Mindi Abair Dedicating Song To New Orleans

Smooth jazz saxophonist Mindi Abair has entered the famed Capitol Studios in Los Angeles to finish recording her third CD and follow-up to Come As You Are. She has completed a tune called “Rain” that she’s dedicating to the people of New Orleans, many of whom were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Other songs include “Far Away,” which features a string section directed by Julie Rogers, “Bloom,” “Do You Miss Me?” and “Slinky,” which Abair calls a fun and sexy, Euro-inspired tune that she plays the soprano saxophone on.

As we’ve reported, the majority of the songs are written by Abair and her writing partner Matthew Hager. In addition to songs written with Adam Levy, the guitarist in Norah Jones’ band, and with blues legend Keb’ Mo’, Abair has called on numerous musicians to guest star on the CD, including vocalist Lalah Hathaway, keyboardist Ricky Peterson, bassists Stan Sargeant and Larry Klein and percussionist Paulinho da Costa.

The CD is expected to be released in the spring of 2006. Abair says she’s realizing a lifelong dream to record at Capitol Studios, where trumpeter Chris Botti also recorded his new CD called To Love Again.

"I definitely look forward to recording," she says. "You’ve written these songs and you have a specific sound in your head of what you want these songs to sound like. It’s a really fun yet arduous process. You know, I mean you’re sitting there, hmm, I hear this kind of thing and I go through five million keyboard sounds to try and find the right sound that I’m hearing. And so it is this really fun experiment of what we can make of this music that’s been in our heads for so long."