The Yellowjackets made a splash with their first record, an accessible
mixture of jazz, rock, and funk bearing the unmistakable mark of the
L.A. session scene that spawned them. In fact, the Yellowjackets had
their roots in the sessions for Robben Ford's 1979 album The Inside
Story. Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip, and Ricky Lawson all appeared on
that album and reenlisted Ford's help for their own debut, with the
guitarist's fluid soloing often taking the lead role. As fun an album as
it is -- and there are times when the melodies rise to a joyful
exuberance that recalls Weather Report's "Birdland" -- Yellowjackets
isn't a true fusion record. Ricky Lawson provides rock beats to the
material, Haslip's bass work is as funky as it is jazzy, and the
arrangements tend to stick with the same groove (as ingratiating as they
may be) rather than explore the musical themes like an esoteric jazz
band might. The opening "Matinee Idol" is as much the Jackson 5 (one of
Lawson's previous gigs) as fusion, "Rush Hour" is jazzy in a Steely Dan
sense, while "Sittin' in It" actually borrows from the old funk classic
"For the Love of Money." There are some nice, chunky grooves that give
the album a sense of substance ("The Hornet," "Imperial Strut"), a
wistful track in "It's Almost Gone," and a neat melody tucked into
"Priscilla," all of which contribute to the album's charm. But compared
to their GRP recordings, the Yellowjackets' debut does seem a little
one-dimensional. If you enjoy the smooth, guitar-led jazz from this
period (e.g., Earl Klugh, Lee Ritenour), Yellowjackets is worth checking
out, both for the upbeat melodies and Ford's seemingly effortless
solos. Dave Connolly
Tracklist :
1. Matinee Idol 5:08
Russell Ferrante
Saxophone [Tenor] – Ernie Watts
2. Imperial Strut 5:25
Russell Ferrante
3. Sittin' in It 5:06
Ricky Lawson / Bobby Lyle
4. Rush Hour 5:13
Russell Ferrante / Robben Ford
5. The Hornet 5:29
Russell Ferrante / Jimmy Haslip
6. Priscilla 5:11
Robben Ford / Jimmy Haslip / Chris Palmaro
7. It's Almost Gone 6:00
Russell Ferrante
Credits :
Arranged By [Horns] – Bill Reichenbach, Larry Williams
Bass – Jimmy Haslip
Drums – Ricky Lawson
Guitar – Robben Ford
Keyboards – Russell Ferrante
Percussion – Lenny Castro, Paulinho Da Costa
Saxophone [Tenor], Flute – Gary Herbig, Larry Williams
Saxophone [Tenor], Saxophone [Baritone] – Kim Hutchcroft
Trombone – Bill Reichenbach
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jerry Hey.jpg)
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