Yellowjackets

One of the best-known fusion bands and multiple Grammy winner Yellowjackets is coming back to LantarenVenster! Yellowjackets has a long history and many great musicians have been a part of it. It started in 1977 with guitarist Robben Ford, keyboardist Russell Ferrante, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Ricky Lawson. Ford gathered these top musicians around him for the recording of his brilliant guitar album The Inside Story. A band name was quickly found. A yellowjacket is a stinging wasp and the musicians saw a parallel with their sound: “It's lively, energetic, and something with a sting.”

Their steamy fusion mixed with acoustic jazz was a huge hit, with Mirage A Trois, Samurai Samba and Four Corners as standout albums from the early days. Over the years, Ford's contribution diminished and his role was limited to a guest musician. The group continued to develop, and a variety of musicians were part of the band: Marc Russo, William Kennedy, Marcus Baylor, Paulinho da Costa, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Terri Lyne Carrington and Felix Pastorius.

Even though Yellowjacket's composition has often changed during its 46-year existence, the music has always been based on a mix of jazz, funk, R&B, pop and a touch of world. They call it “rhythm and jazz.” The changes did create new dimensions in the music. Under the influence of drummer William Kennedy, the group moves more into the field of world beats and soundscapes and with the arrival of saxophonist and arranger Bob Mintzer, the focus shifts more to straight-ahead acoustic jazz. From 1995 onwards they return to the more relaxed sound of the early years. Matured on the all-star wood of top musicians. The band comes to LantarenVenster with, among other things, the music from the strong new album Parallel Motion.