Rippingtons
Black Diamond
The Story
Guitarist Russ Freeman figured the best way to celebrate the Rippingtons' 10th anniversary would be with the band's 10th album; hence, "Black Diamond". The nine instrumental, one vocal CD was inspired by Freeman's newfound love - downhill skiing - and so, are his best attempt to capture the feelings of becoming part of the mountain. You'll find a lot of the Freeman trademarks here - great rhythms, breezy solos, and stellar musicianship. An added bonus and highlight is the jazz inflected "Angelfire" featuring guests Arturo Sandoval (trumpet) and Pete Escovedo (percussion). Other highlights include "North Peak" and the title track.
The Music
| 04:46 | Black Diamond | Instrumental |
| 06:16 | Deep Powder | Instrumental |
| 05:06 | Seven Nights In Rome | Instrumental |
| 04:40 | Soul Seeker | Instrumental |
| 05:41 | In Another Life | Instrumental |
| 04:23 | Big Sky | Instrumental |
| 03:38 | If I Owned The World | Vocal |
| 04:12 | North Peak | Instrumental |
| 04:13 | Angelfire | Instrumental |
| 05:05 | Jewel Thieves | Instrumental |
| 04:10 | Black Diamond (Acoustic Version) | Instrumental |
The Artists
| Russ Freeman | Brian Moore Guitar, 1960 Strat, 12-String Guitar, Rainsong Jazz Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Pine-Top Classical Guitar, Cedar-Top Classical Guitar, Epiphone Guitar, Baritone Guitar, Slide Guitar, Drum Programming, Percussion, Mandolin Rhythm Loops, Keyboards, Bass, Production, Executive Production, Engineering, Mixing |
| David Kochanski | Keyboards, Organ, Drum Programming, Rhythm Loops, Acoustic Piano |
| Kim Stone | "Fatboy" Bass, Fretless Bass, Bass, Bass "Fills" |
| Jeff Kashiwa | EWI, Tenor Sax Solo, Tenor Sax, Soprano Saxophone |
| Mark Williamson | Background Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Lead Vocals on "If I Owned The World" |
| Mark Ledford | Trumpet |
| Steve Reid | Percussion |
| Arturo Sandoval | Trumpet Solo |
| Pete Escovedo | Percussion |
| Nelson Rangell | Alto and Tenor Saxophone, Flute |
| Andi Howard | Executive Production |
| Carl Griffin | Production on Arturo Sandoval aand Mark Ledford Sessions, Mixing |
| Paul Wickliffe | Additional Engineering |
| John Reigart III | Engineering Assistance |
| Brian Springer | Engineering Assistance |
| Ray Obiedo | Additional Engineering |
| Nick Sodano | Mixing |
| Doug Sax | Mastering |
| Patrick Clifford | A&R |
| Larry Hamby | A&R |
| Sonny Mediana | Art Direction |
| Ilene Weingard | Design |
| Carl Studna | Photography |
| Bill Mayer | Cover Art, Inside Illustrations |
| Recorded ay Cheyenne Mountain Ranch Studios, CO. Additional recording at Sound on Sound, NY, Sonic Jungle, North Hollywood, CA, and Werewolf Recording.
Mixed at Cheyenne Mountain Ranch Studios. Mastered at the Mastering Lab, Hollywood, CA. Inside booklet photography courtesy of the Rippingtons. Make up and hairstyling by Kathryn Conners. |
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