Various Artists – Yesterday and Today – A 50th Anniversary Tribute to YES (RecPlay, 2018)
Producer and multi-instrumentalists Dave Kerzner and Fernando Perdomo assembled an impressive cast of musicians to celebrate 50 years of acclaimed band YES. Yesterday and Today – A Tribute to YES features recreations of YES songs from across its long history. This means that the album features pieces from YES’ innovative progressive rock era along with material from YES’ early stage and one song from Big Generator, its less attractive AOR period.
The new versions are masterfully recorded and performed, honoring the YES legacy. The selection includes many of YES’ most iconic songs: ‘Yours Is No Disgrace’; ‘Turn Of The Century’; ‘Soon’; the ‘Acoustic Medley’ with ‘Your Move’, ‘And You And I’, and ‘Wondrous Stories’; ‘Long Distance Runaround’; ‘The Fish’; and ‘Starship Trooper’. Pure progressive rock delight.
The lineup includes Nick D’Virgilio on vocals; Randy McStine on guitar, backing vocals; Geoff Downes on keyboards; Dave Kerzner on keyboards, vocals; Johnny Bruhns on electric guitar, Portuguese guitar, acoustic guitar; Fernando Perdomo on bass, guitars, keyboards, vibraphone, drums, and percussion; Joe Cass on drums; Marisol Koss on lead vocals; Dennis Atlas on backing vocals; Tony Kaye on keyboards; Billy Sherwood on bass, guitar, vocals; Jay Schellen on drums; Pat Sansone on vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar; Derek Cintron on drums; Sonja Kristina on vocals; Robert Norton on keyboards; Andy Sax on violins; Kit Morgan on acoustic and electric guitars; Chris Harris on bass; Andy Tween on drums; Steve Hackett on guitar; Marco Minnemann on drums; Robert Berry on vocals; Jay Gore on guitar; Hal Rosenfeld on marimba; Robin Schell on vocals; Jon Davison on vocals; Sally Minnear on vocals, big drum, recorders, percussion; Dave Bainbridge on guitar, bouzouki; Dr. Danny on vocals, piano; Leslie Hunt on vocals; John Demarkis on backing vocals; Walter Ino on backing vocals; Roger Houdaille on bass, electric 12 String; Jonathan Schang on drums; Ken Sharp on Bv’s and bell tree; Mark Murdock on percussion; Francis Dunnery on vocals, guitar.