Mindi Abair - In Hi-Fi Stereo
is Mindi's musical back to the future with
10 original tracks influenced by the golden age of Rhythm and Blues,
Soul, and Funk,
the 1960's and 1970's.
Mindi Abair - In
Hi-Fi Stereo
In Hi-Fi Stereo: Any Way you Wanna; All Star;
L'Esprit Nouveau; Get Right; Be Beautiful; Down for the Count; Girls' Night
Out; Let The Whole World Know (Sing Your Song); It's a Man's Man's Man's World;
Take Me Home; The Alley
Personnel: Mindi Abair: Alto Saxophone, Horn
Arrangement, Vocals; James E. Gadson: Drums; Reggie McBride: Bass, Upright
Bass; Randy Jacobs: Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar; Stephen "Stevo" Theard:
Arrangements, Keyboards, Programming; Rex Rideout: Wurlitzer; Keyboards, Piano,
Programming; Cassandra O'Neal: B3 Organ; Lee Thornberg: Trumpet, Trombone;
David Woodford: Tenor and Baritone Saxophone; Bud Harner: Ride Cymbal; Ryan
Collins: Lead and Background Vocals; David Ryan Harris: Guitar, Vocals; Michael
White: Drums; Smitty Smith: Bass; DeWayne Swan: B3 Organ; Jamey Tate: Drums;
Jay Gore: Electric Guitar; Jessi Collins: Backing Vocals; Lalah Hathaway: Lead
and Backing Vocals, Vocal Arrangement; Phil Parlapiano: Rhodes, Arp Keyboard,
Organ; Lance Abair: B3 Organ; Rodney Lee: B3 Organ
Mindi Abair - In Hi-Fi Stereo was produced by Rex
Rideout and Mindi Abair and
released on the Heads Up International
label. A successful saxophonist, performer, and songwriter for the past 10
years, Mindi thought it was time to take a look back at the 60's and 70's, a
period in music that has been called the golden age of Rhythm and Blues, Funk,
and Soul. So, she embarked on a musical journey to capture the sound of
musicians jamming together in one room as they did in the 60's and 70's. In
addition, keeping with that period, Mindi borrowed the release's title from
that distinct moniker found on album jackets, "Hi-Fi Stereo," which denoted the
best format for sound available.
Drawing from her childhood musical influences, she wrote or
co-wrote 9 of the 11 tracks for the release that she wanted to be fun while
paying respect to the era, and introducing this format of music to a completely
new audience, and she succeeded.
The release opens with Any
Way You Wanna a funky groove that is about capturing the audience's
attention and getting them involved. Her sultry sax is layered on top of a steady
bass line typical for that period allowing for instruments like the horn
section to do their dirty work. The track All
Star opens the door to some vibrant Rhythm and Blues and Soul in an
arrangement that frames and presents the horn section against a pulsating bass
line driven by the drums. L'Esprit
Nouveau was written with the legendary Alain Toussaint's distinct New
Orleans sound in mind and she captured the swing, swagger, and step reminiscent
of the style throughout the arrangement, and especially significant is the her
use of the upright bass and the ragtime piano to emphasis the musical
components.
She brings back the unique vocal sound of that period on the
track Get Right featuring Ryan
Collins on vocals. This is a peppy song where the vocals are in tune with an
animated bass beat and a funky drum beat. The track Be Beautiful, an original track written by David Ryan Harris, is a
deep soulful ballad featuring Mindi on vocals who loved the positive message of
the lyrics that she just had to add it to the release; Mindi calls the song "a
great anthem for women."
The only cover on the release is that of the legendary James
Brown and his It's a Man's Man's Man's
World, and Mindi's arrangement is stirring and funky with a driving
saxophone the complements the sizzling vocals of Lalah Hathaway.
Other songs on the release include Down for the Count, a true Funk and R&B sound that will have
you digging out your leisure suit for a night on the town; Girls' Night Out, a sassy sound that will have the women filling
the dance floor and taking control; Let
The Whole World Know (Sing Your Song), a light ballad with Mindi on lead
vocals; Take Me Home, a real funk
slap bass beat that drives to the inner dance mojo in everyone. The release
closes with the track The Alley,
which was a collaboration of Mindi's touring band that was created through
endless jamming and meshing of musical influences and styles.
Websites where you can procure Mindi Abair - In Hi-Fi
Stereo are iTunes,
Amazon,
and CD Universe.
© June 2010. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com.
All rights reserved.
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