Russell Ferrante
Encyclopedia
Russell Keith Ferrante (born 1952) is a jazz pianist from San Jose, California
who is a founding member of the group Yellowjackets
. During his early career, Ferrante performed with American blues
singer Jimmy Witherspoon
and guitarist Robben Ford
. He also toured with Joni Mitchell
. The group Yellowjackets also includes New York saxophonist Bob Mintzer
. The Yellowjackets write and perform their own music at jazz venues in America, Europe and Asia. They have been nominated for Grammy awards and have won twice in their category. Ferrante is married with one daughter.
Ferrante’s first exposure to music came from his church, where his father was the choir director. He began piano lessons at 9. Beside his early interest in the piano, Ferrante also tried other instruments, including drums, and has played percussion on a some recording sessions. His experience with drums has benefited his piano and keyboard playing and composing.
Ferrante took piano lessons from Anne Penner in San Jose, CA from age 9-16. He became interested in jazz and pop in his teens and studied on his own. In high school he began performing with various R&B and jazz groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1973 he met guitarist, Robben Ford and toured the U.S. and Europe as part of Jimmy Witherspoon's band. Ferrante says of this time:
In 1977 Ferrante moved to Los Angeles in order to continue working with Robben Ford. He was soon recording and touring with Ford, Joe Farrell, Tom Scott, and Joni Mitchell among others. During this period Ferrante, Ford and Jimmy Haslip
co-founded the jazz group the Yellowjackets. Ferrante also began working as a freelance writer, arranger and producer for numerous recordings including those by Bobby McFerrin and Al Jarreau.
, soon discovered a musical chemistry that led to the formation of the Yellowjackets. After the album's release, Ford's record label requested a more pop and vocal oriented follow-up album. Preferring instrumental compositions, this same group was eventually accepted by Warner Brothers as the Yellowjackets.
Their debut album Yellowjackets achieved public and critical acclaim. Mirage a Trois followed. In 1984 they reassembled for the Playboy Jazz Festival, adding percussionist Paulinho Da Costa
and sax man Marc Russo. This concert's success resulted in the third Yellowjackets album Samurai Samba. 1986 saw the group's move to MCA Records to record Shades.
Prior to the landmark Four Corners album, Ricky Lawson departed to tour with Lionel Richie (and later, Whitney Houston) and was replaced by William Kennedy. Politics, the follow-up to Four Corners, returned to more acoustic textures. Marc Russo's final recording with the Yellowjackets was The Spin, recorded in Oslo, Norway. Greenhouse followed Russo's departure and saw the trio featuring big band arranger and saxophonist Bob Mintzer on some cuts and string accompaniments on others. Bob Mintzer eventually joined the Yellowjackets.
With 1995's Dreamland, the Yellowjackets returned to their first record label, Warner Brothers. In early 1999, William Kennedy departed the Yellowjackets and Peter Erskine
joined the group for remainder of the year. Unfortunately, Erskine's schedule conflicted with the band's; he left without recording an album with the group. In early 2000, the Yellowjackets were again a trio, with Ferrante, Haislip and Mintzer using different drummers throughout the year. Marcus Baylor and Terri Lynn Carrington were among those joining the trio. Their Blue Hats release derives from this era as does Club Nocturne - a crossover album collaboration with guest vocalists Kurt Elling
, Jonathan Butler
and Brenda Russell
.
In 2001, the self-produced and independently released live album Mint Jam saw Marcus Baylor transitioning to the band's full-time drummer. The Yellowjackets later signed with HeadsUp International and released Time Squared, Peace Round, Altered State, Twenty-Five (live CD/DVD retrospective), and Lifecycle (featuring Mike Stern
on electric guitar).
Ferrante has taught and conducted dozens of clinics at colleges and private music schools throughout the United States, Japan and Europe. Included are those at the prestigious Berklee School of Music (who offer a course analyzing Yellowjackets music) and the University of Southern California
Thornton School of Music
, where he is an adjunct professor. He also does open counseling and live playing workshops at Musicians Institute
. Noted keyboardist Derek Sherinian
studied privately with Ferrante in 1985.
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
who is a founding member of the group Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets is an American jazz fusion/smooth jazz quartet.-History:The original group, called The Robben Ford Group, was formed in 1977, and consisted of Robben Ford, Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip and Ricky Lawson, all top-notch L.A. session musicians...
. During his early career, Ferrante performed with American blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
singer Jimmy Witherspoon
Jimmy Witherspoon
Jimmy Witherspoon was an American jump blues singer.-Early life and career:James Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. He first attracted attention singing with Teddy Weatherford's band in Calcutta, India, which made regular radio broadcasts over the U. S. Armed Forces Radio Service during...
and guitarist Robben Ford
Robben Ford
Robben Ford is an American blues, jazz and rock guitarist.-Biography:Ford was born in Woodlake, California, United States, but raised in Ukiah, California, and began playing the saxophone at age 10, picking up the guitar at age 13...
. He also toured with Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
. The group Yellowjackets also includes New York saxophonist Bob Mintzer
Bob Mintzer
Bob Mintzer is a jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader based in Los Angeles, California. Mintzer is a member of the jazz rock band the Yellowjackets.-With The Yellowjackets:*Greenhouse, 1991;*Live Wires, 1992;...
. The Yellowjackets write and perform their own music at jazz venues in America, Europe and Asia. They have been nominated for Grammy awards and have won twice in their category. Ferrante is married with one daughter.
Ferrante’s first exposure to music came from his church, where his father was the choir director. He began piano lessons at 9. Beside his early interest in the piano, Ferrante also tried other instruments, including drums, and has played percussion on a some recording sessions. His experience with drums has benefited his piano and keyboard playing and composing.
