Smooth Jazz News - October-November-Decemeber - 2024

4 2 | S M O O T H J A Z Z N E W S By Melanie Maxwell Mindi Abair will hit the road with her 2024 “I Can’t Wait For Christmas Tour,” which kicks o on Nov. 30, in Phoenix, Arizona, and ends at Spaghettini in Seal Beach, California, on Dec. 23. e Grammy-nominated saxophonist will be accompanied by vocalist Lindsey Webster and saxophonist Marcus Anderson for a 17-city run. “We’ll do a few nights in multiple cities like Charlotte, Oakland and Phoenix,” said Abair. “We’ll also be going into SiriusXM to do a featured concert just for a special holiday airing on SiriusXMWatercolors.” Abair said that she loves Christmas and always wanted to create a bigger-than-life show that “moves and ows in di erent places.” To help achieve those goals, she chose Webster, who performed on Abair’s 2022 tour, for her soaring voice. “ at vocal power is so inspiring at Christmas to bring home those songs we all love,” Abair explained. Anderson, who created his own AND Co ee line, is someone Abair has performed with on many Dave Koz & Friends at Sea cruises, and with whom she always wanted to do more. “He’s such a natural performer, a great saxophonist, singer and dancer. is is my chance to have some fun playing with him and feature his incredible talent,” she said. Favorite things about Christmas “We’re creating a really special show based on who we are and what our favorite things about Christmas are. “We’ve also recorded a brand-new version of my song ‘I Can’t Wait For Christmas,’ the inspiration for the title of my Christmas tour,” she said. “It’s a soulful kind of rockin’ version featuring myself, Lindsey and Marcus. We’ll be releasing that just in time for the holidays!” Pre-show wine and co ee tastings Abair and her husband, Eric Guerra, will also host pre-show Wine and Jazz Tastings before nearly all of the Christmas tour shows. “Come early for a very special wine and music experience,” she said. “We’ll be pouring three of our company’s www.WINEandJAZZ.com ne wines. Eric, my ‘cork dork’ husband, will walk the group through an informative wine-by-wine ‘taste like a sommelier’ master class, while I pair each wine with a live performance song. We’ll get you hopped up on co ee, too, as Marcus is the king of cool co ees! “It’ll be a well-rounded experience … a little wine, a little co ee, a little story, a little song … the spirit of the season will be felt by all,” she concluded with enthusiasm. For more information about Mindi Abair’s “I Can’t Wait For Christmas Tour,” visit www.mindiabair.com. Mindi Abair’s “I Can’t Wait For Christmas Tour” jAzz BuZz and the succulent l i fe Photo: Carell Augustus Photo: Mélisa Miranda Photography Mindi Abair Lindsey Webster Marcus Anderson