The Best of Yellowjackets spans the group's two-stage relationship with Warner Brothers Records, surveying their first three studio recordings (1981, '83, and '85) and their final three projects of the 1990s (1995-98). The Yellowjackets' disparate eras manage to mesh nicely on this 12-track sampler, though the pieces that strike the most sparks are lifted from the group's fusion-fueled 1981 debut release, when founding members Russell Ferrante (keyboards) and Jimmy Haslip (bass) energetically underpinned the audio excursions of guitarist Robben Ford. While dated, the sophisticated spunk that drives "Matinee Idol" and "Imperial Strut" offers a refreshing flashback to the group's formative years. The newer tracks, reflective of saxophonist Bob Mintzer's big-band influence, are stylish, subdued, and polished. The attractive, concluding "Theme from Il Postino," with its brushed-drum ambience, is this disk's one new selection.