WHO ARE THEY? Singer, saxophonist and keyboard player Mindi Abair is a veteran road dog and session player who’s worked and toured with everyone from Aerosmith to Backstreet Boys — along with making her own jazz albums, hosting a radio show and serving on the Grammy Awards board. The Boneshakers are her band with guitarist Randy Jacobs — a bluesy rock outfit that puts her many talents front and centre.
WHAT IS THIS? Their fourth release, and the followup to last year’s holiday album, quite rightly titled All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues.
WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE? About what you’d expect a blues album to sound like when it’s been written, played, tracked and produced by a crew of first-call session musicians: Flawlessly executed, but somewhat lacking in grease and grit — especially coming from a band named The Boneshakers.
WHAT WOULD BE A BETTER TITLE FOR THIS ALBUM? Too Good For Its Own Good.
HOW SHOULD I LISTEN TO IT? While sipping a light beer at a corporate event.
WHAT 10 WORDS DESCRIBE IT? Slick, proficient, professional, accessible, tasteful, impeccable, predictable, derivative, standard, serviceable.
WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST SONGS? Originals like the R&B-laced Seven Day Fool, the riff-rocky Movin’ On and the swampy Mess I’m In are solid if unexceptional; their cover of The Young Rascals and Pat Benatar hit You Better Run will probably stick with you longest.
WHAT WILL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY SAY? ‘Hey, that cover picture sure reminds me of Born to Run.’
HOW OFTEN WILL I LISTEN TO THIS? Whenever your in-laws come over for dinner and have one drink too many.
IF THIS ALBUM WERE FOOD, WHAT KIND OF FOOD WOULD IT BE? Barbecued ribs from a four-star restaurant.
SHOULD I BUY, STREAM OR STEAL? We all have our limits when it comes to good deeds.
