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I hope Mike will record with them again, and who knows. I love the way guitar and keyboard or sax follow each other note-for-note in tight runs.
They have been evolving from a radio-friendly, R&B and almost smooth-jazz sound to a genuine contemporary jazz/fusion sound, and this album is another step in the right direction. Yellowjackets have stepped closer to fusion than ever before on this album.
Conversely, the band provides a perfect backing for Mike's solos. Mike Stern has added his sophisticated guitar sound to the band's rich mix of acoustic and electric instruments and the band sounds great together right from the first tune.
Mike Stern has an opaque tone which complements the band's sound nicely. There are many nicely composed pieces here, in particular the contemplative "Measure Of A Man", the quirky "Falken's Maze", the driving "Double Nickel" featuring an amazing solo from Mike, the breezy "Yahoo" and the playful "Claire's Closet" are standout pieces that are valuable additions to the ever-growing wealth of excellent material.
Maybe become a permanent member.
Unanticipated riffs, solid chording, a unique pleasure. Robben Ford started it but Mike Stern takes the band over the top. Intellegent Jazz with a groove. The only better way to appreciate this music is to hear them perform live. Mike is an amazing talent with a unique tome. Jimmy Haslip plays bass with clairvoyance. Buy the CD and go hear these guys life.
Over the years the group has steadily improved, first with the addition of Will Kennedy and Marc Russo. The pieces are still very accessible and Mike's supple guitar lines are a unique factor. First of all, I am a long time Yellowjackets fan. Back to this recording. There's also more of blues factor. Then to add more colors and texture to their sound, with Bob Mintzer replacing Marc Russo. The compositions are a tad more kinetic and there are more unison passages.
This recording takes a little getting used due to the expectation of the Yellowjackets signature sound and approach. Going back to the days of Ricky Lawson and Robben Ford, around '82 or so. Instead of putting him right out there to play playing searing guitar solos, he weaves in and out of the ensemble lines and sounds like he's been playing with the group for years. The band has also had also added Tim Hagans in one particular recording which is underrated treasure. The group sound is still there but the approach and compositions maximize on Mike Stern's style and the group's interaction with him. I applaud them for surprising us a bit with this recording. This is a very nice collaboration of styles.
Any Mike Stern fan should definitely pick this one up. The songs he wrote could easily have ended up on a Mike Stern CD.
The jackets keep getting better and better. The addition of Mike Stern is a huge asset. Bob's playing and writing is superb. Buy this.
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