Any truehearted devotee of
the Rippingtons Featuring Russ Freeman knows the two secrets of their unparalleled success in the contemporary jazz world over the course of numerous releases since 1986. First and foremost, it's those lush, ultra-melodic
Freeman compositions, many of which have become genre classics. Beyond those, the band has attracted fans the world over with one of the most exciting and dynamic live shows in instrumental music. It seems wholly appropriate, then, to take stock of the wealth of
Freeman's catalog not with a mere greatest-hits collection, but with the fun-filled CD and video package,
Live in L.A. Recorded September 25 and 26, 1992, at the Ventura Theatre in Ventura and Los Angeles' famed Greek Theatre, this is first and foremost a project for an inspired by
the Ripps' loyal fan base. The band's commitment to an always high intensity live set, with an ever evolving repertoire of old favorites and new gems, probably made the process of editing their normal 90-minute set down to the 60-minute length somewhat difficult. Nonetheless, the ten tunes here are indicative of all aspects of
Freeman's composing talents as well as
the Rippingtons' energetic interaction on stage. The core group of
Freeman (guitar),
Jeff Kashiwa (sax and EWI),
Kim Stone (bass),
Mark Portmann (keyboards),
Steve Reid (percussion), and
Tony Morales (drums) is complemented by the sassy textures of a three-piece horn section and cameos by GRP labelmates
David Benoit and singer
Carl Anderson. Highlights include "Indian Summer," "Weekend in Monaco," the lush "One Summer Night in Brazil," and the explosive jam "Highroller." ~ Jonathan Widran