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A leading crossover jazz outfit,
Yellowjackets found success combining polished funk and R&B grooves with a strong post-bop- and fusion-influenced sound. Initially a vehicle for guitarist
Robben Ford (who left the band in 1983),
Yellowjackets rose to prominence in the early '80s and helped define the sound of smooth jazz along with bands like
Spyro Gyra,
the Rippingtons, and
Special EFX. In addition to their commercial success, they picked up accolades including the Grammy for R&B Instrumental Performance for "And You Know That" off 1986's
Shades, and the Grammy for Jazz Fusion Performance for 1989's Politics. The band's ability to balance crossover appeal with a dedication to improvisational excellence has attracted top-level players over the years, including saxophonist
Bob Mintzer, who debuted on 1991's
Greenhouse, and guitarist
Mike Stern, who appeared on 2008's Lifecycle. Other members have also included
Weather Report drummer
Peter Erskine, drummer
Marcus Baylor, and bassist Felix Pastorius, son of legendary bassist
Jaco Pastorius, who joined the band for 2013's
A Rise in the Road but left after 2016's
Cohearence. Brazilian jazz singer
Luciana Souza collaborated with the band on 2018's universally acclaimed
Raising Our Voice. In the spirit of collaboration,
Yellowjackets teamed with the WDR Big Band to record 2020's Jackets XL.
While recording his 1979 album
The Inside Story, former
L.A. Express guitarist
Robben Ford put together a backing band featuring keyboardist
Russell Ferrante, electric bassist
Jimmy Haslip, and drummer
Ricky Lawson. The group caught the attention of Warner Bros. producer
Tommy LiPuma, who then signed them, shepherding their transformation into
Yellowjackets. With
Ford, they released two well-received albums, 1981's
Yellowjackets and 1983's
Mirage a Trois, the latter of which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Fusion Performance in 1984.
With
Ford's departure in 1983,
Yellowjackets added alto saxophonist
Marc Russo and signed to Warner Bros. Buoyed by
Russo's glassy yet soulful sound, the band continued to develop, adopting an even more R&B-oriented approach on albums like 1985's
Samurai Samba and 1986's
Shades, which spent 32 weeks on the Billboard Top Jazz Album chart, peaking at number four. Included on the album was the track "And You Know That," which took home the Grammy for R&B Instrumental Performance.
Moving to
MCA/GRP,
Yellowjackets continued to build their fan base, releasing a string of well-received albums including 1987's
Four Corners, which introduced drummer
William Kennedy, and also included
Weather Report percussionist
Alex Acuña. The album was nominated for Best Jazz Fusion Performance at the Grammys. The band's follow-up, 1988's Politics, also performed well, picking up a Grammy nomination, again for Best Jazz Fusion Performance.
The Spin followed a year later and nabbed the same Grammy nomination. It also marked
Russo's last album with the band.
In 1990, saxophonist
Bob Mintzer guested with
Yellowjackets as
Russo's replacement, bringing with him over two decades of experience leading his own groups, and playing with such luminaries as
Jaco Pastorius,
Randy Brecker,
Philip Glass, and others. He debuted on 1990's
Greenhouse, which hit number one on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
Mintzer signed on as a full-time member for 1992's
Like a River, which peaked at number three on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and picked up a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Recording. The group rounded out its time at GRP with 1993's Top Eight Billboard Contemporary Jazz Album
Run for Your Life. Moving back to Warner Bros., the band issued
Dreamland, which featured a guest appearance by vocalist
Bobby McFerrin. Two more albums followed for the label with 1997's
Blue Hats and 1998's
Club Nocturne, which included collaborations with singers
Kurt Elling,
Brenda Russell, and
Jonathan Butler. The group issued the live two-CD set
Mint Jam on Heads Up in 2002, which also featured the debut of drummer
Marcus Baylor.
In 2003,
Yellowjackets returned to studio recording with
Times Squared, which reached number 15 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart. Three years later, they celebrated their 25th anniversary with the release of the live album Twenty Five. The studio album Lifecycle followed in 2008 and featured a guest appearance by veteran fusion guitarist
Mike Stern.
In 2011, the band marked their 30th anniversary with the release of
Timeline on Mack Avenue. It peaked at number five on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart and was nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Album at the Grammy Awards. Two years later, the group released
A Rise in the Road, their first album without bassist
Haslip, who left the band to focus on his family and other projects. Taking his place was bassist Felix Pastorius, son of legendary
Weather Report bassist
Jaco Pastorius. Trumpeter
Ambrose Akinmusire also guested on three tracks. Pastorius was replaced by
Dane Alderson in 2015.
Cohearence followed a year later and included a notable interpretation of
John Coltrane's classic "Giant Steps." In 2018,
Yellowjackets paired with vocalist
Luciana Souza for
Raising Our Voice. In November of 2020, the group released its 25th album, the Grammy-nominated Jackets XL. A celebratory collaboration with Cologne, Germany's WDR Big Band, the groups recorded well-known
Yellowjackets' originals reimagined with dynamic new arrangements. ~ Matt Collar