Upbeat sounds of jazz filled
the air recently in the Gateway
Auditorium, as the Grammy
Award winning Yellowjackets
came to Newtown.
In front of about 100 people,
the Yellowjackets put on a
show the audience deemed
worthy of two standing ovations.
“It was really cool. The
drum solos were amazing,”
Bucks student Rachel Javage
said.
Saxophonist Bob Mintzer
introduced the group after the
second piece, which featured a
riveting solo by keyboardist
and pianist Russell Ferrante.
Jimmy Haslip rocked the bass,
and after a long hiatus,William
Kennedy found himself back
on the drums for the
Yellowjackets.
Ferrante and Haslip have
been with the band since its
conception. Mintzer joined in
1991 with the release of their
“Greenhouse” album.
Kennedy, a definite crowd
favorite, was with the band
from 1986 until 1998.
Then, as Mintzer put it, “Will
said ‘I’ll be right back.’ That
was twelve years ago.”
“Ten years went by so
quick,” Kennedy said. “But
it’s great to be back with these
guys.”
It wasn’t hard to see that the
group enjoyed being back on
stage together.
“We have a magical relationship,”
Mintzer added.
The Yellowjackets play a
more modern style of jazz,
often referred to as fusion jazz.
Each instrument was featured
throughout the performance.
Haslip plucked and twanged
his way through multiple solos,
seemingly losing himself in the
music as he not only played the
bass, but verbally played each
note with sound effects.
Mintzer specialized in long,
beautiful melodies from the
sax and the electric wind
instrument, or EWI.
The unique sounds of the EWI
wowed the crowd in a handful
of songs.
Ferrante really captured the
audience’s attention with his
ability on the piano. It was
Kennedy’s drumming that
stood out, though.
From the start, Kennedy had
the crowd in the palm of his
hand. His particularly lengthy
solo in “Out of Town’ received
a standing ovation from the
audience. His violent, yet controlled
attack on the drum set
was a sight to behold.
That’s what was so captivating
about this particular band.
Each player was so in tune
with their instruments, and
with each other.
They fed off each other, rising
and falling in harmony.
Their creativity and willingness
to take risks sets them
apart from more traditional
jazz bands.
The mood changed over the
course of the show.
The ‘Jackets began with a
selection of lively songs that
had the audience bobbing their
heads. They brought the energy
down a notch with the next
set, casting an almost somber
mood over the audience.
Everyone, including the rest of
the band, looked sadly upon
Mintzer as he cried out on the
sax.
They ended with a bang
though, as Mintzer brought out
the EWI and Kennedy brought
the heat on the drums.
It was hard not to get sucked
into the atmosphere created by
the Yellow Jackets.
Any appreciator of quality
music could surely listen to a
song off their most recent
album, Lifecycle, and come
away pleased. Jazz may not be
the most mainstream genre of
music on the market, but the
Yellowjackets certainly sit
front and center in their industry.
Students Dave Marion, Steve
Lynn, and Rob Kaminski
joined in on the fun with an
hour of their own jazz performance
before the
Yellowjackets took stage.
The performances were part of
Bucks’ ongoing Celebration of
the Arts, running through May
10th.
For a complete list of events,
visit bucks.edu/artsatbucks.