At the dawn of the 80’s you could say the Yellowjackets were the kings of the highway. Highway jazz to be precise. The type of Jazz fusion that one would’ve listened to in a Los Angeles traffic jam, wearing an Armani suit, with an oversized shirt, the window down, hair in the wind... Elevator music for their critics. Groovy, virtuoso, pop jazz for their fans. Like a very, very mainstream very, very smooth version of Weather Report... Three long decades later the Californian group have calmed it down a bit and have released some less built-up more acoustic jazz. Pianist and founder Russell Ferrante, saxophonist Bob Mintzer, drummer Will Kennedy and Australian virtuoso bassist Dane Alderson did not push the boundaries into a free and avant-garde style, but despite this the score for Raising Our Voice is an excellent one. The voice of Brazilian singer Luciana Souza on seven of the thirteen tracks also brings some originality to the album. The Yellowjackets stick with a smooth sound but never take the easy route. And just like in the 2016 album Cohearence, even if the melodies are very sensual, the improvisation remains, as always, very interesting. © Clotilde Maréchal/Qobuz