Guitar God

The one place that I could always go to, whether I felt happy, sad, confused, angry or on top of the world- was the 'record store'; where all troubles melted away and everything could be made better, a place where all the problems of the world were solved - kind of like eating comfort food - like mac-n-cheese. So it's 1986, been married a little over a year, pretty sure I was already bored, but I won't get into that story just yet; anyways, not sure what time of year it was exactly, but the weather was nice, so it had to be late spring, early summer. I needed a fix bad,had that need to just get away, me and my thoughts, so I headed to the 'record store', which actually was just down the street and around the corner in a plaza. It was a pretty damn good record store too, great selection. So I'm working the bins, and I come across this Lp by some guy named Russ Freeman, and by the looks of the liner notes, he's playing just about everything, except the sax, which is handled by Brandon Fields, already had one of his albums, so I score. Over the years, not too many artists, upon first listen, have blown me away, but that afternoon in 1986, Russ Freeman blew me away! I couldn't get enough of that album, Nocturnal Playground, played it all the time. I had just moved back from Southern California, and in all honesty, really didn't enjoy my time there, but for some reason, what few good memories I had of the place - Nocturnal Playground brought back. To this day, I'm still amazed that this was Russ Freeman's first album, sure, it's nothing compared to the Ripps latest, but the compositions,playing and production, for a first release are incredible.

When it came time to search down Freeman's next album, Moonlighting, an effort he was releasing under the moniker, The Rippington's, I already had an idea what I was in for, or so I thought, so I waited until I found the CD - no small fete in early 1997. Well, I might have thought I knew what I was in for, but in all actuality, what I purchased that cold snowy January, eleven years ago, stands, to this day as one of the most perfect Contemporary Jazz recordings of all time. I know that's a pretty bold statement, but it's mine and I'm sticking by it! Kenny G, Brandon Fields, David Benoit, Gregg Karukas, Steve Reid, Dave Koz (who by the way has never sounded as good as he did on this album playing EWI) - and Freeman's guitar and compositions - wow! All I'll say is that this CD has been with me through good and bad, up and down, and three major relationships - no need to say anymore than that. This is The Soundtrack Of My Life. If you don't have it, you need it; if you do have it, you know what I'm talking about!
Listen to 'Nocturnal Playground', 'Jamaican Nights' and 'Amelia' from Nocturnal Nights and from Moonlighting, 'Dreams', 'Open All Night' and 'Intimate Strangers'

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