Mindi
Abair is one of the most dynamic performers on the music scene today. In addition to her acclaimed solo work, she
was the featured saxophonist on the 2011 and 2012 seasons of American Idol,
jammed with Paul Shaffer on the Late Show with David Letterman and joined rock
legends Aerosmith for their 2012 summer tour. More recently, Abair received a
2014 GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category for Summer
Horns, a #1 recording with her friends Dave Koz, Gerald Albright and Richard
Elliot, four of the most pre-eminent saxophonists in contemporary music.
In a
career that spans seven solo albums and countless collaborations in the studio
and live on stage, Abair has made her mark on a broad stretch of the musical
landscape that includes jazz, pop, rock, R&B, soul, funk and more. The
powerhouse saxophonist/vocalist has made scores of friends along the way and
earned the respect of top-shelf artists representing every one of the
aforementioned genres.
Several
of those friends join her on Wild Heart, her new album that includes guest
performances by – and songwriting collaborations with – Gregg Allman, Joe
Perry, Booker T. Jones, Keb’ Mo’, Trombone Shorty, Max Weinberg, Waddy Wachtel
and others. Produced by Abair and the illustrious Los Angeles production trio
The Decoders (Adam Berg, Itai Shapira and Todd Simon), Wild Heart is set for
release on May 27, 2014, on Heads Up, a division of Concord Music Group.
“I’ve
had all these friends in rock ’n’ roll and pop for so many years. I’ve been a
part of their music and careers, but I never quite knew how they could fit into
my career.” Abair says. “I’ve worked hard to write songs that had more of an
organic spirit about them – a little more rock and roll, a little more soul,
and a lot more abandon.”
By
enlisting colleagues in rock and pop circles in the making of Wild Heart, Abair
has created something that stretches her beyond the contemporary instrumental
groove that has characterized some of her earlier recordings.
Wild
Heart is all that and more. The 11-song set opens with the upbeat “Amazing
Game,” a track co-written by Abair and GRAMMY®-winning songwriter Jim Peterik,
a pop/rock veteran who penned the Ides of March hit single “Vehicle” in 1970,
and later Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” in 1982. “Amazing Game” also features
swaggering horn lines courtesy of Trombone Shorty, the New Orleans native whose
past alliances have included Lenny Kravitz and Aerosmith.
“Amazing
Game” is the first of two songs on which Peterik and Abair share writing
credits. The second is “Train,” a thumping track that showcases Abair’s
powerful vocals alongside her solid saxophone work. “Jim and I have written so
many songs together and I’ve recorded with The Ides of March and on his
records. It’s an honor to put our songs on my record for the first time. We had
such a blast writing them.”
The
scorching instrumental “Kick Ass” features rock icon Joe Perry, guitarist and
co-founder of Aerosmith. “I wrote this song with my friend Matthew Hager, and
while we were demoing it I was fresh off the Aerosmith tour and picturing Joe
Perry rocking the guitar part while walking down the runway towards 50,000 fans
with the wind in his hair. I had to call him to see if he would play on it.”
Perry heard the song and joined Mindi in the studio the next week to record it.
“What a high to play back and forth in the studio with one of my favorite
guitarists of all time. When Matthew heard it, he just about fell off his chair!”
“I’ll Be
Your Home” is a swampy ballad that features Keb’ Mo’ in a vocal duet with Abair
(Keb’ also plays guitar and tambourine on the track). Abair says, “Keb’ and I
have been playing on each others records for many years. We started playing
together in LA clubs when maybe eight people would come to see us. We were
nobody at the time. So it’s been fun to watch his career take off in the years
since and be a part of each other’s lives and music. He’s one of my favorite
human beings and musicians, and he adds a lot of home to this song.”
“The
Shakedown,” a throwback to the beginnings of rock ’n’ roll when the saxophone
was an integral part of the sound, features guitarist and co-writer Waddy
Wachtel, along with drummer Max Weinberg, the anchor of Bruce Springsteen’s E
Street Band for nearly four decades. Abair established a connection with
Weinberg shortly after the death of E Street saxophonist Clarence Clemons in
2011. A few tour dates with Weinberg – including a benefit concert that
included an appearance by Springsteen – played a huge role in the genesis of
Wild Heart. “Max means every note he plays,” says Abair. “Playing Clarence
Clemons’ parts with him and Bruce made me delve deeper inside myself – just go
for broke and let everything out. I wanted that abandon for my record.”
The
understated and slinky “Addicted to You” features keyboardist Booker T. Jones,
leader of the highly influential Booker T. and the MGs, the de facto house band
for the Stax label during their heyday in the ‘60s and early ‘70s. “Booker is
such a hero of mine,” says Abair. “Here’s a guy who really invented a sound and
changed the world. I wanted the chance to write with him – I just knew we could
create magic. I knew we would write something meaningful, and this song
absolutely haunts me.”
The set
closes with “Just Say When,” a heartfelt ballad that harkens back to
keyboardist and co-author Gregg Allman’s roots with the Allman Brothers. “It
was actually Gregg’s idea to write something together,” says Abair. “I went to
his house for three days to write with him, and we bonded so much and delved
deep to come up with this song. I played with him last year and felt this
electricity singing and playing with him. He’s all heart and vibe. What a gift
to have him write, play and sing on this record.”
Wild
Heart is, in many respects, Abair’s culmination of many years of collaborating
in the studio and/or onstage with some of the most prominent figures in
contemporary popular music. “People look at me a bit funny when they see the
extreme diversity of artists I’ve toured or recorded with – Teena Marie,
Aerosmith, Duran Duran, Lee Ritenour, Keb’ Mo’ and The Backstreet Boys. I
always went with my heart, and it’s been quite an adventure musically. No title
accurately described the music from this record to me, so I decided to title it
after myself, a Wild Heart that’s had a great time letting go and letting this
record take shape organically with people I love. I hope people have as much
fun listening as I’ve had making this music.”
