Come As You Are

With this follow-up to her 2003 hit debut It Just Happens That Way, the young saxophonist firmly establishes herself among the new generation of smooth jazz musicians. What she has over veterans is the impetus of youth. Firmly connected to modern-rock sensibilities, Abair can easily draw younger listeners with her 21st century rock-jazz fusion, particularly on the first two tracks and all three vocal tunes. Abair's singing here is head and shoulders above the vocals on her debut. However, she still has yet to find her own voice on saxophone. You can clearly hear the influence of Dave Koz, Boney James, and David Sanborn at various points. On the other hand, she does take more chances than most of her older fellow sax players usually do. There is no obligatory pop cover tune--it's all originals--and, more impressively, she's not afraid to show a young audience her roots with more traditional jazz takes on "New Shoes" and the blistering hidden track, "26 Hemenway," featuring Yellowjackets pianist Russell Ferrante. --Mark Ruffin