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Yellowjackets: Altered State

By Jim Santella
May 17, 2005
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Fusing South African rhythms with soothing R&B melodies, the Yellowjackets continue to put up a refreshing performance that's made to suit easy listening audiences. Their mellow harmony and relaxed rhythmic pulses belie a loyalty to leisure suits, platform shoes with awkward heels, and hangin' out at the disco. The band began in the late 1970s, when those things were in vogue. The core element in their performance has never left them.

Bob Mintzer employs the tenor saxophone for most of this session, along with Russell Ferrante's piano, Marcus Baylor's edgy backbeats, and Jimmy Haslip's pulsing bass throbs. Guests join them for an R&B spectacle on "The Hope." Together, the Yellowjackets sway through hazy clouds of relaxed motion for an afternoon of suntanning and kickin' back.

"Hunter's Point" provides a different look. Mintzer adds soprano sax, bass clarinet, and EWI to the mix for a journey that takes the quartet on an adventure. As they explore exotic lands, the foursome cruises to new and interesting impressions. Unbridled energy characterizes their desire to explore new and different sounds. Similarly, "Youth Eternal" raises the bar in order to inject more adrenalin into the performance. Hip and energetic, relying on Baylor's vast array of multiple textures for a mosaic of funk-driven anxiety, the Yellowjackets give it a thrilling ride. Elsewhere, the band's smooth jazz concept keeps it tied to a relaxed format that soothes as it informs. This performance, intended for easy listening habits, drowns away the rigors of the day and envelops you in a swarm of delicious moods.

Visit Yellowjackets on the web.

Track Listing

Suite 15; March Majestic; The Hope; Hunter Point; Mother Earth; Youth Eternal; Free Day; Cross Current; Aha; 57 Chevy; Unity.

Personnel

Yellowjackets

band / ensemble / orchestra

Bob Mintzer

saxophone

Marcus Baylor

drums

Jimmy Haslip

bass

Russell Ferrante

keyboards

Mike Shapiro

drums

Album information

Title: Altered State | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Heads Up International

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About Yellowjackets

Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra

Concerts

Apr 19 Fri

Yellowjackets

Irvine Barclay Theatre
Irvine, CA

May 15 Wed

Yellowjackets

The Forge Arts Venue
London, UK

Oct 24 Thu

Yellowjackets

Sara Kulturhus
Skellefteå, Sweden

Oct 30 Wed

Yellowjackets

Tivoli/vredenburg
Utrecht, Netherlands

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