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Biography
For|other uses|Yellowjacket (disambiguation)Refimprove|date=December 2010Infobox musical artist | name = Yellowjackets| background = group_or_band| origin = Los Angeles, California , California , United States | genre = Jazz fusion ,cite web|last=Meredith |first=Bill |url= http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search? q=cache:kxUPif3OR8IJ:jazztimes.com/articles/25781-yellowjackets-new-morning-the-paris-concert+yellow+jackets+smooth+jazz& cd=9& hl=en& ct=clnk& gl=us& client=firefox-a& source=www.google.com |title=Jazz Reviews: Yellowjackets New Morning: The Paris Concert — By Bill Meredith — Jazz Articles |publisher=Webcache.googleusercontent.com |date=2011-06-26 |accessdate=2011-07-10 smooth jazz | years_active = 1981–present| label = Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros. , MCA Records|MCA , GRP Records|GRP , Yellowjackets Enterprises, Heads Up International|Heads Up Int. , MackAvenue Records|Mack Avenue | website = URL| http://www.yellowjackets.com/| associated_acts = Mike Stern | current_members = Russell Ferrante Bob Mintzer Will Kennedy Felix Pastorius| past_members = Robben Ford Ricky Lawson Marc Russo Marcus Baylor Peter Erskine Terri Lyne Carrington Jimmy Haslip Yellowjackets is an United States|American jazz fusion / smooth jazz quartet .
History
The original group, called The Robben Ford Group, was formed in 1977, and consisted of Robben Ford , Russell Ferrante , Jimmy Haslip and Ricky Lawson , all top-notch L.A. session musicians. Ford had originally assembled the group to record The Inside Story (album)| Inside Story , but, signed to a separate record contract, ended up listed as a guest artist. Eventually he was replaced by saxophone and EWI player Richard Elliott, who appeared only on the "Mirage a Trois" album, before switching places in 1984 with alto saxophonist Marc Russo, who had been in the seminal R& B band Tower of Power . Ricky Lawson left in 1986 to tour with Lionel Richie . Some of their songs were featured on The Weather Channel (United States)|The Weather Channel 's Local On The 8s segments -- the Ferrante composition, "Matinee Idol," being the most well-known.
Starting out on Warner Brothers in the early '80s, the Yellowjackets moved to MCA/GRP in 1986, where they released a string of well-received albums. They also appeared with two songs on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . They are frequently on stage at festivals like Indy Jazz Fest .cite web | url= http://www.indyjazzfest.net/2011/roster/index.htm | title=2011 Artists | accessdate=July 19, 2011
In the '90s, Russo chose to go out on his own and plays regularly with The Doobie Brothers, and his replacement, Bob Mintzer (on tenor and bass clarinet), added more jazz credibility to the group's music. They moved back to Warner Brothers in 1995 for several albums before moving the Heads Up label for the live two-CD set Mint Jam in 2002. 2003 saw the release of their first studio album in five years, Time Squared . Three years later, the band celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary as an ensemble with the release of the live album Twenty Five .
In May 2008, the Yellowjackets released their 20th release, Lifecycle , also on HeadsUp International. Lifecycle features guitarist and label-mate Mike Stern , making it the first Yellowjackets record in 15 years to feature guitar (1994's Run For Your Life featured Robben Ford on the track Even Song ). The album has been nominated for the 2009 GRAMMY Awards in the category of Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Russell Ferrante has also been nominated in the category of Best Instrumental Composer for the track "Claire's Closet."
On 30th January 2012, Felix Pastoruis announced on the social media website, Facebook, that he will be replacing original bassist Jimmy Haslip for about a year. "I guess its official, I’m a yellowjacket!" http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/01/30/breaking-news-felix-pastorius-announces-hes-replacing-jimmy-haslip-in-the-yellowjackets/ Pastorius stated in his Facebook post, he said that Haslip is "healthy and happy and just wanted to take the year off to focus on other things…".
Discography
1981: Yellowjackets (album)|Yellowjackets
1983: Mirage a Trois - nominated for "Best Jazz Fusion Performance" Grammy award (1984)
1985: Samurai Samba
1986: Shades (Yellowjackets album)|Shades - awarded "Best R& B Instrumental Performance" ( And You Know That ) Grammy award (1987)
1987: Four Corners (album)|Four Corners - nominated for "Best Jazz Fusion Performance" Grammy award (1988)
1988: Politics (Yellowjackets album)|Politics - awarded "Best Jazz Fusion Performance" Grammy award (1989)
1989: The Spin - nominated for "Best Jazz Instrumental Performance" Grammy award (1990)
1991: Greenhouse (Yellowjackets album)|Greenhouse - nominated for "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance" Grammy award (1992)
1992: Live Wires (album)|Live Wires (Live album, recorded at the Roxy in Hollywood, CA, features Michael Franks, Brenda Russell, Marilyn Scott, Take 6)
1993: Like a River - nominated for "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance" Grammy award (1994)
1994: Run for Your Life (Yellowjackets album)|Run for Your Life - nominated for "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance" Grammy award (1995)
1995: Collection (GRP compilation)
1995: Dreamland (Yellowjackets album)|Dreamland - nominated for "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance" Grammy award (1996)
1997: Blue Hats
1998: Priceless Jazz (GRP compilation)
1998: Club Nocturne - nominated for "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance" Grammy award (1999)
1999: The Best of the Yellowjackets (Warner Bros. compilation)
2001: Mint Jam (album)|Mint Jam (Live album, recorded at the Mint in Los Angeles) - nominated for "Best Contemporary Jazz Album" Grammy award (2003)
2003: Time Squared (album)|Time Squared - nominated for "Best Contemporary Jazz Album" Grammy award (2004)
2005: Altered State (Yellowjackets album)|Altered State
2006: Twenty-Five (Live CD/DVD - recorded in Forli, Italy and Paris, France)
2008: Lifecycle (album)|Lifecycle - featuring Mike Stern - nominated for "Best Contemporary Jazz Album" Grammy award (2009) and "Best Instrumental Composition" Grammy award (Russell Ferrante, "Claire's Closet") (2009)
2011: Timeline (Yellowjackets album)|Timeline - features Robben Ford on "Magnolia" - released March 15, 2011
Members
Current
Russell Ferrante - Keyboard instrument|keyboards , synthesizer s
Jimmy Haslip - bass guitar|bass (On a break from the group)
Bob Mintzer - saxophone s, bass clarinet , EWI (1991–present)
Will Kennedy - Drum kit|drums , percussions (2010–present; 1987–1999)
http://www.yellowjackets.com/ Yellowjackets official site
http://www.yellowjackets.dds.nl/ Yellowjackets official fansite
http://www.russellferrante.com/ Russell Ferrante official site
http://www.jimmyhaslip.com/ Jimmy Haslip official site
http://www.bobmintzer.com/ Bob Mintzer official site
http://www.robbenford.com/ Robben Ford official site
http://www.petererskine.com/ Peter Erskine official site
http://www.terrilynecarrington.com/ Terri Lyne Carrington official site
Yellowjackets Category:American jazz ensembles Category:Jazz fusion ensembles Category:Smooth jazz ensembles Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Warner Bros. Records artists Category:MCA Records artists Category:GRP Records artists
