Bobby Lyle, hit-maker vocalist Delisha Thomas, and rising star Arthur Thompson, Based On a True Story is a genre-blending experience—pop-driven with Contemporary Jazz and Soul undercurrents—that’s as authentic as it is unforgettable.

Full Tracklist

1. Day Dreaming
   A floating, groove-laced escape where Mindi’s saxophone floats effortlessly, like sunlight streaming through sheer curtains on a lazy afternoon.

2. A Thousand Miles
   A sultry, road-trip-ready rhythm—a sophisticated pulse that beckons you to chase something, or someone, far away.

3. Oooh-Aah (Catalina)
   A sun-kissed homage to carefree days on the coast. With a retro vibe and wind-in-your-hair charm, it feels like summer bottled into a song.

4. The Way That You Love Me (featuring Delisha Thomas)
   Struts in with a funky pop swagger, with shimmering vocals from Delisha Thomas—best known for writing hits for Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, and Justin Bieber.

5. 3rd Street Promenade (featuring Bobby Lyle)
   A hypnotic duet where piano and saxophone weave an effortless conversation—historic, heartfelt, and alive.

6. Siena Sunrise
   Captures the magic of Tuscany. Written during Mindi’s Wine & Jazz Adventure in Tuscany, it’s a love letter to the ancient buildings, slow mornings, and the golden hush of dawn.

7. Nouveau Soul
   A bold, brass-laced celebration of ‘70s funk. Joyful, defiant, and dripping with vintage cool, it radiates the freedom of a dancefloor that never ages.

8. Fool’s Gold (featuring Kenny Lattimore)
   A sleek and modern meditation on love’s authenticity. Mindi’s saxophone winds around him like a heartbeat—raw, real, and achingly beautiful.

9. Falling In Love (featuring Delisha Thomas)
   A joyful, up-tempo gem that feels like dancing in the kitchen with someone you adore. The chorus is contagious—you’ll be humming it long after the last note fades.

10. Everything’s Gonna Be All Right (featuring Arthur Thompson)
    An understated standout, written for Mindi’s daughters. With Arthur Thompson’s smooth vocals anchoring the emotion, it’s a song of quiet strength and hope, whispering reassurance straight to the soul.

11. The Rundown (featuring Marcus Miller)
    A funk-driven thrill ride featuring legendary bassist Marcus Miller. With breakbeat swagger and cinematic energy, it’s a car chase in sound—fast, gritty, and undeniably cool.

Mindi reflects on the creation of the album:

“My life over the past few years has felt like a fairy tale. I created WineandJazz.com with my husband Eric, and we now take people around the world to beautiful destinations where we immerse in the culture, the food, the wine and of course the music. These experiences have shaped me and expanded my mind in so many ways. This record and these songs are a direct reflection of this beautiful journey.”

Upcoming Tour Dates

To celebrate the release of Based On a True Story, Mindi Abair will be performing at various venues across the country. Here are some of the upcoming tour dates:

• Highworth Jazz Festival – May 31, 2025

• Dunkerton’s Jazz Sessions – June 5, 2025

• Gloucester Docks Warehouse Four – June 18, 2025

• Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club – July 13, 2025

• Tetbury Goods Shed – July 26, 2025

• Ross on Wye Corn Exchange – October 9, 2025

• Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho – November 10, 2025

Mindi Abair is a 2x GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist, vocalist, author, and wine entrepreneur. With a career spanning over two decades, she has recorded with some of the biggest names in music and has built a substantial following among jazz and blues audiences with her soaring melodies and powerhouse style. In 2018, Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers won 8 Independent Blues Awards including Artist of the Year, and an Independent Music Award for Best Blues Song Fan Award for “Pretty Good For A Girl” featuring Joe Bonamassa. They won the 2019 LA Critics Award for Best Holiday Album for All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues. In 2019, 2020, and 2021, Mindi was nominated by the Blues Music Awards as the Best Instrumentalist: Horn.