Yellowjackets Ensemble
The Yellowjackets Ensemble is a high-level ensemble that learns and performs the challenging and beautifully crafted music of the world-famous Yellowjackets, a band that for forty years has successfully performed around the world and recorded an album every year. The jazz fusion group includes Russell Ferrante (piano/keyboards) and Bob Mintzer (tenor/EWI), along with phenomenal bassist Dane Alderson and highly creative and groove-oriented drummer Will Kennedy. In this ensemble students are expected to practice the tunes several hours per week outside of class with an occasional extra rehearsal. Piano players should expect to learn and play the synth/keyboard parts for this ensemble. The professor has an extensive library of the music from several sources that the students receive in advance.