Dane Alderson on Reimagining Jaco Pastorius for Kurt Elling and Yellowjackets’ New Weather Report Album

Jazz vocalist Kurt Elling has a magical way of putting lyrics to instrumental songs that gives them a whole new life. He’s done it again on a new album called Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets Play Weather Report: Alive in Europe + Bonus Studio Recordings, which reimagines the iconic fusion band’s compositions. Elling put lyrics to Weather Report classics like “Palladium,” “Continuum,” “Elegant People,” and more to offer new narrative possibilities within the music.

“Rather than recreating Weather Report’s landmark recordings, Elling and Yellowjackets approach the repertoire as living music — using the compositions as a foundation for improvisation, reinvention and the unmistakable musical personalities of the artists involved,” a press release explains.

Any bassist covering Weather Report has big shoes to fill, and Yellowjackets member Dane Alderson does just that. Armed with a fretless bass, he brings the spirit of the band’s rich bass legacy to the arrangements without playing copycat. We caught up with Alderson to get the scoop on the album and how he approached music associated with some of the most influential bass playing in history.

Although the Yellowjackets had been touring the material with Elling, the bassist says he didn’t know the live performances were being assembled for an album until last month.

“I’m very flattered that he put this album out and I’m very proud to have been a part of it. Kurt Elling and Yellowjackets playing the music of Weather Report – as a bass player it doesn’t get much better than that!” Alderson tells us. “We did two European tours with Kurt last year and a few shows around the US. Kurt flew me to Chicago to record the two studio tunes (‘Elegant People’ and ‘Palladium’). I used my New York Bass Works 5 string fretless on the tours and in the studio. The arrangements and the lyrics were all put together and written by Kurt.”

One of the many bass highlights comes on the second track, “The Fanfold Hawk/A Certain Continuum,” which blends two Jaco Pastorius compositions. The first half is a duet between Elling and Alderson, who utilizes double stops, unison lines, and harmonics to create a mesmerizing accompaniment. Be sure to listen for his crafty use of volume swells to match Elling’s phrasing.

“Since Jaco played on all of these tunes originally, I think the fretless bass is a big reason why Kurt asked me to record with him,” Alderson says. “The sound of the fretless bass is such an integral part of this music and it is a lovely way to pay respect to the originals, while at the same time letting the new arrangements with vocals create something fresh and different.”

The trick with playing Weather Report’s repertoire, of course, is finding the balance between paying homage to the original and keeping your own musical voice. Alderson explained the mindset behind his approach.

“I altered some of Jaco’s classic bass lines slightly but I tried to keep as true to the originals as I could, without playing the exact same notes and grooves,” he said. “The bass groove on ‘Palladium’ for example is such a classic and so integral to that tune that I didn’t want to drift too far away from it – it just wouldn’t have felt right! Having said all of this, there was still plenty of room for me to explore the music and the more we played these tunes on the road, the more they started to evolve.”

Check out the studio version of “Pallas’ Palace (Palladium),” which features Alderson and Elling with pianist Joey Calderazzo, guitarist Mike Moreno, and drummer Marcus Finnie

Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets Play Weather Report: Alive in Europe + Bonus Studio Recordings is out now on Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other digital platforms. Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets will be on tour this fall to support the album. See below for their dates.

Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets Play Weather Report: Alive in Europe + Bonus Studio Recordings Track List:

1. The Elegant Ride (Elegant People) (Alive in Europe)
2. The Fanfold Hawk / A Certain Continuum (Alive in Europe)
3. A Secret In Three Views (Alive in Europe)
4. Intrigue (Alive in Europe)
5. Current Affairs (Alive in Europe)
6. Pallas’ Palace (Palladium) (Alive in Europe)
7. The Elegant Ride (Elegant People) (Studio Recording)
8. Pallas’ Palace (Palladium) (Studio Recording)
9. The Face in the Barroom Mirror (Studio Recording)

Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets Play Weather Report Tour Dates: