Mindi Abair on Summer Tour with Aerosmith
July 8, 2012- The legendary band Aerosmith is on the road with CheapTrick and their six-week Global Warming Tour and talented saxophonist Mindi Abair is right there along for the ride!

Mindi Told Jazz Beat, “When I got hired for the [Aerosmith] tour I thought, well this isn’t going to be a lot of work. I knew most of the songs,” explained Abair who listened to a lot of Aerosmith as a young girl. It all just seems like a natural progression for Mindi as she earned a space as the featured saxophonist on American Idol this season and now she is performing with Aerosmith!

On August 26th Abair with also perform with her own band at the Hollywood Bowl. “I’ll play the Hollywood Bowl twice in August, which is actually pretty unheard of for me at least, says Abair. I’ve never played there with my band. What an amazing, historic night for me.”

Abair has produced 11 number one singles on the Contemporary Jazz Radio charts and her records have also topped Billbord's Contemporary Jazz charts. –By Shannon Edwards

Who was that Talented Beautiful Saxophonist on American Idol? Mindi Abair of Course!
April 14, 2011 – What a pleasant surprise for everyone last night on American Idol. Contestant Paul McDonald opened up the show with his rendition of Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" and halfway through along came Mindi Abair who heated things up with what she does best, playing like a chainsaw in a hurricane!

In fact, rocker and Idol judge Steven Tyler asked McDonald, “Forget about you, who’s your sax player? Unfortunately the singer looked stumped at the question and didn’t answer it. We are sure he knew Mindi’s name but was just taken off guard!

Congrats Mindi, another class act! – by John Beaudin

April 15 - UPDATE - McDonald was kicked off Idol tonight.

REVIEW - Mindi Abair – In Hi-Fi Stereo
Heads Up International (www.mindiabair.com)
May 12, 2010 – Well, one things for sure, Mindi Abair is not shopping on Main Street anymore. As they say, “run away from the past and eventually it will run into you.”

Abair just isn’t pretty anymore, musically that is. On ‘In Hi-Fi Stereo’ she’s taking the elevator to the basement where everything started. It’s not only her musical foundation but also a place we’ve all been before. It’s the room where the backbone of many inspirations first started – the golden age of R&B, Soul and Funk.

‘In Hi-Fi Stereo’ displays a musician almost channelling mid-to-early eighties David Sanborn and that ain’t a bad thing. Sure, I can hear the purists saying it’s derivative but Abair serves up a sense of cool and it’s a smart career choice that still fits in Smooth Jazz and the more traditional outlets will probably taste-test as well. Watch this trend expand as more Smooth Jazz musicians fight to escape the box that’s been built around them and sometimes by them. More

Mindi Abair to Appear In Adam Sandler Film
April 15, 2010 - Next year, saxophonist Mindi Abair will be sharing the big screen with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in a movie called Just Go With It. Abair will be playing herself as a wedding band member. Abair says the singer in the band even performs a rap with her name in it, saying “Playing sax with care is Mindi Abair.” 
“Adam and I have a long history,” Abair says. “I toured with him for a summer when he did a full music tour of the US. I then recorded vocals and saxophone on his CD What’s Your Name? which is now platinum. He called me ‘The Big Man’ in his HBO special as I came out to play the ending sax solo of the night on a Bruce Springsteen song. I was his Clarence Clemons. He wanted to put a disclaimer in the credits for that special saying that I really did play the saxophone. It wasn’t a joke that a blonde came out at the end of the show and rocked out on sax. It was real. We had everyone coming backstage after the shows saying how it was amazing how much I looked like I really played the sax. They thought it was a joke.”

Mindi Abair's Strong Friendship with Adam Sandler
June 27, 2008 - Friendship means a lot for talented female saxophonist, vocalist and composer, Mindi Abair. Famous comic Adam Sandler was just awarded for his screen antics with the 2008 MTV Generation Award two weeks ago. Abair, who recently toured in Russia for two concerts, did not hesitate to fly back to Los Angeles at short notice and performed at her long-time friend's live performance at the MTV Award show.

