Saxophonist Mindi Abair "All Star" Live in Los Angeles

http://www.mindiabair.com http://www.facebook.com/mindiabairmusic http://www.twitter.com/mindiabair "All Star," fueled by a thumping soul riff, was inspired by some of the Motown records that Abair had been checking out in recent years. "It has a really vintage sound to it -- a mix of old Motown and maybe some classic Ramsey Lewis, like 'The In Crowd,'" she says. "You get into the song a little bit and it just turns into this big party. All of a sudden you want to jump up and down and put your hands in the air." Any artist who takes his or her craft seriously will inevitably reach a point on the journey when history can no longer be overlooked. The direct line between the music of now and the music of then becomes too important to ignore, and the riches of generations past are suddenly rediscovered -- and eventually reinterpreted for a new era. Saxophonist Mindi Abair has reached that critical juncture. After more than a decade of performing, songwriting and recording, she has taken a step back from the more polished sensibilities of contemporary jazz and embraced the sounds of past decades -- specifically the '60s and early '70s, a period widely regarded as the golden age of R&B, soul and funk. The result is In Hi-Fi Stereo, her new album set for release on May 18, 2010, on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group. The album captures the raw and edgy aesthetic of that golden age, when a slab of vinyl could instantaneously put band and listener together in the same room and establish a visceral and enduring connection. Loaded with infectious grooves generated by a high-caliber crew of players, In Hi-Fi Stereo rekindles that spark for a new generation of ears.