Guitarist
Russ Freeman originally conceived of
the Rippingtons as a changing lineup of strong contemporary jazz musicians. After releasing his debut solo album, Nocturnal Playground, in 1985,
Freeman assembled the first version of the band, which featured
David Benoit on piano and
Brandon Fields,
Dave Koz, and
Kenny G on saxophones, for the appropriately titled
Moonlighting (1986).
Kilimanjaro, the first
Rippingtons album to break into the pop charts, followed in 1988. As of 1989's
Tourist in Paradise, the group was contracted to the GRP label. 1990's
Welcome to the St. James Club and 1991's
Curves Ahead both topped the contemporary jazz best-seller charts, and 1992's
Weekend in Monaco was also a popular release. By 1993,
the Rippingtons had solidified into a steady six-piece group including
Freeman,
Dave Kochanski on keyboards,
Jeff Kashiwa on saxophone,
Kim Stone on bass,
Tony Morales on drums, and
Steve Reid on percussion. That year saw the release of
Live in L.A. In 1994,
Freeman teamed with old partner
David Benoit for
The Benoit/Freeman Project and later in the year came
Sahara, which altered the band's billing from "The Rippingtons Featuring Russ Freeman" to "Russ Freeman & The Rippingtons." In 1995,
Freeman released a solo Christmas album,
Holiday, followed by the eighth
Rippingtons album,
Brave New World, in 1995. ~ William Ruhlmann