Yellowjackets with Graeme Blevins at Ronnie Scott’s

The biggest story surrounding the Yellowjackets on a very warm Friday evening at Ronnie Scott’s house was not only the music, but the absence of one of its defining voices. Long-term member and co-founder Bob Mintzer was sidelined due to injury during a series of European performances, leaving the difficult task of handing over the role to London-based Australian saxophonist Graeme Blevins with just 10 days’ notice.

I haven’t seen Blevins in over a decade, since we shared several dates with the Kyle Eastwood Band. At that point he was a full-time member. Ahead of his second show at Ronnie Scott’s, he outlined the scale of the challenge ahead. There were no rehearsals, just brief sound checks of top and bottom arrangements from a repertoire of about 75 songs throughout the tour. His first appearance was in Hamburg, where, despite not understanding Germany’s announcement, he could still sense the collective disappointment after Mintzer’s absence was revealed. But Ronnie Scott had a very different reaction. The loudest applause of the evening went to Blevins himself.

It was worth it. Immediately thrown into the deep end, the opening number soon dwindled down to an exposed saxophone and drum passage, allowing Blevins to explore extended solos with confidence and authority. Rather than sounding like a replacement, he quickly inserted himself into the musical ethos of the band. The band’s own reaction was similar. Throughout the evening, wide smiles spread across the core members’ faces repeatedly as Blevins stretched out on his solos.

Russell Ferrante, another long-time member and co-founder of the Yellowjackets, anchored the group on piano and keyboards, his sophisticated sound palette providing mood and color without being distracting. We didn’t miss Mintzer’s trademark electronic wind instruments (EWI), as Blevins’ tenor and soprano saxophones brought a warmth and depth of expression that felt completely organic. Ferrante’s keyboard textures comfortably maintain the band’s unmistakable identity.

The rhythm section was exceptional throughout. Originally from Perth, Western Australia, Blevins and fellow six-string electric bassist Dane Alderson have continued to delight crowds, combining virtuosity and musicianship to create perfectly articulated runs, lush chords and deep grooves. Non-reflective room acoustics proved ideal for this quartet. Warm yet extremely clear, you can hear every note, dynamic and frequency range with precision.

Drummer Will Kennedy, who handled the stage presentation during Mintzer’s absence, displayed tremendous control and feel, and his solos were full of subtle cross-rhythms, beat displacements and carefully measured builds rather than displays of empty technique. Fusion can sometimes get lost in its endless complexity and showmanship. The Yellowjackets avoided that trap entirely. There was space in the music, patience in the solos, and real storytelling in the improvisations. In particular, Ferrante often begins with sparse harmonic movements and gradually develops melodic ideas.

The audience at the second show responded enthusiastically throughout, erupting in appreciative shouts at every particularly bold peel or run. The final song, a combination of gospel-style groove and bluesy warmth, ended the evening on a pleasant note.

Fresh and nostalgic, creative and familiar, this was Yellowjackets at their best. Graeme Blevins proved an inspired special guest choice!

We hope Bob has a speedy recovery!

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