The title track to a supreme effort from the 'Jackets is quite interesting taken in perspective with the band's history. It is a decidedly late-'70s fusion-styled jam, a reminder that this band was there, a bridge between... more » late-fusion, '80s smooth jazz and progressive 21st century contemporary jazz. A two year respite from the studio has rejuvenated this quartet, particularly composer and keyboard player, Russell Ferrante. Quality songwriting and spectacular soloing is nothing new from this veteran group, but something--let's call it the enjoyment level, for both the players and the listeners--is much higher than their last few studio releases. The sharp, crisp drumming on "Monk's Habit" and the go-go rhythms on "Go-Go" suggest that new member Marcus Baylor has added a freshness to the band. There's so much good music on these 11 tracks, that even after 20 plus years and many great albums, history may record Time Squared as the definitive Yellowjackets album. --Mark Ruffin« less
The title track to a supreme effort from the 'Jackets is quite interesting taken in perspective with the band's history. It is a decidedly late-'70s fusion-styled jam, a reminder that this band was there, a bridge between late-fusion, '80s smooth jazz and progressive 21st century contemporary jazz. A two year respite from the studio has rejuvenated this quartet, particularly composer and keyboard player, Russell Ferrante. Quality songwriting and spectacular soloing is nothing new from this veteran group, but something--let's call it the enjoyment level, for both the players and the listeners--is much higher than their last few studio releases. The sharp, crisp drumming on "Monk's Habit" and the go-go rhythms on "Go-Go" suggest that new member Marcus Baylor has added a freshness to the band. There's so much good music on these 11 tracks, that even after 20 plus years and many great albums, history may record Time Squared as the definitive Yellowjackets album. --Mark Ruffin
Unexpected brilliance from a venerable fusion outfit
Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 07/11/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A hard group to figure, the Yellowjackets are equally at home in funk, fusion, post-bop, Latin-jazz, and world-jazz, sometimes, it seems, all at once. A big factor separating them from other fusion outfits is the looming presence of Bob Mintzer. With a solid grounding in mainstream jazz (as the leader of his own big band, e.g., he's recorded 11 discs), he adds grit, weight, and depth to this band, where other, similar outfits often opt for the smooth approach from the saxophone chair.When he wants to, Russ Ferrante can also rip on piano in a straight-ahead mode. Indeed, that's his preferred instrument on this outing, unusual for a fusion band. Newcomer Marcus Baylor on drums and percussion brings a hard-driving jazz sensibility. Coming out of the Gene Jackson school of highly sophisticated funk-jazz, he also seems to have a bit of Tain in him. Even Jimmy Haslip, the least likely straight jazzer here, seems to have caught the vibe.This strikes me as not only a huge advance for the 'Jackets, but also as one of the smartest, hippest jazz recordings of what must be regarded as a standout year for brilliant jazz."
New Direction
brtherjohn | Orange County, CA | 06/26/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm still fairly new to The Yellowjackets. This is my 4th album which spans 20 some years. Musically, this is the most advanced and perhaps least accessible of the material I've heard from them. Casual fans of the Yellowjackets should pick this disc up quickly and attentitively listen to all of the tracks - again and again. This is true modern jazz. Not as smooth or pop like some of their previous efforts, but more experimental in the use of harmonies, textures and obviously rythms. Great sound production, too."
Great Sounding CD
Mark A. Wellman | Plaucheville, LA United States | 10/09/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have several Yellowjackets albums. From top to bottom, this one is the best. All of the tunes are solid. The sound quality is very good too, a disc one can use to show off a good sound system."
Fresh, crisp, rich, melodic
Larry Gerndt | Sunnyvale, CA United States | 11/29/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have pretty much everything YellowJackets ever produced, and just wanted to let anyone who's interested in this album know that, far from losing anything, this band just keeps getting better. Russel (not from this planet) Ferrante's composing, comping, and soloing on this album is just incredibly rich and fresh. The drumming is superb (and with some of these time signatures, just amazing). Mintzner's playing has never been better, sometimes I just want to thank him for caring about the notes more than anything else. And Haslip (also not from this planet) seems also to be at the prime of his carreer. You gotta love this band--in my estimation there is nothing like them."
Obsessing over this CD!
C. Brown | Elkton, MD United States | 02/18/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is just a great CD! With instrumental music, I can easily feel the "mood" but with "Time Squared," can really feel the emotion coming through, too. Many of the songs are dedications to family members, lost friends, etc., and you can really sense the feelings put into this music. It's at times very technical music, but there is no "showiness" about it...hardly a screaming or wailing note, yet there is a very tasteful intensity to it."