In Hi-Fi Stereo
Product ID: 19348184
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Audio Mixer: Kennie Takahashi. Recording information: Sonora Recorders, Los Angeles, CA; The Village Studios, Los Angeles, CA. More than a few jazz critics have been quick to dismiss Mindi Abair as just another lightweight contributor to the Kenny G/Dave Koz/Richard Elliot school of bland smooth jazz saxophone playing. But even though Abair has recorded her share of generic fluff, the alto and soprano saxophonist does have chops -- and In Hi-Fi Stereo, it turns out, is a pleasant surprise because her chops usually aren't wasted this time. Most of In Hi-Fi Stereo, in fact, is really more soul-jazz than smooth jazz. Abair has plenty of room to stretch out and blow on this 2010 release, and her saxophone playing isn't smothered by layers and layers of unnecessary production. Actually, the album's title says a lot about what Abair was going for. The phrase "in hi-fidelity stereo" was used a lot back in the 1960s, and this 48-minute CD often recalls the improvisatory soul-jazz recordings of the '60s and '70s. Direct or indirect influences like the Crusaders, the Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn, Tom Scott's L.A. Express, Grover Washington, Jr., David "Fathead" Newman, and Hank Crawford serve Abair well on an album that is mostly instrumental but also contains a few vocal offerings. The most memorable is a remake of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," which boasts a bluesy performance by singer Lalah Hathaway (daughter of the late soul legend Donny Hathaway). And the album's weakest moments come when the thin-voiced Abair tries to sing. Of course, having a thin voice doesn't mean that one cannot provide meaningful vocals but Abair's vocals have been flat-out embarrassing at times (in 2006, she absolutely butchered Rickie Lee Jones' "It Must Be Love"). Thankfully, Abair doesn't do a lot of singing on In Hi-Fi Stereo. She does, however, do a lot of saxophone playing on this album -- most of it gritty, soulful, and pleasingly inspired. And 90 percent of the time, Review: Very good and funky - The cd was very good. The music was very upbeat and jazzy. Review: A warm, engaging album - Mindi Abair is one of my favorite artists, so I was naturally a bit worried when she announced that this newest album, her sixth, would be a departure from her previous four efforts. Artists need to grow, of course, but Mindi's last four albums already showed a steady progression. (Her first album, not widely available, is Always and Never the Same, in which Mindi mostly sings and plays very little saxophone.) This new album comes across as warm and engaging jazz from the era of the "hi-fi" stereo, hence the name of the album. The instrumentals are all good. The two vocals, by David Ryan Harris on "Be Beautiful" and Lalah Hathaway on the James Brown classic "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" are the weakest tracks. Neither generates much excitement, and the latter isn't all that well suited to a jazz treatment. Also, Mindi typically has contributed two or three vocals on her previous four jazz albums, but none here, which is a real loss. Nonetheless, it's a good album overall and her fans likely will not be disappointed.
| ASIN | B003CR9C3E |
| Best Sellers Rank | #223,506 in CDs & Vinyl ( See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl ) #2,882 in Funk (CDs & Vinyl) #25,690 in Jazz (CDs & Vinyl) #93,640 in Pop (CDs & Vinyl) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (59) |
| Date First Available | March 18, 2010 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item model number | 8182373 |
| Label | Heads Up |
| Language | English |
| Manufacturer | Heads Up |
| Number of discs | 1 |
| Original Release Date | 2010 |
| Product Dimensions | 5 x 5.59 x 0.39 inches; 3.46 ounces |
G**Z
Very good and funky
The cd was very good. The music was very upbeat and jazzy.
