Life Less Ordinary by Mindi Abair: Smooth Jazz CD Review
by Lee Dennis, a.k.a. SmoothLee
Preceded by Come As You Are and It Just Happens
That Way, Life Less Ordinary is the third solo release for Mindi Abair since
signing with GRP Records. I believe this is by far
the most versatile of her works and may just be her best CD to date.
Mindi Abair plays with a maturity and style that are uniquely her
own. I really appreciate the way the songs are tightly woven with those who
accompany her on them, yet without being completely swallowed up.
Click to hear MP3
samples of each song on Life Less Ordinary
by Mindi Abair.
She certainly deserves kudos for being an
artist who is not at all afraid of trying new ideas. She could at this point
slip into that familiar pattern of creating tracks that are simply designed to
get radio play time but certainly does not choose that route.
With help from an outstanding cast of veteran musicians,
like Lalah Hathaway,
Ricky Peterson, Keb’ Mo and long time collaborator Matthew Hager, Mindi blows new life into
what at times can become a stagnant array of
smooth jazz offerings. Smooth Jazz fans who are constantly on the look out for something
fresh may find renewed hope in this CD.
Life Less Ordinary is a CD release filled with upbeat rhythms, seductive moods and a variety
of songs that seem to push the envelope of Mindi's creative flow. Tracks such as
Do You Miss Me?, The Joint and Slinky are great examples of just how funky Mindi
can get.
Clearly apparent on
songs like track 2, Long Ride Home is the influence of David Sanborn, Tom Scott, and Michael Brecker on her playing.
Although Life Less Ordinary does offer a full array of energetic funk, it
also includes a somber side as well. Track 5, Rain is dedicated to the victims of
Hurricane Katrina and the City of New Orleans which I thought was a real nice
touch on her part. The song captures both their depression during the hurricane's aftermath and their courage
to recover and go on.
With
this release she shows very clearly that she is a well rounded alto saxophone
player and musician. She shows a multi faceted side displaying skills as a musician, vocalist and
writer.
As one of
very few female saxophonists in
smooth jazz, Mindi Abair is definitely making her own powerful statement and
making her presence known in the world of smooth jazz.
She is certainly at this point one of the freshest sounds
active in the smooth jazz format.
With great songs, great sax playing and nice
vocals this is a 'fun
disc' and perfect companion for a Sunday afternoon drive.
I've heard some grumbling about some people
taking issue with her vocals. I however find them to be warm, almost to the
point of sultry and a great addition to her skill set.
I'd say this CD is a must buy.
The standout tunes are Do You Miss Me? [track
1], True Blue [track 6], and Far Away [track 10]. My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got
Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 7, Slinky. Nice and Funky!
Release Notes:
This CD was originally released April 18, 2006 on the GRP Records label.
CD track list follows:
1. Do You Miss Me?
2. Long Ride Home
3. It Must Be Love
4. The Joint
5. Rain
6. True Blue
7. Slinky
8. Ordinary Love
9. Bloom
10. Far Away
To listen to samples of each song on Life Less
Ordinary by Mindi Abair go to:
Mindi
Abair CD - Life Less Ordinary Samples
Lee Dennis, a.k.a. "SmoothLee" is an AVID music fan, smooth jazz in particular, and in addition to writing CD Reviews for
I Love Smooth Jazz.com
can also be heard during his
radio show which airs daily online at Smooth Jazz 24/7
Copyright 2006 - Lee Dennis. All Rights
Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article on your
website, blog, newsletter, or magazine as long as you leave all of the links
active, do not edit the article in any way, and give proper author name credit.
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