Yellowjackets
are an American jazz fusion quartet.
|
THE YELLOWJACKETS TICKETS
EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
---|
The Yellowjackets Tickets 7/2 | Jul 02, 2024 Tue, 7:00 PM | | The Yellowjackets Tickets 7/2 | Jul 02, 2024 Tue, 9:30 PM | | The Yellowjackets Tickets 7/3 | Jul 03, 2024 Wed, 7:00 PM | | The Yellowjackets Tickets 7/3 | Jul 03, 2024 Wed, 9:30 PM | | The Yellowjackets Tickets 7/4 | Jul 04, 2024 Thu, 7:00 PM | |
|
Biography
The original group, called The Robben Ford Group, was formed in 1977, and consisted of
Robben Ford,
Russell Ferrante,
Jimmy Haslip and
Ricky Lawson. Ford had originally assembled the group to record
Inside Story
, but signed to a separate record contract, ended up listed as a guest artist. Eventually he was replaced by saxophone player
Marc Russo. Ricky Lawson left in 1986 to tour with
Lionel Richie. Some of their songs were featured on
The Weather Channel's
Local On The 8s
segments.
Founded in 1981 as an R&B-oriented band that starred guitarist Robben Ford, the group took a giant step forward when, after Ford's departure, altoist
Marc Russo took his place. With original members Russell Ferrante on keyboards and electric bassist Jimmy Haslip, in addition to drummer William Kennedy, the band found its own R&B-ish sound, sometimes playing original compositions that sounded like
Joe Zawinul at his most melodic. Starting out on Warner Brothers in the early '80s, the Yellowjackets moved to MCA/GRP in 1986, where they released a string of well-received albums.
They also appeared with two songs on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
.
In the '90s, Russo chose to go out on his own and plays regularly with The Doobie Brothers, and his replacement,
Bob Mintzer (on tenor and bass clarinet), added more jazz credibility to the group's music. They moved back to Warner Brothers in 1995 for several albums before moving the Heads Up label for the live two-CD set
Mint Jam
in 2002. 2003 saw the release of their first studio album in five years,
Time Squared
. Three years later, the band celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary as an ensemble with the release of the live album
Twenty Five
.
In May 2008, the Yellowjackets released their 20th release,
Lifecycle
, also on HeadsUp International.
Lifecycle
features guitarist and label-mate
Mike Stern, making it the first Yellowjackets record in 15 years to feature guitar (1994's
Run For Your Life
featured
Robben Ford on the track
Even Song
). The album has been nominated for the 2009 GRAMMY Awards in the category of Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Russell Ferrante has also been nominated in the category of Best Instrumental Composer for the track "Claire's Closet."
Discography
Full albums
- Yellowjackets
(1981)
- Mirage a Trois
(1983) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Jazz Fusion recording"
- Samurai Samba
(1985)
- Shades
(1986) - won a Grammy for "Best R&B Instrumental" (And You Know That
)
- Four Corners
(1987) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- Politics
(1988) - won a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- The Spin
(1989) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- Greenhouse
(1991) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- Live Wires
(1992) (Live album, recorded at the Roxy in Hollywood, CA, features Michael Franks, Brenda Russell, Marilyn Scott, Take 6)
- Like a River
(1993) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- Run for Your Life
(1994) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- Dreamland
(1995) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- Blue Hats
(1997) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- Club Nocturne
(1998) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- Mint Jam
(2001) (Live album, recorded at the Mint in Los Angeles) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- Time Squared
(2003) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- Peace Round: A Christmas Celebration
(2003)
- Altered State
(2005) - nominated for a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording"
- Twenty-Five
(2006) (Live CD/DVD - recorded in Forli, Italy and Paris, France)
- Lifecycle
(2008) - featuring Mike Stern - nominated for two Grammys, one for "Best Contemporary Jazz Album" and the other for "Best Instrumental Composer" (Russell Ferrante) for "Claire's Closet"
Compilations/Box Sets
- Collection
(1995)
- Priceless Jazz Collection
(1998)
- Best of Yellowjackets
(1999)
Miscellaneous feat. Yellowjackets
- Casino Lights
(1982)
- STAR TREK IV: The Voyage Home
(1986)
Current members
- Russell Ferrante - keyboards, synthesizers
- Jimmy Haslip - bass
- Bob Mintzer - saxophones, bass clarinet, EWI (since 1991)
- Marcus Baylor - drums, percussions (since 2000)
Former members
- Robben Ford - guitar (1977-1978)
- Ricky Lawson - drums (1977-1986)
- Marc Russo - saxophones (1985-1989)
- William Kennedy - drums (1987-1999)
- Peter Erskine - drums (1999)
- Terri Lyne Carrington - drums (2000)
External links & sources
de:Yellowjackets
fr:Yellowjackets
nl:Yellowjackets
ja:?????????
fi:Yellowjackets
pl:Yellowjackets