NEW RELEASES / JAZZ : In Brief

**1/2 The Yellowjackets, “Like a River,” GRP. Saxophonist Bob Mintzer’s presence in the Yellowjackets continues to produce good results. The addition of trumpeter Tim Hagens for this album adds another appealing factor to a group that seems determined to create something more than frothy pop-jazz. The only problem is a tendency for many of the pieces to linger well beyond the capacity of their limited harmonic structures to produce provocative variational results.

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New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent). A rating of five stars is reserved for classic reissues or retrospectives.