T**E
A warm, engaging album
Mindi Abair is one of my favorite artists, so I was naturally a bit worried when she announced that this newest album, her sixth, would be a departure from her previous four efforts. Artists need to grow, of course, but Mindi's last four albums already showed a steady progression. (Her first album, not widely available, is Always and Never the Same, in which Mindi mostly sings and plays very little saxophone.) This new album comes across as warm and engaging jazz from the era of the "hi-fi" stereo, hence the name of the album. The instrumentals are all good. The two vocals, by David Ryan Harris on "Be Beautiful" and Lalah Hathaway on the James Brown classic "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" are the weakest tracks. Neither generates much excitement, and the latter isn't all that well suited to a jazz treatment. Also, Mindi typically has contributed two or three vocals on her previous four jazz albums, but none here, which is a real loss. Nonetheless, it's a good album overall and her fans likely will not be disappointed.
K**T
Loved it. Mindi Abair is awesome and I got ...
Loved it. Mindi Abair is awesome and I got to meet her personally. She is so fun to be around and I love all her music.
A**R
Great listening music.
Love it. Enjoyed listening to it.
J**Z
Outstanding saxophone player.
Mindi is a truly outstanding saxophone player; I've seen them live which is why I purchased the CD. Her band is also quite good. About half of the tracks on this CD are very, very good, and the others are definitely "listenable." The singer on "Man's World" is fabulous!
M**N
Great Sax Jazz
Really like Mindi. I like her style and the selections of songs. Also she uses live artists to back her up, no drum machines and programed Synthesizers. Strong Melodies, not just a bunch of up and down runs. If you like Sax Jazz give her a try! also very easy on the eyes as a bonus.
I**K
OK, but a little harsh
I was hoping for more diversity and some softer tones. I enjoyed the album, but have already set it aside as being too repetitive and harsh. Her music is very staccato and could use some reverb and/or echo to soften the blow. A little too 'David Sanborn' for me, but if that's your taste, go for it.
G**L
Mindi at her best
Best Mindi Abair CD I've listened to!
K**E
ミンディ・アビエールは、１０年前ソロデビューした女性サキソフォン奏者＆ボーカリストで３０歳代半ば。 最近ではスムーズ・ジャズの巨匠ピーター・ホワイトやリック・ブラウンと競演して、その軽やかな歌声とハイブリッドな凄みあるサックスプレイで、アメリカ西海岸を中心に絶大な人気を誇っている。（日本ではなぜかキャンディー・ダルファーに食われているようだが・・・） 彼女はいままでスムーズ・ジャズ路線を走ってきたわけだか、本作品は７０年代を髣髴とさせるソウルジャズのヘビーなアルバムである。「エニィウェイ・ユー・ウァナ」「ダウン・フォー・ザ・カウント」などミディアムテンポで重厚感あるソウルフル音楽に仕上がっている。 ５枚目のリーダー作でこの人はディビット・サンボーンの奏法に近いのだと実感させられた。思い切りの良さと迫力プレイはキャンディと双璧だろう。 今回はインスト中心で得意の歌はない。キャンディも父親がサックス奏者だが、ミンディは父親をずいぶん意識したに違いない。大き目のアルトなので低い音が良く出ていて、サビの高音がよく光る。ＹＯＵＴＵＢＥの映像を見ると、その美しいプラチナブロンドの髪に気を奪われがち。だが、ロングツアーで鍛えたせいか肺活量が増したようで体が筋肉質になってきた。 「オール・スター」ではリッキー・ピーターソンのオルガンセンスが良く、デビット・シイルスの切れのいいギターは聴いていて気持ちいい。
T**R
Qué se puede decir de Mindi Abair que no salte a la vista viéndola actuar: amplísimas posibilidades técnicas y dinámicas, un sonido apasionado pero sin estridencias y un "buen rollo" contagioso y que te puede arrastrar sin remedio a amar el saxo. Me animé a comprar este mi primer CD de ella y me alegro sinceramente de haberlo hecho. 11 temas con mucho soul, mucho groove, y ese toque romántico que da calorcito al corazón y revela el mucho amor puesto en su producción. ¡Me encanta! Lo recomiendo sin dudarlo. El título del CD le va como anillo al dedo: mucha, mucha, mucha alta fidelidad. ¡Saludos!
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