Russ Freeman | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | February 11, 1960 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Smooth jazz, jazz fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, record producer, record label owner |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Keyboards, Bass, Drums |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Peak |
| Website | www |
Russ Freeman (born February 11, 1960) is a smooth jazz guitarist who is the founder and leader of The Rippingtons.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, [1] Freeman started on guitar when he was ten years old. His first teacher was a session musician in Nashville who knew his father. He followed his teacher around Nashville studios and after six years worked in a variety of sessions as a professional guitarist. Two years later, he moved to Los Angeles, where he found work playing for commercials and with vocalists Engelbert Humperdinck and Anne Murray. He cites George Benson and Larry Carlton as influences. [2]
For one year he attended the California Institute of the Arts. He recorded his first solo album, Nocturnal Playground. In 1985, he founded the band The Rippingtons as an opportunity to record with a variety of musicians. [3] The first version of the band included David Benoit, Gregg Karukas, Brandon Fields, Kenny G, and Dave Koz. By 1993, The Rippingtons had solidified into a sextet of Freeman, Jeff Kashiwa on saxophone, Dave Kochanski on keyboards, Kim Stone on bass guitar, Tony Morales on drums, and Steve Reid on percussion. In 1994 Freeman reunited with Benoit for The Benoit/Freeman Project . Freeman and his manager, Andi Howard, formed Peak Records in 1994. In 1998 he collaborated with guitarist Craig Chaquico of Starship for the album From the Redwoods to the Rockies.
A record producer and arranger, Freeman also plays bass guitar, keyboards, and drums. His music can be heard during The Weather Channel's Local on the 8s segments, and his song "Brave New World" is included in the 2008 compilation album, The Weather Channel Presents: Smooth Jazz II .
His wife, Yaredt Leon, has composed music for The Rippingtons' albums. [4] [5]
With The Rippingtons
With David Benoit
With David Benoit
With others
Arturo Sandoval is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter, pianist, timbalero, and composer. While living in his native Cuba, Sandoval was influenced by jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977 he met Gillespie, who became his friend and mentor and helped him defect from Cuba while on tour with the United Nations Orchestra. Sandoval became an American naturalized citizen in 1998. His life was the subject of the film For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000) starring Andy García.
GRP® Records is a jazz record label founded by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen in 1978. Distributed by Verve Records, GRP® was originally known for its digital recordings that focuses on its jazz genre.
The Rippingtons are an American contemporary jazz group, mainly relating to the genres smooth jazz, jazz fusion, jazz pop, and crossover jazz. Formed in 1985 by guitarist and band leader Russ Freeman, their career has spanned more than three decades. With a revolving door of musicians, Freeman has been the only consistent member.
Moonlighting is the debut album by the contemporary jazz ensemble the Rippingtons. It was released in 1986 on Passport Jazz and GRP labels, and reached number 5 on Billboard's Jazz chart.
This is also the first appearance of the Jazz Cat on the album cover by artist Bill Mayer. The Jazz Cat has since been on the cover of every Rippingtons album.
Lee Mack Ritenour is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s.
Alphonse Lee Mouzon was an American musician and vocalist, most prominently known as a jazz fusion drummer. He was also a composer, arranger, producer, and actor. Mouzon gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was the owner of Tenacious Records, a label that primarily released Mouzon's recordings.
David Bryan Benoit is an American jazz pianist, composer and producer, based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Benoit has charted over 25 albums since 1980, and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards. He is also music director for the Pacific Vision Youth Symphony and the Asia America Youth Orchestra. Furthermore, crediting Vince Guaraldi as an inspiration, Benoit has participated both as performer and music director for the later animated adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip, such as the feature film, The Peanuts Movie, restoring Guaraldi's musical signature to the franchise.
Peak Records is an American record label that was founded by The Rippingtons leader and guitarist Russ Freeman and Andi Howard in 1994.
Eric Marienthal is a Grammy Award-nominated Los Angeles-based contemporary saxophonist best known for his work in the jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, and pop genres.
Wayne Bergeron is an American jazz trumpeter.
Jeff Kashiwa is an American saxophonist with the smooth jazz band the Rippingtons and one of three with the Sax Pack, as well as having recorded several albums under his own name.
David Hughes is a Jazz fusion/Smooth jazz electric and acoustic bass player and composer of Swedish/Scottish origin. He is based in Los Angeles, California, since 1994.
Live in L.A. is the seventh album by the American Jazz group The Rippingtons, released in 1992 for the GRP label. It is the group's first live album. The album reached No. 6 on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart.
Sahara is the eighth album by American Jazz group The Rippingtons, released in 1994 on the GRP label. The album reached number two on Billboard's contemporary Jazz chart. It is also the first of two studio albums to be released under the name Russ Freeman & The Rippingtons, with the next being Brave New World.
Brave New World is the ninth album by American jazz group The Rippingtons, released in 1996 for the GRP label. The album reached No. 4 on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart. It was the group's final release on the GRP label.
Black Diamond is the tenth album by American Jazz group The Rippingtons. Released in 1997, it was their first project for the Windham Hill label after the transfer of Peak Records from GRP earlier that year. The album reached number one on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart.
The Best of The Rippingtons is a compilation album by the American jazz group The Rippingtons, released in 1997 by the GRP label. The album is a retrospective of their previous GRP albums, and also includes two previously unreleased tracks.
Drive is an album by the American guitarist Russ Freeman, released in 2002 for the Peak label. This album reached #7 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart.
The Benoit Freeman Project 2 is an collaboration album by American pianist David Benoit and American guitarist Russ Freeman released in 2004, and recorded for the Peak label. The album reached #7 on Billboard's Jazz chart.
Russ Freeman also serves as leader and frontman for the Rippingtons.
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