Mindi Abair

Anaheim, California -- 2005

Mindi was tickled pink. And who wouldn't be? When we hung out together at NAMM, she was still flyin' high from her recent success as GRP's smooth jazz breakout artist. And her left hand was sporting a rather large rock -- evidence of her recent engagement to jingle writer Jason Steele.

As two female saxophonists in the LA music scene and beyond, Mindi and I have enjoyed a friendly camaraderie for years. With similar career goals, our paths have been parallel yet uniquely our own. Mindi graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston five years after I did. We both landed in LA around the same time in the early ninties and often played the same jazz clubs.

While I was releasing and promoting my "Tigress" CD on Warner Music Discovery, Mindi got called to tour as a side musician with the likes of Jonathan Butler, Bobby Lyle, Duran Duran, comedian/musician Adam Sandler, and Mandy Moore. Ten years later in 2003, she finally got her own deal as a solo artist with GRP.

A few weeks after this snapshot was taken, Mindi and I had a chance to play together for the GRAMMY Foundation Concert "Mavericks of Music: Celebrating the Contributions of Trailblazing Women". One thing was again made clear to me... there are so many talented female instrumentalists in the world and although few are well-known, there's room enough in the spotlight for all of us.

For more about Mindi Abair, go to www.mindiabair.com.