Yellowjackets: Timeline (2011) CD Review

[dpattillo]

Most of the time, even in jazz that sounds techincal, the music is about everything but techincal perfection, IMO.

Yngwie malmsteen is more about technical perfection than, say, John Coltrane. I WOULD throw Allan Holdsworth under the technical perfection light, but he, too, also has some very deep, thoughtful melodies and songs.

The Yellowjackets are more of the breed of modern pop/jazz. I would associate the term "Modern Jazz" with the likes of Brad Meldhau and Jason Moran. But jazz is changing every day. There are many who would call anything Post-Charlie Parker as modern jazz. The stuff that was modern yesterday (like Joshua Redman and Mulgrew Miller) isn't really what we're hearing today from Kurt Rosenwinkel.

It's very deep and complex -______-

For me, elevator music is more along the lines of Marcus miller and some of George bensons smooth jazz escapades. Also, a lot of the Pat Metheny Group (w/ lyle mays) sound elevator-y to me.

For modern jazz that isn't lifeless and mundane.... check out these guys:

Kurt Rosenwinkel - "Heartcore" , "The next Step"
Avishai Cohen - "Lyla"
The RH Factor - "Hardgroove" , "Distractions"
Gary Thomas - "Til We have Faces"

I love Coltrane and I don't consider him modern jazz even though that might be the proper term for some of his music. Much of the jazz I hear these days on the radio comes from a local university that plays the most boring light jazz I've ever heard in my life (most are new recordings). I listened to the Yellowjackets on Youtube for the first time last night and dig it, those guys are great even if the're not as funky as Soulive or MMW. Thanks for the recommendations, hope I can find them on Spotify

 

[woensl.itis]

Yea. Check this "new breathe of life" from the studio to the live recording:

Original album version of Cousin mary by John Coltrane - Grooveshark - Free Music Streaming, Online Music
Live version from Afro blue/Impressions - Grooveshark - Free Music Streaming, Online Music


Not that the first really needed life breathed into it, but you have to admit that the coltrane of Giant Steps is not the same coltrane of Afro Blue/Impressions. The second is just INTENSE. McCoy's solo on that track is one of my FAVORITE piano blues solos ever. And Elvin Jones goes crazy the whole time. Everyone is so locked in. And it's all improvised. Just beautiful.


Now, concerning what you said about Coltrane. I will admit that his earlier recordings were not so "modern." He played a lot of standards fairly in keeping with the time. but he was still emulating a lot of the heavyweights from his youth (Parker and Dexter). However, coltrane really brought jazz to a whole new modern level. First Blue Train, then Giant Steps, then A Love Supreme, then Sun Ship, and then his later stuff. Still, some of his harmonic concepts are some of the most modern ones.

Check this out for instance: http://grooveshark.com/#!/search?q=coltrane+seraphic+light

 

[woensl.itis]

I doubt you will be able to find the Gary Thomas album on spotify. I think I've looked before. It's definitely worth checking out (or even buying). Pat Metheny, Terry Lynn Carrington, Jeff Reed... all on the album. It's very edgey, too.

 

[Hobbit]

Most of the time, even in jazz that sounds techincal, the music is about everything but techincal perfection, IMO.

Yngwie malmsteen is more about technical perfection than, say, John Coltrane. I WOULD throw Allan Holdsworth under the technical perfection light, but he, too, also has some very deep, thoughtful melodies and songs.

The Yellowjackets are more of the breed of modern pop/jazz. I would associate the term "Modern Jazz" with the likes of Brad Meldhau and Jason Moran. But jazz is changing every day. There are many who would call anything Post-Charlie Parker as modern jazz. The stuff that was modern yesterday (like Joshua Redman and Mulgrew Miller) isn't really what we're hearing today from Kurt Rosenwinkel.

It's very deep and complex -______-

For me, elevator music is more along the lines of Marcus miller and some of George bensons smooth jazz escapades. Also, a lot of the Pat Metheny Group (w/ lyle mays) sound elevator-y to me.

