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,
In Hi-Fi Stereo is an album that
Abair can be proud of. ~ Alex Henderson