Yellowjackets have 30 years of rhythm

Posted at 8:04 AM on May 31, 2011 by David Cazares (0 Comments)
Filed under: Music

Far too often in the last decade or so, I've found myself sitting amid the faithful at sparsely attended concerts. In clubs and concert halls, the jazz audience can be oh so small - even when invigorating performers take the stage.

In such moments I wonder if the nation's best musicians have forever lost their once tight connection to popular culture -- or if too many young people have bought the lie that jazz is only for the pretentious, or those lost in the past.

In part, the disconnect between jazz and the masses owes to the propensity of some musicians -- and many of us in the audience -- to favor harmony and flurries of notes over rhythm. Or perhaps, it's the preference of many purists for acoustic music.

I love jazz in all its forms. But I want to hear those beats. For years, I've listened to not just to bebop and swing but also to jazz rock, Latin jazz and fusion of all kinds.

A generation ago, the search for contemporary rhythms, accessible beats and a broader understanding of jazz led me to the Crusaders, Return to Forever and Weather Report.

Another group to emerge during that era was the Yellowjackets, a terrific ensemble since the late 1970s. The modern jazz quartet, which has produced more than 20 recordings, performs tonight at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis.

Originally known as the Robben Ford Group, the Yellowjackets first included Ford on guitar, Russell Ferrante on Keyboards, Jimmy Haslip on bass and Ricky Lawson on drums. After Ford left the band, alto saxophonist Marc Russo replaced him and the band went more in a jazz direction. Its 1986 release Shades was a defining album.

The band's membership changed again that year when drummer William Kennedy joined the band and added African, Brazilian and world music rhythms. The Yellowjackets quickly delivered three great records: Four Corners, Politics and The Spin.

Blending melody and rhythm, the musicians' contemporary compositions told stories that appealed to a broad audience while leaving room for improvisation.

Saxophonist Bob Mintzer replaced Russo in 1991, and on Greenhouse the Yellowjackets added his big band influences.

Since then, the band's membership changed a couple of more times, most notably with Kennedy's departure 10 years ago. But he's back with the band, which recently returned to the studio to record "Timeline."

For 30 years, the Yellowjackets have been a strong presence in contemporary jazz - with lively tunes and accessible beats. Their collaborative playing is inspired by acoustic and electric jazz and by a variety of genres, from classical music to rhythm and blues and funk.

The band can swing.

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