As part of the ongoing Westlake Jazz Series this summer, Mindi Abair, that skinny storm of a saxophone player many have compared to Candy Dulfer, made her appearance and shared her bouncy moves with a numerous, albeit middle-aged, audience.
Mindi successfully connects with her audience, engaging her listeners with easy-listening jazzy tunes trending on pop more than treading on risky improvisations. Unlike Euge Grove's funkier and simpler self, Mindi weaves her melodies in the air, punctuating every note not just with sound but with her body. Her energy level always upbeat and constant, not overdone and not overly aggressive, was a welcome change of scene from two weeks ago.
I was pleased to meet Mindi's varicolored sound, but it is sometimes too sunny for my taste. She has none of Stan Getz' broody yet gentle temperament and, I think, her style glides easily in the company of well known stars such as Dave Koz. She should be bolder and go with more complex rhythms. Seattle-born Jeff Kashiwa, formerly of The Rippingtons, comes to mind as a possible model.
Update: I had more detailed notes about Mindi's performance on July 26th, but I lost them during my move from Southern California to Cleveland, Ohio.
