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Yellowjackets is an American
jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...
band founded in 1977 in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.


History

In 1977, guitarist
Robben Ford Robben Lee Ford (born December 16, 1951) is an American blues, jazz, and rock guitarist. He was a member of the L.A. Express and Yellowjackets and has collaborated with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Larry Carlton, Rick Springfield ...
, for his first solo album, recruited keyboardist Russell Ferrante, electric bassist
Jimmy Haslip James Robert Haslip (born December 31, 1951) is an American bass guitarist who was a founding member of the jazz fusion group the Yellowjackets, which he left in 2012. He was also an early user of the five-string electric bass. Early life and ...
and drummer
Ricky Lawson William Riser III (November 8, 1954 – December 23, 2013), better known as Ricky Lawson, was an American drummer and composer. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he worked extensively as a session musician, collaborating with Stevie Wonder, Mich ...
. They decided to continue as a group and were signed to
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
by producer
Tommy LiPuma Tommy LiPuma (July 5, 1936 – March 13, 2017) was an American music producer. He received 33 Grammy nominations, 5 Grammy wins, and his productions sold over 75 million albums. LiPuma worked with many musicians, including Barbra Streisand, Miles ...
, who chose the name "Yellowjackets" from a list of potential group names the band had compiled. In 1984, the band's second album, ''
Mirage a Trois ''Mirage a Trois'' is the second album of the American jazz group Yellowjackets, released in 1983. The album reached a peak position of number 145 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number 7 on '' Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart. It was nominated for t ...
'', was nominated for a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Fusion Performance. Ford only played on half this album, and after he departed the group, saxophonist Marc Russo was hired in his place. The next album, '' Shades'', reached No. 4 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine jazz album chart, while the single "And You Know That" won a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance. Lawson left and was replaced by Will Kennedy in 1987. Their next three albums, ''
Four Corners The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...
'', ''
Politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
'', and ''
The Spin ''The Spin'' is an album by the American jazz band Yellowjackets, released in 1989. The album title refers to the Earth's rotation. The band supported the album with a North American tour. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the "Best J ...
'' all received Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Fusion Performance. With Russo leaving the band in 1990,
Bob Mintzer Robert Alan Mintzer (born January 27, 1953) is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. Early life Mintzer was born and raised in a Jewish family in New Rochelle, New York, on January 27, 1953. He attended the Inter ...
replaced him for the album ''
Greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...
'', which reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Contemporary Jazz Album chart. Mintzer has remained a band member. The Yellowjackets celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2011 with the album ''
Timeline A timeline is a display of a list of events in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representi ...
'' for
Mack Avenue Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Background Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company is a sponsor ...
. When Haslip took an extended hiatus, he was replaced by Felix Pastorius (son of bassist
Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bass guitar, bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1 ...
.) The band released ''A Rise in the Road'' with Pastorius. On some of the songs, Pastorius played the
fretless bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and sc ...
made famous by his father. In addition to their studio albums, the Yellowjackets contributed two tracks to the soundtrack of the film '' Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'' in 1986..


Awards and honors

Grammy Awards * R&B Instrumental Performance: "And You Know That" (1987) * Jazz Fusion Performance: ''Politics'' (1989) Grammy nominations * Jazz Fusion Performance: ''Mirage a Trois'' (1984), ''Four Corners'' (1987) * Contemporary Jazz Performance: ''Greenhouse'' (1992), ''Like a River'' (1994), ''Run for Your Life'' (1995), ''Dreamland'' (1996), ''Club Nocturne'' (1999) * Contemporary Jazz Album: ''Mint Jam'' (2003), ''Time Squared'' (2004), ''Lifecycle'' (2009) * Jazz Instrumental Performance: ''The Spin'' (1990) * Instrumental Composition: "Claire's Closet", Russell Ferrante (2009), "Civil War", Bob Mintzer (2014) *
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album The Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album has been presented since 1961. From 1962 to 1971 and 1979 to 1991 the award title specified instrumental performances. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works ...
: ''Jackets XL'' with the (2022)


