Russell Ferrante

Yellowjackets is an American jazz fusion band.

In 1977, guitarist Robben Ford was recording his first solo album when he assembled for his band keyboardist Russell Ferrante, bass guitarist Jimmy Haslip, and drummer Ricky Lawson. They were then signed to Warner Bros. Records by producer Tommy LiPuma, who chose the name "Yellowjackets" from a list that band members compiled.

In 1984, the band's second album, Mirage a Trois, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Fusion Performance. Ford left the band after the second album, and saxophonist Marc Russo was hired. The album Shades reached No. 4 on the Billboard magazine jazz album chart, while the single "And You Know That" won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance. Their next three albums, Four Corners, Politics, and The Spin received Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Fusion Performance. With Marc Russo leaving the band, Bob Mintzer joined the Yellowjackets in 1990 for the album Greenhouse, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Album chart. Mintzer remained as a member of the band. The Yellowjackets celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2011 with the album Timeline for Mack Avenue. When bassist Jimmy Haslip left, he was replaced by Felix Pastorius, son of bassist Jaco Pastorius. The band released A Rise in the Road with Pastorius. On some of the songs, he played the fretless bass guitar owned by his father.

In addition to their studio albums, the Yellowjackets contributed two tracks to the soundtrack of the film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in 1986

Grammy Awards

• R&B Instrumental Performance: "And You Know That" (1987)
• Jazz Fusion Performance: Politics (1989)

Grammy nominations

• Jazz Fusion Performance: Mirage a Trois (1984), Four Corners (1987)
• Contemporary Jazz Performance: Greenhouse (1992), Like a River (1994), Run for Your Life (1995), Dreamland (1996), Club Nocturne (1999)
• Contemporary Jazz Album: Mint Jam (2003), Time Squared (2004), Lifecycle (2009)
• Jazz Instrumental Performance: The Spin (1990)
• Instrumental Composition: "Claire's Closet", Russell Ferrante (2009), "Civil War", Bob Mintzer (2014)

• 1981: Yellowjackets (Warner Bros.)
• 1983: Mirage a Trois(Warner Bros.)
• 1985: Samurai Samba (Warner Bros.)
• 1986: Shades (MCA)
• 1987: Four Corners (GRP)
• 1988: Politics (GRP)
• 1989: The Spin (MCA)
• 1991: Greenhouse (MCA)
• 1992: Live Wires (GRP)
• 1993: Like a River (GRP)
• 1994: Run for Your Life (GRP)
• 1995: Dreamland (Warner Bros.)
• 1997: Blue Hats (Warner Bros.)
• 1998: Club Nocturne (Warner Bros.)
• 2001: Mint Jam (Heads Up)
• 2003: Time Squared (Heads Up)
• 2003: Peace Round: A Christmas Celebration (Heads Up)
• 2005: Altered State (Heads Up)
• 2006: Twenty-Five (Heads Up)
• 2008: Lifecycle(Heads Up)
• 2011: Timeline (Mack Avenue Records)
• 2013: A Rise in the Road (Mack Avenue Records)
• 2016: Cohearence (Mack Avenue Records)
• 2018: Raising Our Voice (Mack Avenue Records)
• 2020: Jackets XL (Mack Avenue Records)

Present lineup

• Russell Ferrante – keyboards, synthesizers (1977–present)
• Bob Mintzer – saxophones, bass clarinet, EWI (1991–present)
• William Kennedy – drums, percussion (1987–1999, 2010–present)
• Dane Alderson – bass (2015–present)

Former members

• Robben Ford – guitar (1977–1983)
• Jimmy Haslip – bass (1977–2012)
• Mike Miller - guitar (1983)
• Ricky Lawson – drums (1977–1987; died 2013)
• Michael Landau - guitar (1985)
• Marc Russo – saxophones (1985–1989)
• Peter Erskine – drums (1999-2000)
• Terri Lyne Carrington – drums (2000)
• Marcus Baylor – drums (2000–2010)
• Felix Pastorius – bass (2012–2015)

Timeline