The Rippingtons: Smooth Jazz at its Best!
It’s been quite a few years that I started listening to smooth jazz. The Rippingtons are one of the premier groups in this genre. Some call them the originators of it. My first cassette tape of their music (dating myself now) was called Moonlighting. It was the first album for the Rippingtons and has received the award by Jazziz magazine as the most influential contemporary jazz album of all time. That and Welcome to the St. James’ Club
Russ Freeman is the founder of the band. Moonlightingwas a collaboration of LA musicians that came together to work with Russ. I read that at the time, they were kind of struggling musicians. You may not have known them then, but I am sure you have heard of most now. Included on that first fateful album were guys like Kenny G, Brandon Fields, Dave Koz, Tony Morales, David Benoit, and Steve Reid. Others that have played with the band include Kirk Whalum, Eric Marienthal, Paul Taylor, Jeff Kashiwa (my favorite sax guy), Dave Karasony, Grammy award winning bassist Kim Stone.
If you haven’t heard the names, at least listen to the music. You will remember that. The Rippingtons next play in Phoenix June 6, the day I leave to catch a cruise with my daughter and son. I’ll just have to take their music with me.
They are deserving of kicking off what I will call my Blog Concert Series! I have never tired of their music. Enjoy!
March 11th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
nice, haven’t seen kenny g in a while
March 12th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
This is the 3rd time I have tried to leave my comment! It keeps going into thin air. Let’s hope 3rd X’s a charm!
I probably first heard The Rippingtons when I began listening to Smoooooth Jazzzzzz in the mid-1980′s. We have a great college radio station here, on the lower FNM dial, that plays and played jazz even before the mainstream radio started. Then, in the late 80′s/early 90′s a small station started playing the label, “Smooooth Jazzzzz”. We now have the national station that plays this music, and used to give out “a trip a day”!
In my earlier youth, I used to enjoy going to jazz clubs to sip wine and listen to cool ensembles playing sophisticated tunes.