Rippingtons
Wild Card
The Story
Lovers of Latin jazz and the sultry Cuban-American salsa that Miami is famous for, let loose and rejoice! The Rippingtons, with dancing shoes on, percussion and horns simmering and flamenco guitars blazing, are heading for South Beach and getting wild, inviting fans worldwide to draw a "Wild Card", the latest instant classic by the contemporary jazz supergroup on Peak Records. Ripps founder, leader and sonic architect Russ Freeman dove joyfully into Latin waters on the 2000 Top Ten hit "Life In The Tropics", but this time he's going even deeper and more authentically exotic, with sizzling guest vocals by charismatic Cuban American superstar singers Willy Chirino and Albita. The diverse 13 track collection - the most ever on a Rippingtons studio recording - showcases Freeman's magnificent classical guitar playing. "Wild Card" also includes a beautiful guest vocal by R&B legend Chante Moore, (a lush update of "Until You Come Back To Me"), and eight tracks of the powerhouse Jerry Hey horn section.
The Music
| 04:20 | Gypsy Eyes | Instrumental |
| 03:57 | Wild Card | Instrumental |
| 04:47 | El Vacilon | Vocal |
| 05:04 | Paradise | Instrumental |
| 04:15 | Spanish Girl | Instrumental |
| 04:08 | Mulata De Mi Amor | Vocal |
| 03:52 | Moonlight | Instrumental |
| 04:00 | Till You Come Back To Me | Vocal |
| 04:11 | Lay It Down | Instrumental |
| 04:10 | King Of Hearts | Instrumental |
| 03:57 | Into You | Instrumental |
| 03:56 | Mulata De Mi Amor | Instrumental |
| 04:15 | In The End | Instrumental |
The Artists
| Russ Freeman | Guitars, Keyboards, Rhythm Programming, Production, Executive Production, Arrangements |
| Bill Heller | Keyboards, Acoustic Piano |
| David Karasony | Drums |
| Kim Stone | Bass |
| Scott Breadman | Percussion |
| Eric Marienthal | Saxophones |
| Albita | Vocals on "El Vacilon" |
| WIlly Chirino | Vocals and Background Vocals on "Muleta De Mi Amor" |
| Chante Moore | Vocals and Background Vocals on "Til You Come Back To Me" |
| Raul Pacheco | Background Vocals on "El Vacilon" |
| Asdrubal Sierra | Background Vocals on "El Vacilon" |
| Sheffer Bruton | Background Vocals on "El Vacilon" |
| Jerry Hey | Trumpet |
| Gary Grant | Trumpet |
| Bill Riechenbach | Trombone |
| Lloyd Talbot | Arrangement |
| Ralph Sutton | Arrangement |
| Steve Sykes | Engineering, Mixing |
| Doc Wiley | Engineering |
| Marko Ruffalo | Engineering |
| Hatch Inagaki | Engineering |
| Andi Howard | Executive Production |
| Mark Wexler | Executive Production |
| Steve Sykes | Associate Production |
| Bill Mayer | Illustration |
| Sonny Medina | Art Direction |
| Carl Studna | Photography |
| Recorded and mixed at Castle Oaks Recording, Calabasas, CA.
Additional recording at Latinum Music Studios, Miami, and Surfboard Studio, Boca Raton. |
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