Ferrante took piano lessons from Anne Penner in San Jose, CA from age 9-16. He became interested in jazz and pop in his teens and studied on his own. In high school he began performing with various R&B and jazz groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1973 he met guitarist, Robben Ford and toured the U.S. and Europe as part of Jimmy Witherspoon's band. Ferrante says of this time:
“Much to my parent’s displeasure, my gig with Jimmy Witherspoon necessitated my dropping out of college. I like to say though that navigating the musical and non-musical hazards of the road with “Spoon” was an education I could never have gotten in college”.
In 1977 Ferrante moved to Los Angeles in order to continue working with Robben Ford. He was soon recording and touring with Ford, Joe Farrell, Tom Scott, and Joni Mitchell among others. During this period Ferrante, Ford and Jimmy Haslip
Jimmy Haslip
Jimmy Haslip is an American electric bass player and record producer best known as a founding and current member of the pioneering fusion group Yellowjackets...
co-founded the jazz group the Yellowjackets. Ferrante also began working as a freelance writer, arranger and producer for numerous recordings including those by Bobby McFerrin and Al Jarreau.
The Yellowjackets
In 1977, Ford assembled a group of veteran session musicians to record his album The Inside Story. The trio of musicians, which included keyboardist Russell Ferrante, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Ricky LawsonRicky Lawson
- Overview :Ricky Lawson started playing drums at the age of 16. He would borrow is Uncle's drum set, and would carry it to his house all the way across town via the Detroit Buses that ran in the town. In high school Lawson played in his high school jazz band, which consisted of only 5 members...
, soon discovered a musical chemistry that led to the formation of the Yellowjackets. After the album's release, Ford's record label requested a more pop and vocal oriented follow-up album. Preferring instrumental compositions, this same group was eventually accepted by Warner Brothers as the Yellowjackets.
Their debut album Yellowjackets achieved public and critical acclaim. Mirage a Trois followed. In 1984 they reassembled for the Playboy Jazz Festival, adding percussionist Paulinho Da Costa
Paulinho Da Costa
Paulinho da Costa is a Brazilian percussionist born in Rio de Janeiro, considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times. Playing over two hundred percussion instruments, he has participated in thousands of recording sessions, Grammy Award-winning albums, hit songs, soundtracks, radio...
and sax man Marc Russo. This concert's success resulted in the third Yellowjackets album Samurai Samba. 1986 saw the group's move to MCA Records to record Shades.
Prior to the landmark Four Corners album, Ricky Lawson departed to tour with Lionel Richie (and later, Whitney Houston) and was replaced by William Kennedy. Politics, the follow-up to Four Corners, returned to more acoustic textures. Marc Russo's final recording with the Yellowjackets was The Spin, recorded in Oslo, Norway. Greenhouse followed Russo's departure and saw the trio featuring big band arranger and saxophonist Bob Mintzer on some cuts and string accompaniments on others. Bob Mintzer eventually joined the Yellowjackets.
With 1995's Dreamland, the Yellowjackets returned to their first record label, Warner Brothers. In early 1999, William Kennedy departed the Yellowjackets and Peter Erskine
Peter Erskine
Peter Erskine is an American jazz drummer and composer. He has enjoyed a long and successful career as a session drummer, recording and touring with many famous jazz and rock artists, including Steely Dan and Weather Report...
joined the group for remainder of the year. Unfortunately, Erskine's schedule conflicted with the band's; he left without recording an album with the group. In early 2000, the Yellowjackets were again a trio, with Ferrante, Haislip and Mintzer using different drummers throughout the year. Marcus Baylor and Terri Lynn Carrington were among those joining the trio. Their Blue Hats release derives from this era as does Club Nocturne - a crossover album collaboration with guest vocalists Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling is an American jazz vocalist, composer, lyricist and vocalese performer. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling first became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church...
, Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music is often classified as R&B, jazz fusion or worship music.-Biography:...
and Brenda Russell
Brenda Russell
Brenda Russell is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboardist. Known for her eclectic musical style, her recordings have encompassed several different genres, including pop, soul, dance, jazz and adult contemporary...
.
In 2001, the self-produced and independently released live album Mint Jam saw Marcus Baylor transitioning to the band's full-time drummer. The Yellowjackets later signed with HeadsUp International and released Time Squared, Peace Round, Altered State, Twenty-Five (live CD/DVD retrospective), and Lifecycle (featuring Mike Stern
Mike Stern
Mike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing for a few years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he landed a gig with Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis' comeback band from 1981 to 1983, and again in 1985. Since then, he launched a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums...
on electric guitar).
Ferrante has taught and conducted dozens of clinics at colleges and private music schools throughout the United States, Japan and Europe. Included are those at the prestigious Berklee School of Music (who offer a course analyzing Yellowjackets music) and the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Thornton School of Music
USC Thornton School of Music
The University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, founded in 1884 and dedicated in 1999, is one of the premier music schools in the United States...
, where he is an adjunct professor. He also does open counseling and live playing workshops at Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute is a privately owned for-profit music vocational school located in Hollywood, California. Although not a regionally accredited school, the school offers a variety of unaccredited Bachelor Degree, Associate Degree and Certificate programs in fields including contemporary music...
. Noted keyboardist Derek Sherinian
Derek Sherinian
Derek Sherinian is a rock keyboardist who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kiss, and Alice In Chains. He was also a member of Dream Theater and is the founder of the instrumental metal-fusion band Planet X...
studied privately with Ferrante in 1985.