Before establishing herself as a successful solo musician in 2003, Abair toured as a backing musician in the mid-90s with various artists: Bobby Lyle, John Tesh, Teena Marie, The Backstreet Boys, Mandy Moore, Duran Duran, Jonathan Butler and obviously Adam Sandler.

When talking of touring with Sandler, the crossover musician declared, "I have to say that's the most fun tour ever, he hired all these amazing musicians, like Waddy Wachtel on guitar, and we played these crazy songs that I could tell you the names of here if you could print them. These songs were so funny, so we didn't have to take ourselves too seriously. We had a ball. I think the only reason we rehearsed was so we wouldn't crack up during the whole thing." (...)" And the audiences loved it."

Mindi Abair's latest album "Stars" (released on May 6th for Peak Records) is the follow up to her 2006 CD "Life Less Ordinary" which debuted on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart at #1; and spawned three #1 hit singles on Radio & Records. Her debut CD, It Just Happens That Way, stayed in the Top 10 for 19 consecutive weeks, and she was named the #1 most played Contemporary Jazz CD of 2003 by Jazz Week.

Her mix of Pop and Jazz with a little soul thrown in is doing very well in Smooth Jazz charts, as her instrumental single "Smile" (drawn from "Stars") is currently charting in the top 20 of the R&R Smooth Jazz chart.

For more information: www.mindiabair.com - By Akbar Nour

Mindi Abair Comes Back with “Stars”
May 8, 2008 – It’s easy to call Mindi Abair a crossover artist. She’s a composer, saxophonist and a talented vocalist – Pop stardom could be just around the corner. More Below. Five of the tunes on her new “Stars” album are vocals but for now it’s the instrumental “Smile” that’s charting in the top 20 of the R&R Smooth Jazz chart. The album features keyboardist Ricky Peterson (John Mayer, Prince) drummer Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney, Sting) and cellist Richard Dodd (Faith Hill, Foo Fighters.) STARS is the follow up to Abair’s 2006 CD “Life Less Ordinary,” which debuted on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart at #1 and spawned three #1 hit singles on Radio & Records. – by John Beaudin

Chris Botti Gives Chill Hosting Duties to Mindi Abair
April 24, 2007 - It seems we can't get enough of Mindi Abair and there's more coming. The saxophonist has been slated as the new host of Chris Botti's Chill program. The popular show syndicated by Rendezvous Entertainment and Smooth Jazz Consultants Broadcast Architecture has been hosted by Botti since September 2004. Chill with Mindi Abair will debut at the beginning of May 2007 and feature the same mix of music including artists like Praful and Moby. - by Kari Graham

Smooth Jazz Music News
July 5, 2005 - Mindi Abair and Greg Jasperse will perform at the Smooth Jazz at Sunset Jazz Festival in St. Joseph, Michigan on July 9th, 2005. - by Cheryl Philips

Little Smooth Jazz Extras
June 6, 2005 - Hidden extras appear to be one of the ways many Smooth Jazz artists are rewarding their loyal fans, according to smoothvibes.com. Some of the hidden gems found on the latest Smooth Jazz offerings are guitarist Chuck Loeb's untitled jazz/funk track after the last official song on the album "When I'm With You." Chieli Minucci's four hidden interludes which can be heard on his latest only if the album is played in order without skipping any tracks, and Mindy Abair's tribute to Cannonball Adderly from her album "Come As You Are", titled "26 Hemenway" (a reference to her address during her time at Boston's Berkelee College of Music). - By Cheryl Philips

Mindi Abair Remembers Everyone Screwing Up Her Name
December 15, 2004 - After the success of her debut album "It Just Happens That Way" broadcasters and fans alike are finally on the same page concerning Mindi Abair's name. So in the beginning did everyone screw up the pronunciation ? "Oh yes, all the time," says the saxophonist, 'I've gotten 'Aburr' or 'ah bear' but as you know it's pronounced "A" (as in the letter A) bear." In Smooth Jazz she's not alone everyone from Ivan Lins, Praful and Chieli Minucci have had their names butchered by well meaning fans. Abair told Smooth Jazz Now, "You know no one knew how to say my name at first and at a certain point we were all laughing about it because absolutely no one got it right," she said laughing. "So people at the label decided to send out a press release and phonetically tell people how to pronounce it and it worked." Abair's new album is "Come As You Are," she is our "Artist of the Month," read part two of our interview here. Also enter to win Mindi Abair albums on our contest page.

