“We would have daily concerts, and I would curate local worldclass musicians and put on shows in chateaus or castles, and then eat in Michelin-star restaurants, and you end up creating a family. e experiences are just epic, and I’ve made close friends with many of the people who have gone with us. ese are very special, intimate experiences and a wonderful way to see the world.” e secret sauce of the adventures for Abair is the amount of time she can spend with her husband, a luxury that o en eludes musicians. “Eric and I wanted to be together because I used to go on tour and come home, and he would go to the winery and come home, which is great because those are dream jobs, but this is the life we envisioned where we can be together all the time and see the world while developing communities. It’s beyond special.” Abair is also hosting her New Year’s Eve blowout event this year in San Diego, with Elliot, Marcus Anderson, Erin Stevenson and Italian vocalist Daria Biancardi, among others. Sponsored by Kathy Payne and Payne Pest Management, the multiday party leading up to the New Year's Eve concert will include a storyteller’s event with the musicians, plus culinary and wine pairings. “New Year’s Eve is a shortened version of our Wine and Jazz excursions,” Abair said. “We have it in San Diego, always a sexy destination, on Coronado Island. I started my career in San Diego way back, and Eric is a San Diego State alumnus, so we have ties to the area. We wanted a three-day series of events involving concerts that would inspire people going into the new year. e world can be a crazy place, so to ring in the new year with friends and music in a great place is always special.” As she goes forward this year, Abair will continue to tell her story through music and live her best life. “ e music guides me, and I listen to it. I respect my calling and don’t take it for granted. I strive to write songs that are meaningful and hopeful and try to follow my North Star. “As a human being, I try to be as authentic as possible and put out to the world what I believe and stand for, and doing that in song is always the goal. I follow my heart and the music, and hopefully it inspires people.” For more information on Abair, her Wine and Jazz Adventures, New Year’s Eve event and complete tour schedule, visit www.mindiabair.com. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 | 23 OCT. 9 Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival “Unplugged Under the Stars” Descanso Beach, Avalon, California www.jazztrax.com NOV. 29 THROUGH DEC. 23 (various dates and venues) A Peter White Christmas with Mindi Abair and Vincent Ingala Kicks off in Atlanta, Georgia, on Nov. 29, and concludes in Phoenix, Arizona, on Dec. 23 www.mindiabair.com DEC. 29 31 Mindi Abair’s Wine and Jazz New Year’s Eve 2025 Loews Coronado Bay Resort San Diego, California www.mindiabair.com/ new-years-eve-2025 ON TOUR Abair has been a staple at the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival for the past three decades. “From the first time I arrived in Catalina, it felt like home … I always come early and stay late, and the show is always magical.” Jazz sexy Diego ties concerts world music her and I follow and song hopefully ties to world can be music in a her story and I I strive follow my and put out song is PHOTO: CARELL AUGUSTUS
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