Mindi Abair has put together a solid touring band with Rand Jacobs/g, Sweet Pea Atkinson/voc, Rodney Lee/key, Derek Frank/b and Third Richardson/dr, and this disc shows how they can rev up a crowd mixing jazz, pop and R&B.
Abair’s alto sax is strong and melodic, and this album puts to death her classification in the “smooth” jazz category. She tears through a hip “Wild Heart” and slides along the soulful and greasy “Haute Sauce” Some Memphis stew pops into the show and never leaves as Jacobs’ guitar teams with Atkinson’s wailing vocals on “Ball and Chain” and a what-it-is riff spices up “Flirt” as Adair blows hot steam. Some sweat starts dripping as Abair and Jacobs kick up the butanes on “I’ll Be Your Home” and some gospel grits get on the skillet on “Gone” and “Make It Happen.” The band delivers a bacchanal take of “Summertime” that bowls over like overcooked oatmeal while the funk fest ends with a Fabulous Flamer of “Cold Sweat.” Lots of heat delivered up for these Pacific Northwesterners.
Heads Up Records
www.headsup.com