Mindi Abair - "Artist of the Month" On Smooth Jazz Now
December 1, 2004 - Mindi Abair is spreading Christmas cheer on the road with Peter White and Rick Braun this month on White's annual holiday tour. Abair says she's developed a real fondness for the English guitarist, "I love Peter White. I did the Christmas tour with him last year and it was just Peter and me and it was a blast and he joked that we were the Regis and Kelly of Jazz," she says with a laugh. "He has this dry wit and I have a very quirky side so we have so much fun together and to add Rick Braun to the mix is wonderful." Mindi Abair is our "Artist of the Month" for December. Read our interview.

Mindi Abair Doesn't Believe in the Sophomore Slump
November 11, 2004 - With the tremendous success of her first album "It Just Happens That Way," we wondered if Mindi Abair felt a little pressure releasing her follow up "Come As You Are?" "Well, you know I'm not one for that sophomore jinx," says Abair. In fact the saxophonist told Smooth Jazz Now that she didn't feel the pressure with the first one either, "If I would have been really worried about what people thought it (the first album) probably would have been a very different CD," says Abair. It would have been easy for her to record a carbon copy of her first hit "Lucy's" but that didn't even enter her mind, "I didn't want to repeat myself and I see artists who get a chance to make a second CD and basically they make the same album over again and that's no fun for me." Abair says, "I'm such a fan of artists who just go out and do their own thing, the artists who don't worry if radio will play it. If you look at people like Ricky Lee Jones who really did her own thing and she was brilliant. Miles Davis for instance took so much flack because lots of his records were so different. I think it's important to play it the way that you hear it and if people like it that's awesome. So I thought that way on my first record and I certainly thought that way on my second CD." Read our interview from October 2004.

Mindi Abair Urges Everyone To Vote
November 2, 2004 - Mindi Abair will be voting today and she hopes that all other Americans will do the same. It's the Presidential election and Abair has a message to the folks who just like to bitch, "You can criticize as much as you want but if you're not part of the process like you're allowed to be then you shouldn't complain." Abair who will be the Smooth Jazz Now "Artist of the Month" for December told us, "I think it is all together so important to be a part of your countries decision making process," Adding, "I think you're shooting yourself in the foot if you don't take it upon yourself to speak your mind." The saxophonist has been approached by various radio stations to urge Americans to show up at the polls. Abair has just released her new album "Come As You Are" and plans to join Peter White on his Christmas tour starting at the end of the month. Look for our interview with Mindi Abair coming soon.

Peter White Shares His Christmas Spirit With Mindi Abair & Rick Braun
October 22, 2004 - Peter White will be up to his usual holiday merrymaking this November and December and he's keeping pretty good company again. The guitarist will be rejoined by Saxophonist Mindi Abair and Rick Braun is also in the fold. The Peter White Christmas tour will stop in 18 U.S. cities kicking off in San Diego, California on November 26th. All three artists have previously released holiday CDs, White says "My earliest memories of Christmas were probably not much different from many other people: snowflakes, tinsel, Santa Claus, reindeer and the opening of presents surrounded by family. As a child, my father taught me to play Christmas music on my first instrument, the recorder, and my love for holiday music has endured throughout the years. I hope this tour will be an opportunity for fans to enjoy their favorite Christmas songs in a family setting. Perhaps I'll even bring my recorder." Mindi Abair will be our "Artist Of The Month" for December.

Mindi Abair Ready To Celebrate 'Come As You Are'
September 8, 2004 - Her new album will be in stores on Tuesday and Mindi Abair knows that keeping the momentum going from her last hit album is top priority. The saxophonist is set to release 'Come As You Are' on GRP featuring a similar mix of punchy sax tunes and three vocals. To give the album an extra boost Abair is set to party it up with some of the top Smooth Jazz stations on the planet, KKSF in San Francisco, KIFM in San Diego and KSSJ in Sacramento. Check below for dates and times. On 'Come As You Are' she again teams up with producer/co-writer Matthew Hager. Also listen for acoustic piano from Russell Ferrante on 'New Shoes' which also features her dad Lance Abair on tenor sax. Ricky Petersen also adds some funky Wurlitzer on 'High Five.' In other news Abair had a cameo on the Drew Carey Show last month playing, you guessed it, a sax player in Mimi's "free Jazz" band.

