Patrice Rushen, Hiroshima, and Yellowjackets

Patrice Rushen is an incredibly talented woman. From her own compositions, to the abundance of instruments she plays skilfully, right through to her work as a musical director, she is at the top of her game with every craft she tries. Seeing Rushen in concert is exciting: you never quite know what you’re going to get. Will it be an urban clarinet piece, or a R&B track singing at the keys. No matter what she performs though, you will be blown away.
The concert that I was lucky enough to see was simply magical, Rushen was on top form and blew everyone away time and time again. She started by sitting at the piano, and playing the audience through one of her new songs, which was a really special moment. On a recording, it’s difficult to appreciate the degree of her talent, but as she switches from one instrument to the next, and crosses over multiple genres, it shocks and excites.
She played through some of her older tracks acoustically, and then for the bigger soul and R&B numbers, she invited her band to the stage, who were also fantastic. It was a real showcase of raw and genuine talent, and Rushen made it personal, interacting with the audience. Definitely my favourite concert of the year so far.

June on the koto ~ such a peaceful sound then it can sharply strike a mood within a song while Dan's flutist notes takes you fluttering playfully upon the stars,drumming sets the tone of the songs, Dean adds the funk, Kimo fills our ears with keyboard sounds,...then there is one
Yvette who sings.Her vocals come in like a light breeze or strong like thunder & lightening.She dances and sways like she is a branch on a tree that sways with the wind.
It was a great show. I definetly enjoyed it.

Yellowjackets live in concert are just as funky and tight as on their records. The focus is on the music, with barely a break between numbers. The four musicians are locked into something shared but invisble – communication seeming to happen on a plane far above anything perceivable by an audience. The only exception is William Kennedy's watchful eyes, and the relaxation occasioned by gracious acknowledgement of applause after a solo.

Russ Ferrante alternates between a kind of introverted hunching into the piano and bouncing around on the stool mid-solo, in contrast to the more reserved Bob Mintzer: eyes closed, with a hint of oscillation from side to side on the spot. Mintzer's tenor sound is unmistakable: it's big, bold, fat, and soulful; it's a surprising change when he switches to the EWI – strongly reminiscent of the Brecker Bros era sound. For me, Felix Pastorius (who stepped in for longstanding bassist Jimmy Haslip) lacks something of Haslip's maturity and tone, but propels the pace while often filling out harmony in the form of bass chords.

But make no mistake, these ferocious players are suprisingly humble guys. As a first-year music student I followed them on their 2004 UK tour (the line-up then was Ferrante, Mintzer, Haslip, and Marcus Baylor on drums), seeing them play at my Music College in Leeds as well as the legendary Ronnie Scott's in London – each time I hung around after the gig and chatted with the band. They were warm, friendly, encouraging – taking the time to write personal messages in the CDs I'd brought along for them to sign.