For modern jazz that isn't lifeless and mundane.... check out these guys:

Kurt Rosenwinkel - "Heartcore" , "The next Step"
Avishai Cohen - "Lyla"
The RH Factor - "Hardgroove" , "Distractions"
Gary Thomas - "Til We have Faces"

Really, everyone has their tastes. Malmsteen is an awesome player, but I just don't care much for his music, plus he sounds the same to me all the time. Kurt R and Adam Rogers to me are in the same boat, but for different reasons. I find their playing benign with lack of any dynamics, but I like a lot of their music. At least when they're with the right people. I wish I was half the player and musician as any of these guys, however! I like Holdsworth, Vai, Govan, Reyes and Abasi (in T.R.A.M anyway), Robin Ford, Martino, Di Miola, and Summers, even though some of these guys may be more jazz rock, but whatever. Robin Ford (jazz blues?) in particular is great with wonderful dynamics and intonation, one of my all time favs (and played with the Yellowjackets for a stint).

With sax players lets not forget Brown and Mobley. I particularly like Mobley's melodic style. Not a sax player, but still very young, I like Christian Scott. I'm not sure the definition of "modern jazz" but I would put it more around the 70's. Or maybe with Scott. Yeah I know many consider be bop modern jazz. But that came out way before my time to be modern

And to dpattillo's point, I saw Elian Elias at Filoli and she was out of this world. I also recently watched Grace Kelly on a PBS concert and she blew me away. Yet, neither of them seem to have that energy on their albums. Not saying their albums are bad, just not as good as you would expect after seeing them live.

 

[woensl.itis]

See, I disagree about Kurt. His melodies are dynamic and complex, but also very concrete. Very much like Keith Jarrett. I agree about Adam togers, though I saw him play a Hendrix gig that blew me away (almost quite literally... I was sitting next to his stacks). On the other hand, I find do meolas playing to be very cliche and simple, much like malmsteen, who has fantastic technique, but is playing mostly scalar cliches straight out the tonal harmony book. Check out Kurt r solos on inner urge, for instance. Compared to most people, who default to sequencing or simple arpeggios on that tune, Kurt has melodic runs that wind through the changes flawlessly. I also have seen grace Kelly and found her performances very superficial. Apparently, she is an arrogant *****, too. I have never sat down and hung out with her, tho.

 

[woensl.itis]

I will certainly agree that someone like Kurt r will not have as big of a visual show as someone like vai.

 

[woensl.itis]

Also, when I consider great guitarists, their first and most important job is as the harmonic member if the rhythm section. Lots of guys who can shred but don't know how to back up the rest of the group (or comp for themselves). Usually great accompanists have a deeper understanding of harmonic rhythm, motion, and their relationship to the melody. They can really get inside the big sound and play melodies rather than just scales. A lot of the modern jazz that I find monotonous is the playing of weird angular harmonies with very harmony based, scalar solos that lack melodic development. Some of mike moreno's stuff ends up like that. Johnathon kreisberg is definitely like that.

 

[Hobbit]

See, I disagree about Kurt. His melodies are dynamic and complex, but also very concrete. Very much like Keith Jarrett. I agree about Adam togers, though I saw him play a Hendrix gig that blew me away (almost quite literally... I was sitting next to his stacks). On the other hand, I find do meolas playing to be very cliche and simple, much like malmsteen, who has fantastic technique, but is playing mostly scalar cliches straight out the tonal harmony book. Check out Kurt r solos on inner urge, for instance. Compared to most people, who default to sequencing or simple arpeggios on that tune, Kurt has melodic runs that wind through the changes flawlessly. I also have seen grace Kelly and found her performances very superficial. Apparently, she is an arrogant *****, too. I have never sat down and hung out with her, tho.

I own The Next Step by KR. It didn't do enough for me to get another disk. He's definitely a great player. I just think he lack emotion, nothing wrong with his melodies, just no dynamics (like a sax player at a constant volume without note emphasis). Not as bad as Rogers. But that's just my opinion. Your complaint is the standard complaint about Di Meola. Yet his work with Return To Forever is fantastic and so is his Elegant Gypsy album. I remember being awe struck playing my dad's Romantic Warrior album when I was a kid (showing my age now...). As I mentioned in another post, I really really like Birelli.

