Russ Freeman

Smooth jazz stalwarts the Rippingtons infuse their trademark brand of instrumental pop with a Latin aesthetic on Wild Card. Once again featuring the lead guitar of Russ Freeman, the Rippingtons deliver a solid collection of mellow contemporary pop and lite jazz that should please longtime fans. Evenly split between R&B-inflected cuts such as the Aretha Franklin hit "Till You Come Back to Me" and Latin tracks including the flamenco-inspired "Spanish Girl" and the salsa-ready "Mulata di Mi Amor," Wild Card is a pleasant listen.

The Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman are back with a new album: Open Road. The Rippingtons and Russ Freeman have been at the forefront of the contemporary jazz, smooth jazz, and instrumental pop music genres! They have sold over 3.5 Million albums to date. Every new Rippingtons album has Debuted in the Top 5 of the Billboard Jazz Chart including 4 Number 1 Debuts! With every album a new chapter has been written with their innovative song writing, in-studio production and inventive instrumentation, and Open Road is no exception.

This CD is well crafted. There is a balance between tunes with a rock and roll edge, some more mellow songs and one with a calypso flavor, complete with steel drums! Also included in this musical work is a soulful rendition of the musical standard "I'll be there." The CD wraps up with a hard driving piece titled "Porcha". This band is hot!

Various Artists - The Pacific Jazz Piano Trios, Mosaic Select (2005) {3CD Set, Mosaic MS-019 rec 1952-1963}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.24 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 575 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 145 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1952-63, 2005 Mosaic Records / EMI Music | MS-019 / 7243-8-75552-2-8
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Piano

This set reinstates a number of important piano recordings made for Pacific Jazz (and in the case of Jimmy Rowles Liberty). Russ Freeman and Rowles were seminal to so much of the important music that emanated from Los Angeles in the '50s and '60s that their achievements would be far too many to list here. Freeman's hard swinging style is featured on 14 tracks made between 1952 and '57. Rowles, an encyclopedic piano maestro, is represented by his rare Liberty album Rare - But Well Done and two Pacific Jazz tracks, made the end of sessions by others.

3-CD Box set, 60-page booklet including comprehensive biography, original liner notes and cover art, rare photos, unseen memorabilia and extensive discography. Shelly Manne (1920-1984) was one of the most important drummers in jazz history. Opening with his first recordings as a leader for Dee Gee Records in 1951 (Chicago) and 1952 (Los Angeles), this collection covers both these septet sessions and the great series of all-star septet and quintet recordings made for Contemporary by Shelly Manne and His Men between 1953 and 1958. Here’s that Manne.