Modern Art

The Rippingtons | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 10, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Peak Records
• ASIN: B001R0KH2S
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,773 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

When you think about contemporary music, there are very few bands that have had the lasting impression and impact that the Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman have had. For over 20 years this band has been delighting audiences all over the world with their distinct, signature sound. Now with their 17th album, Russ Freeman has once again demonstrated why he is one of the true musical innovators in the contemporary jazz genre with Modern Art. Featuring a familiar "cast of characters", Modern Art once again showcases a unique musical style that was created many years ago and still sounds as fresh and new today as it did when they started. Soaring horns, melodic keyboards and driving percussion are all anchored by the intricate guitar styling of Freeman.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Consistent but not brilliant, March 11, 2009

By 

K. Bortz "fins up!" (Delmont, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Modern Art (Audio CD)

OK, Rippingtons fans - what does this new CD, "Modern Art", sound like with the return of one-time sax/wind player Jeff Kashiwa, the absence of long-time bassist Kim Stone, and the departure of percussion effects/congas/etc. completely?

The answer is not bad. Kashiwa brings his "A" game, blowing the heck out of the sax and really grooving. And some of Russ Freeman's guitar work interplays well with Kashiwa. There's also some nice piano/keyboard lines from Bill Heller, although some of it is definitely dated in the 80s. The bass/drums are mixed extremely well and really bring a lot of thump to the tracks, but the bass lines are not at all distinctive like you could expect from Stone. And, typical of latter-day Rippingtons work, the keyboards add a feel of rhythm with looped effects.

However, the songs are not really distinctive. The lack of percussion helps bring a sameness to the sound, although Kahiwa alleviates this some by changing the sax type (soprano, alto, etc.). The sameness to the songs is both good and bad. There aren't any throwaway songs that make me want to fall asleep or skip the songs, but there also aren't any of those "wow" songs I expect from the Ripps. It's all very pleasant, but it reminds me of the last two Steely Dan albums - comfortable and not challenging, so nice but not near the standards expected by the group.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A different sound for the Rippingtons, March 11, 2009

By 

D. Perkins (Abu Dhabi, UAE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Modern Art (Audio CD)

First and foremost. Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons are in a league of their own. I own every CD they have ever released as well as individual efforts by the various band members. However, this latest work, which I have been waiting patiently for, is very well done but it doesn't have that vintage Rippingtons sound that made me an avid fan. Each of the tracks are very well composed and refined but to me they sound too much like the mainstream. Case in point, if someone played any Rippingtons song from their past albums, I would know without a doubt who was playing without being told. However, I cannot say the same for this particular work. No knock on this album though, it does sound very good. It just does not possess that vintage Rippington's sound that I personally was hoping for. I am already looking forward to their next release, "Go Ripps!!!"

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Another phoned-in effort, March 17, 2009

By 

Patrick E. Molloy "Pat" (Tustin, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Modern Art (Audio CD)

I have been a fan of Russ Freeman's guitar playing since his "Nocturnal Playground" album in 1985, and a Ripps fan since their debut disc, "Moonlighting", came out in 1987. I have acquired every one of their CDs since; so this review is somewhat painful for me to write.

Their last few albums, sad to say, seem like throw-away afforts from this fine player, who has proven that he has the chops to equal the elite of modern jazz guitarists. This new effort, "Modern Art", falls into the same trap as their last three albums. It tries so hard to play it safe (for the sake of radio airplay, perhaps), that it dares not tread into more spirited, uptempo territory with high-flying guitar solos and terrific interplay with the horn player (in this case, Jeff Kashiwa, returning to the band after an absence of several albums). It would have been great to hear some new tracks of THAT type of Rippingtons music.

I'm of the opinion that artists are right to go for as much airplay as possible, and that's a tough nut to crack in an age when there are so few radio stations that embrace this type of music. But, as a serious fan, I hope that, once I get the disc home, there will be a few gems that are too adventurous for radio on it, but which show what a musician or a band can really do when they "let it rip". Unfortunately, such is not the case here.

Fans yearning for a signature Ripps tune, like "Tourist in Paradise" or "Curves Ahead", will find slim pickings here. New listeners who hear this disc as their first exposure to the group are hardly likely to think of this music as cutting-edge fusion or contemporary jazz, the way fans of the '80's and '90s's versions of the group think of them. What lies inside the cover of this disc is more smoooooooth jazz, without any desire to get any more adventurous than that.