The Yellowjackets   5/6/1991
The Queen Mary, Seat: n.a.

Yellowjackets were formed in 1977 the same way a lot of great bands are: they were brought together to back someone else (Robben Ford) and soon found they had more in common with one another than with the leader. In the quarter of a century since, countless groups have come and gone, but Yellowjackets are as active as ever-and a truly democratic band with no apparent hierarchy. Although only Russell Ferrante and Jimmy Haslip remain from the original lineup, this is no Four Tops or Four Freshman situation, mainly because there have been just a few shifts in personnel: original saxophonist Marc Russo was replaced by Mintzer in 1990, and the band's first drummer, Ricky Lawson, was replaced by Will Kennedy in 1987, who in turn was replaced by Peter Erskine, who then bowed recently for phenom Marcus Baylor. Yellowjackets' sound has evolved with those personnel changes, but the band's sound remains recognizable for its clever melodies, in-the-pocket rhythm and, most of all, a dynamic interplay that comes only from years of road work. Unique for a contemporary jazz group, Yellowjackets shift deftly between swing and funk rhythms, happily placing the group in the divide that exists between mainstream and contemporary jazz markets. It's a divide they are clearly aware of but care little for.