Yellowjackets is an American jazz fusion band founded in 1977 in Los Angeles, California.

History

thumb|right|150px|Jimmy Haslip performs at the [[Liri Blues Festival, Italy, in 2000.]]

In 1977, guitarist Robben Ford, for his first solo album, recruited keyboardist Russell Ferrante, electric bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Ricky Lawson. They continued as a group and were signed to Warner Bros. Records by producer Tommy LiPuma, who chose the name "Yellowjackets" from a list of potential group names the band had compiled.

In 1984, the band's second album, Mirage a Trois, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Fusion Performance.

In addition to their studio albums, the Yellowjackets contributed two tracks to the soundtrack of the film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in 1986.

Awards and honors

Grammy Awards

  • R&B Instrumental Performance: "And You Know That" (1987)
  • Jazz Fusion Performance: Politics (1989)

Grammy nominations

  • Jazz Fusion Performance: Mirage a Trois (1984), Four Corners (1987)
  • Contemporary Jazz Performance: Greenhouse (1992), Like a River (1994), Run for Your Life (1995), Dreamland (1996), Club Nocturne (1999)
  • Contemporary Jazz Album: Mint Jam (2003), Time Squared (2004), Lifecycle (2009)
  • Jazz Instrumental Performance: The Spin (1990)
  • Instrumental Composition: "Claire's Closet", Russell Ferrante (2009), "Civil War", Bob Mintzer (2014)
  • Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Jackets XL with the WDR Big Band (2022)
  • Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Fasten Up (2025)

Members

Current members

  • Russell Ferrante – keyboards, synthesizers (1977–present)
  • William Kennedy – drums, percussion (1987–1999, 2010–present)
  • Bob Mintzer – saxophones, bass clarinet, EWI (1991–present)
  • Dane Alderson – bass (2015–present)

Former members

  • Jimmy Haslip – bass (1977–2012)
  • Ricky Lawson – drums (1977–1987; died 2013)
  • Robben Ford – guitar (1977–1983)
  • Mike Miller – guitar (1983; died 2025)
  • Michael Landau – guitar (1985)
  • Marc Russo – saxophones (1985–1989)
  • Peter Erskine – drums (1999–2000)
  • Terri Lyne Carrington – drums (2000)
  • Marcus Baylor – drums (2000–2010)
  • Felix Pastorius – bass (2012–2015)

Timeline

Discography

  • 1981: Yellowjackets (Warner Bros.)
  • 1983: Mirage a Trois (Warner Bros.)
  • 1985: Samurai Samba (Warner Bros.)
  • 1986: Shades (GRP)
  • 1987: Four Corners (MCA)
  • 1988: Politics (MCA)
  • 1989: The Spin (MCA)
  • 1991: Greenhouse (MCA)
  • 1992: Live Wires (GRP)
  • 1993: Like a River (GRP)
  • 1994: Run for Your Life (GRP)
  • 1995: Dreamland (Warner Bros.)
  • 1995: Bobby McFerrin's Bang!Zoom (Blue Note)
  • 1997: Blue Hats (Warner Bros.)
  • 1998: Club Nocturne (Warner Bros.)
  • 2001: Mint Jam (Heads Up)
  • 2003: Time Squared (Heads Up)
  • 2003: Peace Round: A Christmas Celebration (Heads Up)
  • 2005: Altered State (Heads Up)
  • 2006: Twenty-Five (Heads Up)
  • 2008: Lifecycle (Heads Up)
  • 2011: Timeline (Mack Avenue)
  • 2013: A Rise in the Road (Mack Avenue)
  • 2016: Cohearence (Mack Avenue)
  • 2018: Raising Our Voice (Mack Avenue)
  • 2020: Jackets XL (Mack Avenue)
  • 2022: Parallel Motion (Mack Avenue)
  • 2025: Fasten Up (Mack Avenue)

See also

  • List of jazz fusion musicians

References

  • Official site