Yellowjackets | |
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![]() Leverkusener Jazztage, 2015 | |
Background information | |
Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | Jazz fusion |
Years active | 1977–present |
Labels | MCA, GRP, Heads Up, Mack Avenue Records, Warner Bros. |
Members | Russell Ferrante Bob Mintzer Will Kennedy Dane Alderson |
Past members | Robben Ford Jimmy Haslip Ricky Lawson Michael Landau Mike Miller Marc Russo Peter Erskine Terri Lyne Carrington Marcus Baylor Felix Pastorius |
Website | yellowjackets |
Yellowjackets is an American jazz fusion band founded in 1977 in Los Angeles, California.
In 1977, guitarist Robben Ford, for his first solo album, recruited keyboardist Russell Ferrante, electric bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Ricky Lawson. [1] They decided to continue as a group and were signed to Warner Bros. Records by producer Tommy LiPuma, who chose the name "Yellowjackets" from a list of potential group names the band had compiled. [2] [3]
In 1984, the band's second album, Mirage a Trois , was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Fusion Performance. [3] Ford only played on half this album, and after he departed the group, saxophonist Marc Russo was hired in his place. [1] The next album, Shades , reached No. 4 on the Billboard 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 , Politics , and The Spin all received Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Fusion Performance. With Russo leaving the band in 1990, Bob Mintzer replaced him for the album Greenhouse , 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 for Mack Avenue. When Haslip took an extended hiatus, he was replaced by Felix Pastorius (son of bassist Jaco Pastorius.) [3] The band released A Rise in the Road with Pastorius. On some of the songs, Pastorius played the fretless bass guitar made famous by his father. [4]
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. [5]
Grammy Awards
Grammy nominations
John Francis "Jaco" Pastorius III was an American jazz bassist, composer, and producer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential bassists of all time, Pastorius recorded albums as a solo artist, band leader, and as a member of the jazz fusion group Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. He also collaborated with numerous artists, including Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell.
Robben Lee Ford 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, Little Feat, and Kiss. He was named one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by Musician magazine.
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James Robert Haslip 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.
Hiram Law Bullock was an American guitarist known mainly for playing in jazz funk and jazz fusion, but he also worked as a session musician in a variety of genres.
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Politics (1988) is the sixth studio album from the jazz group Yellowjackets. The album was awarded "Best Jazz Fusion Performance" at the 1989 Grammy Awards.
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.
Club Nocturne (1998) is the 13th studio album 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.
Like a River (1993) is the ninth studio album from the jazz group Yellowjackets, and their fifth studio album for GRP Records. The album was nominated for "Best Contemporary Jazz Recording" Grammy Award.The album reached a peak position of number three on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
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.
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's Jazz Albums chart. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance in 1984.
Greenhouse is the eighth studio album of the American jazz group Yellowjackets, released in 1991. In this album, the group was a trio. Bob Mintzer, who became an official member on the next album, was credited as a guest artist. The album reached a peak position of number one on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
Run for Your Life is an album by the American jazz group Yellowjackets, released in 1994. The album reached a peak position of number eight on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. It was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance" category.
Timeline is an album by the American jazz group Yellowjackets, released in 2011. The album reached a peak position of number five on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart, and was nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Album at the Grammy Awards of 2012.
Mint Jam is the second live album of the American jazz group Yellowjackets, released in 2001.