JAZZ : The Rippingtons Are on a ‘Weekend’ Tear
Usually a jazz fusion band worries about getting its polished, recording-studio sound across in a concert setting. For guitarist Russ Freeman, who leads the Rippingtons, the concern has been the opposite: transferring the quality of his live shows onto an album.
Freeman thinks “Weekend in Monaco,†the Rippingtons’ latest GRP release, really comes close. “The show has a lot of energy, and the new record reflects that more than ever.â€
One reason, he says, is that the album showcases his actual touring band--Tony Morales on drums, Kim Stone on bass, Jeff Kashiwa on sax, Mark Portmann on keyboards and Steve Reid on percussion. There are no in-studio guests, as there have been on past releases.
“The band has been together for three years, and we’ve developed a tightness that’s hard to get with studio players,†Freeman said. “We’ve learned more about entertaining, which comes from doing hundreds of shows. We’ve grown.â€
He avers that he too has grown, mainly as a composer. “I’ve stretched, incorporating different musical styles such as Latin, African and other world music styles,†said Freeman, who writes all his band’s material.
“That gives the band a more diverse palette to draw from, and it makes our shows more appealing.â€
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