1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Since Yellowjackets’ eponymous 1981 debut album, the group has hewed its own creative path, influencing colleagues with enviable compositional craftsmanship and an ever-shifting blend of influences.&amp;nbsp;In many ways Yellowjackets embody both continuity and renewal, with founding­ pianist/keyboardist&amp;nbsp;Russell Ferrante&amp;nbsp;providing the four-decade thread&amp;nbsp;first&amp;nbsp;joined by&amp;nbsp;Will Kennedy­, who took over the drum chair from 1987-99 and returned to the fold in 2010.&amp;nbsp;Bob Mintzer, a Jacket since 1990, contributes on tenor and soprano saxophones and EWI. &amp;nbsp;The bass chair in Yellowjackets has been held by some mighty players over the years, beginning with the legendary Jimmy Haslip, and then Felix Pastorious. By the band’s standards Australian-born electric bass virtuoso Dane Alderson is still the new kid, though he’s already anchored the quartet at bass for almost ten years. A product of the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Western Australian, his playing shows his great love of rock (“I was a total metalhead” he says in our conversation), R&amp;amp;B and funk. &amp;nbsp;The band’s last release was the Grammy nominated Parallel Motion. Every Jacket is well represented on&amp;nbsp;the album with Alderson contributing two stand-out tracks. His slyly grooving “Early” grew out of a sketch that had been languishing on his laptop for more than a decade. “Onyx Manor” has a funk-infused drum and bass start, expanding to give everyone in the band a chance to shine. &amp;nbsp;Podcast 972 is my conversation with Dane Alderson, belatedly posted from our past conversation. We discuss how he came to join the Yellowjackets, his decision to play a 6 string bass, and his many influences as a player and a fan. Muscial selections include the Alderson-penned “Onyx Manor.” Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show http://straightnochaserjazz.libsyn.com <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/30606483/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/content/170009333