Silver Spring, MD
February 3 , 2005

The first Thursday of each month is eagerly anticipated by Washington, DC smooth jazz enthusiasts.  That is the night when the local station, WJZW, holds its monthly After Work Party.  For February, the station presented an extraordinary free show at the Hilton Silver Spring.  At least 500 people gathered to hear some terrific music played by keyboardist, Marcus Johnson, local saxman, Jaared, and sax-sensation, Mindi Abair.

Hitting the stage first were Marcus and Jaared, backed by an amazing band of musicians.  They played a 45-minute set which featured songs from both of their CDs. The crowd was really engaged and grooving to the sounds of Marcus's songs "18th & M" and "Doc's Groove."  Marcus always says that the keys are his voice, and he was just wailing that night!  But what really took everyone by storm was Jaared's "Foreward: I Love You," played this time on a soprano sax. Jaared came out into the sea of fans and really put some emotion into that song.  You could tell that the crowd did not want their set to end.  The music was exciting, the musicians were having a great time on stage, and we were all left with high hopes of seeing these two local guys again soon.

Then came Mindi Abair.  This performance was different from all others I have seen of her.  This was strictly an acoustic show with Mindi and guitarist, Matthew Hagar.  The mood was more subdued, but the crowd was excited and ready to party.  Several of Mindi's recent hits were played.  Songs such as "Come As You Are," "Flirt," and "Lucy's" were crowd-pleasers. Mindi's tone was strong and her style was cool and funky.  Matthew Hagar's guitar playing was crisp.  While there was no backup band or tracks accompanying Mindi and Matthew, the pure acoustic sound still had the crowd on their feet.

After each set, the artists treated their fans to a meet-and-greet, and seemed to hang around forever.  It was a terrific evening, with great music and artists with superior talent.

- Bonnie Schendell