Discography

*1981: ''
Yellowjackets A yellowjacket is a black-and-yellow vespid wasp. Yellowjacket(s) or Yellow Jacket(s) may also refer to: Places * Yellow Jacket, Colorado, an unincorporated town * Yellow Jacket, Florida, an unincorporated area in Dixie County, Florida Arts, e ...
'' (
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
) *1983: ''
Mirage a Trois ''Mirage a Trois'' is the second album of the American jazz group Yellowjackets, released in 1983. The album reached a peak position of number 145 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number 7 on '' Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart. It was nominated for t ...
'' (Warner Bros.) *1985: '' Samurai Samba'' (Warner Bros.) *1986: '' Shades'' ( GRP) *1987: ''
Four Corners The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...
'' (GRP) *1988: ''
Politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
'' ( MCA) *1989: ''
The Spin ''The Spin'' is an album by the American jazz band Yellowjackets, released in 1989. The album title refers to the Earth's rotation. The band supported the album with a North American tour. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the "Best J ...
'' (MCA) *1991: ''
Greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...
'' (MCA) *1992: '' Live Wires'' (GRP) *1993: '' Like a River'' (GRP) *1994: '' Run for Your Life'' (GRP) *1995: '' Dreamland'' (Warner Bros.) *1995:
Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...
's ''
Bang!Zoom ''Bang!Zoom'' is a 1995 studio album by American vocalist and jazz/folk musician Bobby McFerrin, released by Blue Note Records. The line-up includes several members of the jazz fusion band Yellowjackets. The album reached number 10 on '' Bill ...
'' (Blue Note) *1997: '' Blue Hats'' (Warner Bros.) *1998: ''
Club Nocturne ''Club Nocturne'' (1998) is the 13th studio album (14th overall) from the jazz group Yellowjackets, and their sixth and final release for the Warner Bros. label. The album was nominated for "Best Contemporary Jazz Album" Grammy Award. The album ...
'' (Warner Bros.) *2001: '' Mint Jam'' ( Heads Up) *2003: '' Time Squared'' (Heads Up) *2003: '' Peace Round: A Christmas Celebration'' (Heads Up) *2005: '' Altered State'' (Heads Up) *2006: ''Twenty-Five'' (Heads Up) *2008: ''
Lifecycle Life cycle, life-cycle, or lifecycle may refer to: Science and academia * Biological life cycle, the sequence of life stages that an organism undergoes from birth to reproduction ending with the production of the offspring *Life-cycle hypothesis ...
'' (Heads Up) *2011: ''
Timeline A timeline is a display of a list of events in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representi ...
'' (
Mack Avenue Records Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Background Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and Chairperson, chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company ...
) *2013: ''A Rise in the Road'' (
Mack Avenue Records Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Background Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and Chairperson, chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company ...
) *2016: ''Cohearence'' (
Mack Avenue Records Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Background Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and Chairperson, chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company ...
) *2018: ''Raising Our Voice'' (
Mack Avenue Records Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Background Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and Chairperson, chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company ...
) *2020: ''Jackets XL'' (
Mack Avenue Records Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Background Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and Chairperson, chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company ...
) *2022: ''Parallel Motion'' (
Mack Avenue Records Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Background Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and Chairperson, chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company ...
)


Members


Present lineup

*
Russell Ferrante Yellowjackets is an American jazz fusion band founded in 1977 in Los Angeles, California. History In 1977, guitarist Robben Ford, for his first solo album, recruited keyboardist Russell Ferrante, electric bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Ri ...
– keyboards, synthesizers (1977–present) *
Bob Mintzer Robert Alan Mintzer (born January 27, 1953) is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. Early life Mintzer was born and raised in a Jewish family in New Rochelle, New York, on January 27, 1953. He attended the Inter ...
– saxophones,
bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...
, EWI (1991–present) *William Kennedy – drums, percussion (1987–1999, 2010–present) *Dane Alderson – bass (2015–present)


