Peter White, Mindi Abair, Rick Braun

Chicago Theater
Chicago, IL
December 1, 2006

Rick Braun, Peter White, Mindi Abair

Story and Photos by James Walker

WNUA's annual smooth jazz concerts were held this past weekend at the Chicago Theater. On Friday, Dec. 1st, Peter White, Rick Braun and Mindi Abair were in a very festive mood with both holiday music and smooth jazz

Smooth jazz is often frowned upon by pure jazz lovers, but on this evening, it was simply a night of fun and high-spirited sounds.

Former 'rocker" Peter White displayed his skill on the electric guitar, ukelele, and his signature instrument: acoustic guitar. White seems to get more electrifying sounds out of the acoustic guitar than any of his peers. As always, White was in constant motion throughout this two hour set.

Each artist took turns soloing, but when they complimented each other, that really moved the audience. It was quite evident that they were truly enjoying the special evening.

Rick Braun is an exceptional musician. He displayed his talent that night while playing the trumpet, fluglehorn, and harmonica. The surprise of the evening came when Braun put down his horns and exercised his vocal chords. Yes, Rick Braun can really sing. He led several of the Christmas songs along with Mindi Abair. This writer had previously seen raun perfrom, but had no idea of how talented this man really is. His range on the trumpet was extraordinary. Rick reached for, and hit some high notes that most trumpet players only drem of playing.

Mindi Abair was the perfect complement to the two smooth jazz greats.

She not only held her own on the alto and soprano sax, she also unveiled her vocal talent throughout the evening. The ease with which she plays the sax is remarkable. It appears that she's playing effertlessly, but make no mistake about it, the large sound that emerges from her horns is phenomenal.

Although this performance was held on the evening of Chicago's first winter storm, the sparse crowd inside that braved the cold and snow was rewarded with an unpretentious evening of good old-fashioned fun loving music. Let's hope this group returns to Chicago in the near future with their great "smooth" jazz.