Yellowjackets

The Yellowjackets are an American fusion band. Russell Ferrante is the main composer and arranger of catchy mixture of jazz, rock, pop and Latin, whose importance purists and fans of easy listening for three decades not agree.

History

The band was formed from the existing in 1978 occupation of the Robben Ford Group; Robben Ford noted at the time of veteran session musicians together a band with which he recorded his album The Inside Story. Keyboardist Russell Ferrante, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Ricky Lawson discovered their musical affinity during this shoot. When the record company Robben Ford urged to take a more pop and vocal oriented album, the members of the band but rather wanted to produce instrumental tracks, the Yellow Jackets were called " tape in the tape " was founded in 1981 took up their first produced by Tommy LiPuma album. The name wasps chose the musicians from a number of proposals, which brought Jimmy Haslip with in the test - he has no deeper meaning. When the second album under the band name, Mirage a Trois was nominated for a Grammy in 1983, the group had already disbanded.

In 1984, Haslip and Ferrante, the band reassembled: instead of Robben Ford on guitar now played the saxophone player Marc Russo. Drummer Ricky Lawson left in 1986 the band to tour with Lionel Richie, and was replaced for the recording of the album Four Corners by William Kennedy. Musically expanded by the style of the band in the direction of "World Beats".

With Politics, the group threw in 1988 the electronic elements in their music overboard and devoted himself increasingly to acoustic jazz. Designed in the same style The Spin was recorded in Oslo in 1989 by Jan Erik Haug Kong and was the last album with Marc Russo as a saxophonist.

The remaining trio recorded in 1991 the album Greenhouse on, which in turn ushered in a new musical era: as a soloist she now accompanied the big band arranger and saxophonist Bob Mintzer, some pieces were accompanied by a string orchestra. The style of the Yellowjackets moved now in the direction of acoustic jazz. In early 1999 William Kennedy left the band and was replaced for one year by Peter Erskine. As of 2001, Marcus Baylor played as a full time member on drums. The group toured again in 2002 in American and European festivals. 2010 William Kennedy returned to the band.

In early 2011 came the Yellowjackets in Germany with the big band of the Hessischer Rundfunk; Arrangers were Russell Ferrante, Vince Mendoza, Bob Mintzer.

On January 30, 2012 Felix Pastorius announced that he would join as a bass player the Yellowjackets. So He replaced longtime bassist Jimmy Haslip, who took a break.

Discography

  • Robben Ford: The Inside Story (1979, Elektra ) produced by Steve Cropper
  • Yellowjackets ( 1981, Warner Bros. ), produced by Tommy LiPuma
  • Diverse: Casino Lights ( 1982, Warner Bros. ), produced by Tommy LiPuma
  • Mirage A Trois ( 1983, Warner Bros. ), produced by Tommy LiPuma
  • Samurai Samba ( 1985, Warner Bros. ), produced by Tommy LiPuma
  • Shades (1986, MCA)
  • Four Corners (1987, MCA), produced by the Yellowjackets and David Hentschel
  • Politics (1988, MCA), produced by the Yellowjackets and David Hentschel
  • The Spin (1989, MCA )
  • Greenhouse (1991, GRP )
  • Live Wires (1992, GRP )
  • Like a River (1993, GRP )
  • Run for Your Life (1994, GRP )
  • Collection (1995, GRP )
  • Dreamland (1995, Warner Bros. )
  • Blue Hats (1997, Warner Bros. )
  • Priceless Jazz (1998, GRP)
  • Club Nocturne (1998, Warner Bros. )
  • Best Of (1999, Warner Bros. )
  • Mint Jam (2001, Yellowjackets )
  • Time Squared (2003, Heads Up )
  • Peace Round: A Christmas Celebration (2003, Yello Jackets )
  • Altered State (2005, Heads Up )
  • Twenty-Five (2006, Heads Up ), CD / DVD
  • Lifecycle (2008, Heads Up )
  • Timeline (2011, Mack Avenue )
  • A Rise in the Road (2013, Mack Avenue )

All but the marked differently albums were produced by the Yellowjackets.

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