A lot of people in the entertainment world are arrogant, and even narcissistic. LOL!!!! I did have a beer (or two) with Jeff Beck and Simon Phillips, they were great to hang out with.

 

[Hobbit]

Vai IS an entertainer as well as a guitarist who can play the impossible riffs. A must see when ever you can.

 

[woensl.itis]

I don't get the lack of dynamics. Not only are his melodies dynamic, but he uses dynamics on his coming constantly. He also uses his coming to really accent his solos, which is something I see very few guitar players do well. Julian lage and Adam Rogers to me fall under that category of lifeless, sometimes. I totally agree with you about Rogers.... Birelli is a beast, I agree. The next step wasn't the best album for kurt's playing. More of an album to showcase songwriting. For guys like Kurt, to hear them really dig into their pieces and ho all out on solos, one really needs to check them out live.

check him out playing darn that dream for instance.

I do understand that some of the melodies sound a little more strange someone like Esperanza Spalding or grace Kelly. They tend towards very pop-like song structures and harmony, though. Much less bebop.

anat Cohen is very modern, and since I was going on about chicks, I thought I'd mention here, here. She's extremely modern, also uses dynamics, and cam still play the hell out of bop (something a lot of modern guys have lost... The roots of the music). Seen her live like 5 or more times now.

 

[woensl.itis]

Also, I never said vai was a sub par player. I think he's one of the best. I wish more rock players would take after vais approach.

also, the next step isn't the most jazzy, energetic album. Kurts solo on zhivago is at least dynamic and very well built up. However, the album is also colored my mark turners work which really CAN lack dynamics. In fact sometimes its a chore to get through the mark turner solos. Also, its Jeff Ballard.
interesting fact - mark cut his 4 fingers off with a circular saw, I believe. They were surgically reattached and he's ever the monster.

you should check out intuit. Much earlier album. U would be hard pressed to say his solo work there lacks dynamics.

there are a lot of pieces where you can find Kurt as a sideman, too. Such as with Chris Potter and Esperanza Spalding.

 

[woensl.itis]

Also, check out some of kurts stuff with Peter Bernstein.

 

[Hobbit]

Ha! I was just pointing out the Vai puts on a great show. He is a performer (in terms of engaging the audience), and with guys like Tony McAlpine and Billy Sheehan backing him up...

OK, I'll check out Heartcore and some of KR's other works and see if I like them better. The best part of Rogers Apparitions cd is Potter... Have you listened to Quinn at all?

Also, I never said vai was a sub par player. I think he's one of the best. I wish more rock players would take after vais approach.

also, the next step isn't the most jazzy, energetic album. Kurts solo on zhivago is at least dynamic and very well built up. However, the album is also colored my mark turners work which really CAN lack dynamics. In fact sometimes its a chore to get through the mark turner solos. Also, its Jeff Ballard.
interesting fact - mark cut his 4 fingers off with a circular saw, I believe. They were surgically reattached and he's ever the monster.

you should check out intuit. Much earlier album. U would be hard pressed to say his solo work there lacks dynamics.

there are a lot of pieces where you can find Kurt as a sideman, too. Such as with Chris Potter and Esperanza Spalding.

 

[woensl.itis]

Heartcore is not about kurt's playing at all. Heartcore was produced by Q-Tip and is quite different.

But it's still a cool album.

Some of it.



It's out there.

Check out The Standards Trio, Intuit, and his live stuff, wherever you can find it.

 

[Stanton]

Yellowjackets just announced their new CD is coming out in June. Press release AND SAMPLES!! can be found here:

News/New Releases | TheUrbanMusicScene.com: Legendary Jazz Group YELLOWJACKETS to Release New Album, "A Rise In The Road" on June 25th | HEAR SONG SAMPLES!

You guys seem to like them enough that I might consider adding it to my review list later this year (unless it's really bad--but it shouldn't be based on the sample tracks). I've also got my eye on upcoming new releases from Bob James/David Sanborn and Dave Weckl (their first new releases in YEARS).