Jazz / Smooth Jazz; Crossover Jazz; Contemporary Jazz; Jazz-Pop
Recorded: Castle Oaks, Calabasas, California; Latinum, Miami, FL.
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. ---Matt Collar, allmusic
Russ Freeman - guitar, keyboards, programming Eric Marienthal - saxophone Bill Heller - piano, keyboards Kim Stone - bass instrument Dave Karasony - drums Scott Breadman - percussion
Additional personnel: Albita Chante Moore |