Change in Yellowjackets’ roster mirrored by a rise in innovation

November 08, 2007

By Mary T. Nguyen in the Columbia Tribune
November 8, 2007

When a band loses its original members but continues to play, is it still the same band? And should it replace those members with equally skilled musicians, what then? Is it still the same band if it just goes by the same name?

The jazz quartet The Yellowjackets doesn’t seem to be bogged down by these quasi-metaphysical questions. Instead of relying on physical qualifiers, the band, which has been around for three decades, relies instead on its consistent sound and spirit to identify itself.

“The basic foundation, that initial spark of innovation, is still there,” said bassist Jimmy Haslip in a statement released by the band. “We’re very open-minded and are always looking to the horizon to see what’s up ahead. We’re very dedicated to our craft, and we’re constantly trying to progress. That ultimately is a motivating factor in keeping a band like this going. It’s a laboratory, in essence, where some great experiments have taken place.”

The band formed in 1977 when guitarist Robben Ford amassed a group of session musicians that included keyboardist Russell Ferrante, Haslip and drummer Ricky Lawson, and the quartet discovered an immediate chemistry. After collaborating on Ford’s album, The Yellowjackets, as they began to call themselves, put out its self-titled debut in 1981.

The group has released more than 20 acclaimed records since, the most recent being a DVD/CD compilation celebrating 25 years of record-making. Each album contains the consistent jazz, bebop, funk fusion that defines The Yellowjackets, despite an ever-changing lineup.

The most recent cast of players includes original members Ferrante and Haslip as well as saxophonist Bob Mintzer, who joined the band in 1989, and drummer Marcus Baylor, the newest member who came aboard in 2001.

Joining such a legendary band might seem difficult or intimidating, but Baylor said that so much of the band’s success as a group and in creating music relies on the chemistry between members. Rather than being a hindrance, the changing lineup has benefited the band in pushing it to evolve and develop its sound and concepts.

“When a new piece is added to the puzzle, the band automatically takes on a new personality without even thinking about it,” Baylor said in the same release. “When we do play, we are of one mind. Personally, that’s what I want people to see. More than just this guy who plays great or that guy who plays great. I just want people to see four guys who work well as a unit and move in the same direction to make positive music for our listeners to enjoy.”

But because of the changing roster, players and fans alike associate the quality of sound with the name of the band, which came from a long list of names Haslip created. Out of the many not-so-good names, Ferrante said, The Yellowjackets seemed to have the strongest ring to it.

“It seemed to connotate something lively, energetic and something with a ‘sting,’ ” he said. “That’s really about as deep as it went. Once you choose a name, you’re stuck with it, so here we are … years later, grown men playing in a band named Yellowjackets.”

The group’s performance tonight, as part of the “We Always Swing” Jazz Series, marks its first appearance in Columbia, though the group has traveled the world since its inception. Although a lot of press is dedicated to its past, the group chooses to focus on its future, which the members see as long and unpredictable - the best thing for it.

“I think we could be together for another 25 years,” Mintzer said. “It’s the kind of band that could thrive for a long time because of the democratic philosophy and the level of commitment to what we do. There’s a long-standing bond that we share, and I don’t think it will ever go away. It’s just something that developed over the years of playing together and making music together.”