Luxury Experience - Mindi Abair

The 11-track Mindi Abair - Wild Heart release on the Heads Up, a division of Concord Music Group label is the perfect blend of Jazz, Pop, and Funk and features an all-star guest list with contributions from friends, Trombone Shorty, Keb' Mo', Max Weinberg, Waddy Wachtel, Joe Perry, Booker T. Jones, and Gregg Allman. Definitely worth a listen, or two, or three ...

Mindi Abair - Wild Heart: Amazing Game, I Can't Lose, Wild Heart, Haute Sauce, Train, Kick Ass, I'll Be Your Home, The Shakedown, Kiddo's Revenge, Addicted To You; Just So When

Mindi Abair - Wild Heart Personnel: Mindi Abair: vocals, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, handclaps; Adam Berg: piano, handclaps, organ, tambourine, synthesizers, Itai Shapira: guitar, bass, tambourine, handclaps, guitar solo and additional rhythm guitar (on track 11), Jake Najor: drums, Jim Peterik: percussion, Todd Simon - trumpet, flugelhorn, Elizabeth Lea: trombone, Bud Harner: crash cymbal; Trombone Shorty: trombone (featured on track 1), Dave Yaden: piano (track 4), Blake Colie: drums (tracks 4 and 11), Joe Perry: guitar (featured on track 6), Keb' Mo: vocals, guitar, guitar solo, tambourine (featured on track 7), Booker T. Jones: Hammond B3 (track 7, and featured on track 10), James Gadson: drums (track 7), Waddy Wachtel: guitar (featured on track 8), Lance Abair: organ (track 8), Max Weinberg: drums (featured on track 8), Gregg Allman: vocals, guitar, Hammond B3 (featured on track 11), Dave Burris: electric guitar (track 11), Kevin Scott: bass (track 11)

The release opens with the funky instrumental horns up front piece, Amazing Game written by Mindi and Jim Peterik featuring Trombone Shorty on trombone, with Elizabeth Lea (trombone section), Todd Simon on trumpet, Mindi on alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, and Adam Berg laying down some fine piano, then segues into the Mindi and Tyrone Stevens song, I Can't Lose with its kicking pop feel and lyrics, "money comes and money goes, doesn't really matter to me..."

Next in the line-up is the title track, Wild Heart, a hauntingly lovely instrumental piece with wailing horns, followed by the fast paced Haute Sauce written by Mindi and Dave Yaden with Adam Berg adding synthesizers to give it some kick, and the high octane Train written by Mindi and Jim Peterik, one of the many highlights of the release that delivers a punch with its opening drum work and vivid vocals, "train ... coming for to take me away..."

Kick Ass written by Mindi and Matthew Hagen features Joe Perry on guitar and is an upfront funky instrumental piece, the ballad, I'll Be Your Home written by Mindi, Dave Yaden, and Candace Devine is another highlight of the release and features Keb' Mo' playing guitar, tambourine and contributing a nice guitar solo and a duet with Mindi singing the lyrics, "...I'll always be by your side...", followed by The Shakedown written by Mindi and Waddy Wachtel featuring Max Weinberg on drums and Waddy on guitar.

Kiddo's Revenge written by Mindi and Dave Yaden has Mindi showing her prowess on alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, and the instrumental piece, Addicted To You written by Mindi and Booker T. Jones opens with Booker T. Jones on a Hammond B3 that segues into Mindi playing alto sax with James Gadson on drums and Itai Shapira on bass.

The last track Just Say When written by Mindi Abair and Gregg Allman, is one of my favorite songs on the release. A nice guitar intro segues into the lyrics, "So many miles I've traveled down the dusty road, lines across my face starting to show. Always another town and another show, many more places left that I must go ... we can sail away tomorrow, and never look back, go where the four winds blow and fall in love again ...just say when..." I loved the Gregg and Mindi duet with their husky vocals melding together, which is the perfect romantic close to Mindi Abair's lastest release, Wild Heart.

For information on Mindi Abair - Wild Heart as well as information on upcoming tour dates, please visit the website: www.Mindiabair.com.