August 20, 2010 - In my experience questing for understanding of spiritual aspects of the human community, I have had occasion to encounter some unusual synchronicities. One such event emerged while perusing a lecture by noted Initiate and spiritual scientist, Rudolf Steiner. 
Marcus Aurelius asked “What am I doing with my soul?” He suggests we interrogate ourselves to find out what inhabits our “so-called” mind and what kind of soul we have right now; that of a child, an adolescent, a predator orits prey? 
August – 20, 2010 - Lucid Dreaming is Conscious Dreaming and is the ability of awareness that you are dreaming. In a nutshell, you are aware that all the occurrences you are experiencing are actually within a dream, while you are dreaming. 
August 20. 2010 - I've been getting a lot of emails to join prayer groups for the healing of the oceans, the forests, the earth; and just when it seems to me that people are starting to actually wake up, I get other emails that say 'the gods are angry', 'the earth is angry', 'these catastrophes are happening in areas where people have been evil for too long and god is teaching a lesson'. They reek of judgment, fear, and projection. 
August 19, 2010 - It’s hard to turn away from spirit, and not become egotistic.
August 17, 2010 - For ages, cultures all over the world have worn and used charms, amulets, and talismans as a way to protect them from harm and other unknown forces. A great common example is the crucifix. 
August 16, 2010 - Everyone wants to get the best out of their lives as life is short and you have millions of things to do in your entire lifetime. Therefore, it is said that enjoy as much as possible because no one knows what is going to happen tomorrow. 
August 16, 2010 - Def: respect; to admire, to place in esteem, to regard, to be considerate of
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| REVIEW - Mindi Abair – In Hi-Fi Stereo Heads Up International (www.mindiabair.com)  May 26, 2010 – Well, one things for sure, Mindi Abair is not shopping on Main Street anymore. As they say, “run away from the past and eventually it will run into you.” Abair just isn’t pretty anymore, musically that is. On ‘In Hi-Fi Stereo’ she’s taking the elevator to the basement where everything started. It’s not only her musical foundation but also a place we’ve all been before. It’s the room where the backbone of many inspirations first started – the golden age of R&B, Soul and Funk. ‘In Hi-Fi Stereo’ displays a musician almost channelling mid-to-early eighties David Sanborn and that ain’t a bad thing. Sure, I can hear the purists saying it’s derivative but Abair serves up a sense of cool and it’s a smart career choice that still fits in Smooth Jazz and the more traditional outlets will probably taste-test as well. Watch this trend expand as more Smooth Jazz musicians fight to escape the box that’s been built around them and sometimes by them. The project kicks off with ‘Any Way You Wanna,’ and the early message is this ain’t no sound-a-like groove project that’s practically killed the Smooth Jazz format. "This album is a reflection of some of the older more soulful records I've been listening to in the last couple years," says Abair, including Al Green, Alain Toussaint, Junior Walker, King Curtis, Archie Bell and the Drells, and many others. Tunes like ‘Any Way You Wanna’ always sound like a brick house that’s meant to jump but never break and like the best R&B it still sounds as great after 100 listens. "I think it all kind of seeped into me over time. I wanted to move away from a more produced sound and just get into the studio and play. It didn't have to be perfect,” says Abair. “It didn't have to be shiny and new. It's not an intellectual record. It's a fun, feel-good record inspired by some of those great sounds and grooves from that period, but recast for a modern audience." She does capture that gold groove from yester-year and this could open up a whole new fan base for the saxophone player. ‘All Star’ is another lean, mean retro ditty that digs a little deeper and shows Abair’s more serious side as a musician but make no mistake she’s got a wink in her eye on this album, as she stated earlier, she’s having fun. ‘L'Espirit Nouveau,’ a tribute to New Orleans keyboardist/composer Alain Toussaint, easily brought me to my pimple face past as a 14 year old imagining what really happens in those smoky clubs. It’s sexy with a hint of wonder and anticipation but really it’s just plain naughty. Abair co-produced the set with R&B mainstay Rex Rideout who is heavily featured on keys. The first single ‘Be Beautiful’ displays an almost hypnotic bass line and a simply positive message that serves as an anthem to woman. The tune is penned by vocalist David Ryan Harris who shares the chorus vocals with Abair and it’s already a hit on Smooth Jazz charts. The appropriately titled ‘Girls Night Out,’ one of my favorite tracks on the album, has probably the most memorable chorus and, again, an infectious bass line that just says, “Bob that head damn it and make sure you look cool doing it.” ‘Let the Whole World Know (Sing Your Song)’ is living in the seventies and has no plans on leaving home. This is ‘Talkin’ ‘bout the Car Wash’ meets Sly Stones’ ‘Hot Fun in the Summertime.’ With Abair on chorus lead vocals it takes you down that carefree campfire sing-a-long territory. It’s livin’ in the moment fun times. |
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The tune that’s really getting a lot of attention is Abair’s retooling of James Brown’s iconic ‘It's a Man's Man's Man's World.’ Even the thought of recording this song is a tall task when considering the Brown toiled with the tune for years before finally releasing it 1966. He originally recorded it as if it was a sermon. It became much more than that with lyrics that Betty Newsome, a friend of the Godfather of Soul, had fashioned after the bible and her observations of the men in her life including Brown. It’s such a difficult piece to sing. One has to be firmly, comfortably, locked and loaded in their skin for this task and luckily Abair invited one of the most underrated voices of our time Lalah Hathaway for the job. It works on so many levels. "Lalah thinks like an instrumentalist, and she has always made her way around a song that way, " says Abair. "So for me, as an instrumentalist, that was ideal. We wanted to record this song as a duet. We didn't want to follow the typical structure of one person singing the song and the other person playing the saxophone. We made it more of a back-and-forth experience." |
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