Former members

*
Robben Ford Robben Lee Ford (born December 16, 1951) is an American blues, jazz, and rock guitarist. He was a member of the L.A. Express and Yellowjackets and has collaborated with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Larry Carlton, Rick Springfield ...
– guitar (1977–1983) *
Jimmy Haslip James Robert Haslip (born December 31, 1951) is an American bass guitarist who was a founding member of the jazz fusion group the Yellowjackets, which he left in 2012. He was also an early user of the five-string electric bass. Early life and ...
– bass (1977–2012) * Mike Miller - guitar (1983) *
Ricky Lawson William Riser III (November 8, 1954 – December 23, 2013), better known as Ricky Lawson, was an American drummer and composer. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he worked extensively as a session musician, collaborating with Stevie Wonder, Mich ...
– drums (1977–1987; died 2013) *
Michael Landau Michael Christopher Landau (born June 1, 1958) is an American musician, audio engineer, and record producer. He is a session musician and guitarist who has played on many albums since the early 1980s with Boz Scaggs, Minoru Niihara, Joni Mitch ...
- guitar (1985) *
Marc Russo Yellowjackets is an American jazz fusion band founded in 1977 in Los Angeles, California. History In 1977, guitarist Robben Ford, for his first solo album, recruited keyboardist Russell Ferrante, electric bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Ri ...
– saxophones (1985–1989) *
Peter Erskine Peter Erskine (born June 5, 1954) is an American jazz drummer who was a member of the jazz fusion groups Weather Report and Steps Ahead. Early life and education Erskine was born in Somers Point, New Jersey, U.S. He began playing the drum ...
– drums (1999-2000) *
Terri Lyne Carrington Terri Lyne Carrington (born August 4, 1965) is an American jazz drummer, composer, producer, and educator. She has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets, and ma ...
– drums (2000) *Marcus Baylor – drums (2000–2010) *Felix Pastorius – bass (2012–2015)


Timeline

ImageSize = width:1100 height:380 PlotArea = left:84 bottom:80 top:0 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/2023 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:Saxophone value:gray(0.75) legend:Saxophone id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:Keyboard value:purple legend:Keyboard id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1981 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1981 LineData = at:01/01/1981 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1983 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1985 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1986 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1987 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1988 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1989 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1991 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1992 color:yellow layer:back at:01/01/1993 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1994 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1995 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1997 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1998 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2001 color:yellow layer:back at:01/01/2003 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2004 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2005 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2006 color:yellow layer:back at:01/01/2008 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2011 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2013 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2016 color:black layer:back at:01/01/2018 color:black layer:back BarData = bar:ford text:"Robben Ford" bar:russo text:"Marc Russo" bar:mintzer text:"Bob Mintzer" bar:ferrante text:"Russell Ferrante" bar:haslip text:"Jimmy Haslip" bar:pastorius text:"Felix Pastorius" bar:alderson text:"Dane Alderson" bar:lawson text:"Ricky Lawson" bar:kennedy text:"William Kennedy" bar:erskine text:"Peter Erskine" bar:carrington text:"Terri Lyne Carrington" bar:baylor text:"Marcus Baylor" PlotData= width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:ferrante from:01/01/1981 till:end color:Keyboard bar:haslip from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/2012 color:Bass bar:pastorius from:01/01/2012 till:01/01/2015 color:Bass bar:alderson from:01/01/2015 till:end color:Bass bar:lawson from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/1987 color:Drums bar:kennedy from:01/01/1987 till:01/01/1999 color:Drums bar:kennedy from:01/01/2010 till:end color:Drums bar:erskine from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2000 color:Drums bar:carrington from:01/01/2000 till:01/01/2001 color:Drums bar:baylor from:01/01/2000 till:01/01/2010 color:Drums bar:ford from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/1984 color:Guitar bar:russo from:01/01/1985 till:01/01/1990 color:Saxophone bar:mintzer from:01/01/1991 till:end color:Saxophone ImageSize = width:800 height:40 PlotArea = left:110 bottom:0 top:0 right:6 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1981 till:01/12/2013 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors= id:Lines value:black legend:Studio releases id:Lines2 value:yellow legend:Live album recordings (opt. also video) Legend = orientation:horizontal position:top


See also

*
Jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...
*
List of jazz fusion musicians The following are notable jazz fusion performers or bands. For performers of smooth jazz, a more radio-friendly, pop-infused variant of fusion, see List of smooth jazz performers. Bassists * Steve Bailey * Victor Bailey * Jeff Berlin * ...


References


External links


Official site
{{Authority control American jazz ensembles from California Jazz fusion ensembles Jazz musicians from California Musical groups established in 1977 Musical groups from Los Angeles Smooth jazz ensembles Grammy Award winners GRP Records artists MCA Records artists Warner Records artists Articles which contain graphical timelines Mack Avenue Records artists