Wild Heart

Mindi Abair is one of the most dynamic performers on the music scene today. In addition to her acclaimed solo work, she was the featured saxophonist on the 2011 and 2012 seasons of American Idol, jammed with Paul Shaffer on the Late Show with David Letterman and joined rock legends Aerosmith for their 2012 summer tour. More recently, Abair received a 2014 GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category for Summer Horns, a #1 recording with her friends Dave Koz, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot, four of the most pre-eminent saxophonists in contemporary music.

In a career that spans seven solo albums and countless collaborations in the studio and live on stage, Abair has made her mark on a broad stretch of the musical landscape that includes jazz, pop, rock, R&B, soul, funk and more. The powerhouse saxophonist/vocalist has made scores of friends along the way and earned the respect of top-shelf artists representing every one of the aforementioned genres.

Several of those friends join her on Wild Heart, her new album that includes guest performances by - and songwriting collaborations with - Gregg Allman, Joe Perry, Booker T. Jones, Keb' Mo', Trombone Shorty, Max Weinberg, Waddy Wachtel and others. Produced by Abair and the illustrious Los Angeles production trio The Decoders (Adam Berg, Itai Shapira and Todd Simon), Wild Heart is set for release on May 27, 2014, on Heads Up, a division of Concord Music Group.

Wild Heart is, in many respects, Abair's culmination of many years of collaborating in the studio and/or onstage with some of the most prominent figures in contemporary popular music. "People look at me a bit funny when they see the extreme diversity of artists I've toured or recorded with - Teena Marie, Aerosmith, Duran Duran, Lee Ritenour, Keb' Mo' and The Backstreet Boys. I always went with my heart, and it's been quite an adventure musically. No title accurately described the music from this record to me, so I decided to title it after myself, a Wild Heart that's had a great time letting go and letting this record take shape organically with people I love. I hope people have as much fun listening as I've had making this music."