yellowjackets-Time Squared

[jazzharbinger07]

Vintage Yellowjackets..perhaps the best Modern jazz/fusion group ever.
I must remind you that I said group. Which we don't find much of nowadays, not that this is a bad thing. I thought it was superb and well worth the money I spent. Classy, Earthy,Lucid,..still capturing the yellowjackets sound that can't be copied. On a scale of 1-10, I give it a 7.
8-10 is reserved for other forms of jazz stemming from be-bop, swing, and whatever you call early Wayne Shorter. Peace 2 All.

[Nate Dorward]

Perhaps.

[Dennis Gonzalez]

group?

[Jazzooo]

"group?"

Yes, I think that's a valid description of The Yellowjackets. Russ Ferante and Jimmy Haslip have been together under that name for almost 25 years. They've had a revolving cast of drummers, but the tenure of Will Kennedy was a decade long. They have also only had two sax players--Mark Russo for for the first 10 years and then Bob Mintzer. That's a lot lower turnover than Weather Report, and I refer to them as a group.

Time Squared is a good album, though I don't usually stick with it all the way through. Just because they dig a slightly slicker recorded sound doesn't mean their music isn't worth exploring, especially from the last 5 years.

[Chazro]

Wazzup All!

IMO the band has flounderd since Will Kennedy left. BTW, where IS he anyway!!??

[Jazzooo]

Hi, Chazro--

I don't know where Kennedy has gone. What a great player, and an interesting timekeeper. I think their new one is pretty strong with Marcus Baylor (though his writing and his wife's singing didn't really thrill me), so I'm keeping an open mind as I had to with Weather Report when they'd shift personnel every other album.

[Chazro]

Wazzup Doug!

I understand what you mean with your comparison to Weather Report. The thought occurs to me that WR also floundered when Pastorious and Erskine left the band (what band wouldn't!). Interesting to note how sometimes a band suffers when the "supporting" players move on, although it borders on blasphemy to consider Jaco in this light.

[Mark of Cenla]

I love that CD! The tunes are good, and the sound quality is great. I am a big Will kennedy fan, so I was concerned about the drumming. But the new drummer does a very good job. Thank God for the Yellowjackets. Peace.

[AtlantaDave]

Originally Posted by Jazzooo

"group?"

Yes, I think that's a valid description of The Yellowjackets. Russ Ferante and Jimmy Haslip have been together under that name for almost 25 years. They've had a revolving cast of drummers, but the tenure of Will Kennedy was a decade long. They have also only had two sax players--Mark Russo for for the first 10 years and then Bob Mintzer. That's a lot lower turnover than Weather Report, and I refer to them as a group

Of course, way back in 1979 when the Yellowjackets first came into being, they didn't even have a sax player. They were initially a poor man's Spyro Gyra (minus the sax) and included guitarist Robben Ford. Beginning with their album "The Spin" (which came out in '89), they began to toss off the R & B/pop conventions and became more like their predecessors Steps Ahead and more "Weather Report-ish" in their sound.

In my opinion, Time Squared is one of their better efforts in this vein. My main complaints about the 'jacket's post-Russo period is that 1) at times they have been too derivative of Weather Report and 2) there's been a sameness in terms of dynamics, tempo, and "sound" of their songs that has made them far too predictable. Again my opinion, Time Squared avoids these pitfalls and does so masterfully. Since I tend to be more of a fan of faster rhythms, louder timbres, and have no problems with a good heavy dose of electronics, my faves on the CD are the title track and "Go Go".

[Ron Thorne]

Originally Posted by Jazzooo

Just because they dig a slightly slicker recorded sound doesn't mean their music isn't worth exploring, especially from the last 5 years.

It's because of the "slightly slicker recorded sound" that I don't own any Yellowjackets albums, though I've really dug some of the material I've heard from them. I was terribly disappointed several years ago when I wasn't able to accompany one of my drum students and his father to a performance at our Performing Arts Center, which I understand was a killer.

I had the privilege to meet and do an on-air interview with Russell Ferrante prior to the formation of Yellowjackets in 1977 or '78. What a nice cat, in addition to being a remarkable musician.

Here's the kicker: Russell was a relative unknown at that time, and the pianist/keyboardist with yet another incarnation of our friend Jim Pepper's band, Pepper's Pow-Wow. The rest of the personnel may be familiar to some here ... Ratso Harris - bass; David Haskell - guitar, and Brent Rampone - drums. What a band! I cherish a personally-made cassette recording of a performance they gave at my college alma mater here, Alaska Methodist University.

So, I'll do some sampling of Time Squared and see if it holds appeal for me.