The Yellowjackets: Such a sweet sting
Jazz greats play Napa on Friday, Saturday
For more than four decades now, Grammy-awardwinning jazz masters the Yellowjackets have been recording and releasing a vast array of innovative and inspiring music. Indeed, across 25—soon to be 26— albums, the quartet has explored uncharted sonic territory and crossed over many musical borders and frontiers.
Led by founding member Russell Ferrante, the four-piece band currently also features longtime saxophonist Bob Mintzer, drummer Will Kennedy and bassist Dane Alderson. Though the group, set to play in Napa on Friday and Saturday, has seen its fair share of members come and go, the collectives that pianist and keyboardist Ferrante has assembled over time have always created interesting collaborations, and continue to do so on their upcoming album, “Parallel Motion,” which will be released this coming August.
“(The title_ alludes to the fact that though we all have busy personal and musical lives, we also have been able to continue to evolve and move forward together as a band,” said Ferrante via email while on tour in Europe earlier this month.
“We are all very busy teaching and working as freelance musicians. I've been teaching at USC for 23 years and actually just retired. Bob and Will continue to teach full-time there. Bob is also the chief conductor of the WDR radio big band based in Cologne, Germany.
I also released a solo recording last year. So we all keep very busy!”
Last year marked 40 years since the release of Yellowjackets' first, self-titled album, an event that Ferrante said he looked back at with “a combination of gratitude, disbelief, and resolve.”
“We appreciate how fortunate we've been to have this kind of longevity and are indebted to all the people that have helped make it possible, our families, record companies, managers, booking and press agents, and especially to our wonderful fans. We're determined to make every recording and every concert worthy of their support.”
The Yellowjackets regularly tour in Europe two to three times a year, sometimes playing bigger festivals, sometimes smaller ones, and when they come back to the states, “I think we might prefer playing
more intimate venues where it's easier to connect with the audience — a venue like the Napa Blue Note is ideal,” said Ferrante.
Like so many other musicians that are grateful to be able to tour again after the global COVID pandemic shut virtually everything down, Ferrante and his bandmates are thrilled to be able to perform in front of fans once more.
“We had played a few concerts during these last two years but also went months without playing together. We live all over the U.S., so it's not so easy to get together. We missed playing but also missed the friendship and camaraderie of being together on the road. Also we certainly missed connecting with a live audience. Fingers crossed things keep improving!”
In addition to their many albums and concert appearances over the years, the Yellowjackets also provided two songs for the 1986 film “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” which has become a fan favorite since its release, particularly because the movie transported the crew of the starship Enterprise to then modern-day San Francisco.
The Yellowjackets' tune
“Market Street” plays as the fictional crew first explores the city, giving the scene a contemporary feel, while “Ballad of the Whale” presents an emotional overture as Captain Kirk and company attempt to rescue a pair of Humpback Whales.
“We were contacted by the producers to create a piece of music that would depict the feeling of San Francisco in 1986 when the crew landed. We had the great pleasure of meeting Leonard Nimoy at the recording session and also worked closely with the composer of the film score, Leonard Rosenman.”
“I had of course watched some episodes of Star Trek and was a casual fan. All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and a great way to connect with listeners that may not have been familiar with the band.”
Ferrante is looking forward to getting back to California after this current run in Europe and playing some hometown gigs.
“Will and I both grew up in the Bay Area, Will in Oakland and myself in San Jose,” said Ferrante. “We forged our musical identities in the Bay Area and have a deep connection with the people and the spirit of this special part of the country.”