RockWest Exclusive Interview with Mindi Abair
Mindi Abair-Newport Beach, CA all photos by Ralph Palumbo
She’s known as one of the top saxophonists in the music industry. She played with everyone from Aerosmith to Adam Sandler. Mindi was the featured saxophonists on American Idol for 2 seasons. She entertained the masses with Bruce Springsteen and is now giving back and making dreams come true through the Grammy Music Coalition.
Your current band, The Boneshakers, has an energetic Blues/Rock sound. It’s a departure from your past projects. What inspired this sound?
After touring with Aerosmith and being the featured saxophonist on American Idol for 2 seasons … I made it my mission to make an album that embraced all my influences … I wanted to let out the blues and rock that I grew up with and make an album that showed all of me.
I asked my friends for help, and named the album Wild Heart [and released it in 2014]. It featured Joe Perry from Aerosmith, Booker T. Jones, Keb’ Mo’, Max Weinberg, Trombone Shorty, and Gregg Allman. It garnered me my first Grammy nomination … and it was my gateway drug to making albums that were more rootsy and organic. … Randy Jacobs was my first call. I’d met him playing in a rock band when I first moved to LA. This guy did a backflip into the audience mid guitar solo one night and landed it and kept playing … I was a fan from day one. He started his own band called The Boneshakers. It was members of Was Not Was and Bonnie Raitt’s band. I was always a fan. Cut to many years later when half of my band was playing in his band The Boneshakers and Randy was playing in my band. I sat in with them one night and it was just electric. Music is about inspiration and staying inspired to create. This band inspires me so much. I walk off stage every night feeling like we took over the world.
I had the ultimate “pinch me’ moment a few years ago…
Any advice for young musicians?
There are no rule books that tell you how to be successful in the music business. It’s hard. There are so many aspects to success. I think the best advice I got was early on. … My father said, “Sometimes it’s not the most talented people that get what they want. It’s the people who put themselves on the line and try and go for it day in and day out. Remember that.”
I haven’t succeeded at everything I’ve tried, for sure. But I’ve succeeded at much more because I’ve always gone for it and tried for things I believed in and wanted to do. Don’t get psyched out … go do your thing.
Do you have a career highlight?
I had the ultimate “pinch me” moment a few years ago. Clarence Clemons “The Big Man” had passed away and Bruce Springsteen was going to perform at “Stand Up For Heroes” at the Beacon Theatre in New York. He needed a sax player. Max Weinberg called me and asked if I’d come, play. He knew I knew every solo Clarence played … I played “Spirit in the Night” with Bruce that night and I was in heaven. He’s an incredible role model as an artist, writer, and human being. I was so honored to play and stand in for my hero Clarence Clemons that night.
“I said yes and took my summer vacation with Aerosmith!”
What goes through your head, when you receive a request for your talent?
I’d spent 2 seasons as the featured saxophonist on American Idol. The morning of the show finale I got a call from Steven Tyler just saying “We have to do this … time’s running out … time to hit it … “ I had no idea what he was talking about.
I went to his trailer on set and he played me the new Aerosmith album and asked me to play along. He then asked me to sing back and forth with him. Finally, he asked me to go on the road with Aerosmith. They hadn’t had a sax player since 1973, but they had some killer horn parts over the years. I’d sing too. I was stunned. You can’t say “No” to Steven Tyler! I said yes and took my summer vacation with Aerosmith!
How did you start working with Adam Sandler?
I got hired for Adam Sandler’s band from playing a random wedding in 1996. I showed up to play with a band I’d never played with. It turned out to be a killer band. What I didn’t know was there were tons of musicians in the wedding party and as guests. Someone took my number that night and gave it to Adam Sandler’s music director Waddy Wachtel. They were holding auditions for an upcoming all music tour with Adam. They wanted background singers. But they loved the idea that I could play saxophone too. I auditioned with 200 other girls singing, and eventually got the gig. We had the most fun summer tour I could ever imagine. I’ve recorded with Adam on a few of his albums now and he’s called me ever since to play on his movies and for every special occasion. He’s an incredible guy that surrounds himself with great people and holds on to them. I’ve learned so much from him.
You are also very passionate about wine.
My husband Eric Guerra has been in the wine business for 17 plus years. He’s a San Diego State graduate and jokes that drinking was the thing he was best at in college. He’s managed some of the most prestigious wineries including Kendall Jackson and Mumm Napa. … I’ve spent my life as a musician, writing, recording and performing music. My husband Eric has spent his life managing some of the world’s most prestigious wineries. So together we created a wine membership that pairs our two favorite things, music and wine. Eric finds incredible wines through his connections and has it bottled just for us. I take it from there and name the wine and help create the artwork … then create a playlist that pairs perfectly with the wine. When we’re at home we drink wine and listen to different styles of music that fit the wine, so why not create that for our friends to share? We started reservetastings.com and we’re having so much fun with it.
Tell us about your other website Pretty Good For A Girl.
I wrote a song called “Pretty Good For A Girl” a few years ago with Randy Jacobs. It was a tongue-in-cheek look at being a woman in a man’s world. We were having fun. It turned out to be a big hit for us! … I see so many amazing women taking over the world every day as doctors, lawyers, scientists, mothers, writers, photographers, and musicians. They inspire me. At the same time, I’d have guys walking up after the show saying “Wow, you’re pretty good for a girl!” I realized there was this disconnect with what I viewed women as and what the world viewed us as. I figured it was time to lift women up – support, celebrate. I realized it starts with us.