Mindi Abair to Tour With Josh Groban This Summer
July 8, 2004 - The good life continues for Mindi Abair. The saxophonist plans to tour with singer Josh Groban and is debuting music from her next album on the gigs. 'Come As You Are' will be released September 14 on GRP following the success of 'It Just Happens That Way' which featured the huge hit 'Lucy's.' Abair studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music and has toured with the Backstreet Boys, Duran Duran and most recently with Peter White. In April SAXX an upscale Jewelry store on mainland China used Abair as their image. She plans to design her own jewelry for the store.

Mindi Abair to Release "Save the Last Dance" in February
January 20, 2004 - Mindi Abair's "It Just Happens That Way" album certainly has legs! The saxophonist is following the successful hits, "Lucy's" and "Flirt" with "Save the Last Dance" to be released to radio February 6th. Abair plans to keep the momentum going with work on a new album, "I'm really excited about the songs I've written for it so far," said Abair on her website www.mindiabair.com , "I may try out some of the new songs at my concerts coming up." Also look for Abair on Emeril's Valentines special to be aired on February 14th. It will feature the saxophonist jamming with Emeril's band. Mindi Abair's hit "Lucy's" was the number two song on Smooth Jazz Now's year end chart and number five on the R&R list. Her album ranked number eight on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz list of 2003.

Your Smooth Jazz Christmas CD's
September 23, 2003 - Remember when it was slim pickins' for variety in Christmas music? Not that long ago Christmas carols meant Bing Crosby, Perry Como or Nat King Cole, not that there's anything wrong with the classics. What music brings us back to Christmas past better than Cole singing Mel Torme's "Christmas Song?" Well, for the last ten years new Christmas music by contemporary acts has flown off the shelves and every genre in music has reaped the benefits. Even Jethro Tull is releasing a holiday album! In Smooth Jazz this year some of the 'A' list acts to contribute include Saxophonist Mindi Abair, Jim Brickman, BWB and the Yellowjackets. The latter is now available on the official Yellowjackets site www.yellowjackets.com but will be officially released October 7th titled, "Peace Round a Christmas Celebration."(pictured Left) One dollar from every sale will go to the Union Station Foundation, an organization that provides help for the homeless. Jim Brickman releases his second Christmas album "Peace" today. The title track first single, a non Christmas song featuring Collin Raye is already an A.C. hit. Watch for our interview with Jim Brickman coming soon. Verve will release a traditional Jazz compilation from their "For Lovers" series on November 21st. We will keep you updated on further holiday albums.

Mindi Abair Plans for Christmas
August 23, 2003 - New Sax sensation Mindi Abair is in the studio working on a few Christmas tunes. Abair is recording the two songs with multi instrumentalist Matthew Hagar who also played on her 'It Just Happened That Way' album. The saxophonist says, "Matthew and I co-wrote one of the songs. We also got together with my band and recorded our own version of John Lennon's "Happy Christmas" as a tribute to him. Both songs will be released to radio during the holidays. Stay tuned at my site for the latest on how to get the new tracks. We think they came out great!" Abair has the biggest Smooth Jazz hit in Canada so far this year with 'Lucy's.' Hagar has also worked with Mandy Moore, Midge Ure and Duran Duran's John Taylor.

Mindi Abair Drops to # 2 after Ten weeks On Top
May 21, 2003 - It's been a great run For Mindi Abair on Smooth Jazz Now's top 20 charts. Her "Lucy's" single has been on top our countdown for ten weeks until finally dropping to # 2 this week. The former sax player for the Backstreet Boys and Mandy Moore has also been at #1 on the U.S. R&R (Radio and Records) charts for the past six weeks. "Lucy" is the first single from Abair's debut "It Just Happens That Way." Check out Mindi Abair's Tour Dates for May and June.