Album of the day: Yellowjackets, “Twentyfive”

Yellowjackets
“Twentyfive” (Cd +Dvd Heads Up)

Twenty-five years is not a short time for a musical group, even if it has been remodeled over time; the Yellowjackets are among the most beloved fusion groups and have celebrated this anniversary with a rich gift package containing a CD recorded live in Paris and a DVD of over three and a half hours including a recent performance in a club in Forlì, plus numerous other concert recordings, video clips and interviews with all the members who have been part of the band over the years.

Their music has always moved with great skill between jazz, funk and sometimes pop, revealing in particular the influence of Weather Report and Pat Metheny but transporting everything into a much more immediate dimension and accessible even to the general public who knows little or nothing about jazz; naturally their ability as instrumentalists is total, as is that of arrangers (the keyboard player Russel Ferrante is also an excellent composer), and the final result is always one of absolute professionalism and total pleasantness, even if sometimes a little easy listening.

“Twentyfive” draws on the best of recent production with songs that are sure to impress, from the gospel echoes of “Revelation” to the polyrhythmic virtuosity of “Free Day”, which highlights the remarkable qualities of drummer Marcus Baylor, the latest addition to the band.

Jimmy Haslip on bass is always impeccable in the accompaniments (rich in imaginative rhythmic ideas and never predictable lines) and in the solos in which he pays homage to both the singability of Jaco Pastorius and the tireless groove of Stanley Clarke. Bob Mintzer moves between saxophones of various types, bass clarinet and electronic instruments with steel virtuosity and a phrasing that always brings the ball back into the jazz sphere when the others seem to want to venture too much into the pop line. “Geraldine” has a beautiful melody and allows Ferrante to show off an excellent piano solo, while “Jacketown” and “My Old School” move on ingenious rhythmic terrain accompanied by always interesting harmonies that keep in mind the lesson of Lyle Mays.

In a field like fusion, saturated with products as mediocre as they are polished, Yellowjackets remain a point of reference for those looking for quality music, perhaps not revolutionary or too original, but made with sincerity.

Carlo Boccadoro, composer and conductor, was born in Macerata in 1963. He lives and works in Milan. He collaborates with soloists and orchestras in different parts of the world. He is the author of numerous books on musical subjects.

This text is taken from “Lunario della musica: Un disco per ogni giorno dell’anno” published by Einaudi, courtesy of the author and the publisher.