Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Rippingtons: Built to Last

The Rippingtons: Built to Last

By Ernest Barteldes
August 29, 2012
View read count

Bandleader, guitarists and songwriter

Russ Freeman

piano
1926 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Russ Freeman pulls no stops on the Rippingtons' 25th anniversary release, Built to Last, featuring a full orchestra to complement the sound of his compositions, has he runs the gamut of the sounds that have influenced him throughout the years, moving from movie score-like tunes to heavy metal, country & western and retro-sounding jazz.

The album kicks off with the title tune, which sounds as if it belongs in a film soundtrack. Lush strings introduce the theme and the rest of the orchestra follows through before Freeman's programming takes front and center, setting the tone for the rest of the disc. The song is later reprised in a classical arrangement, featuring Freeman's acoustic guitar and a few subtle orchestral notes. The latter is the better of the two, since it provides the chance to hear the bandleader without the sonic wall that is behind him on the first attempt.

The "Route 66" on this disc is not a remake of

Bobby Troup

piano
1918 - 1999

" data-original-title="" title="">Bobby Troup's R&B standard; Instead, it is a Freeman composition that nods to straight-ahead jazz, featuring a solo by saxophonist Jeff Koshiwa. Here the bandleader avoids using too much programming, instead featuring the orchestra's (uncredited) musicians as a backdrop for both his and Koshiwa's grooves and improvisations. It is one of the best tracks on the disc for specifically that reason—because it differs so much from the rest of the material on it. "Cougars and Gigolos" travels to old-school Nashville (Freeman mentions having had guitar lessons with session guitarist John Pell), mixing acoustic guitar riffs with well-placed slide and electric guitar grooves.

Also notable is "Monument/Monolith," a tune that goes completely out of form with a long percussion intro and then a raucous solo from heavy metal guitarist Zakk Wylde, who takes the tune to a completely different direction with his much distorted electric guitar.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Built to Last; American Panorama; Fool's Gold; Hotel Deville;Cougars & Gigolos; Route 66; In the Shadow of Giants; Black Oak; We Made a New World; Monument/Monolith; Firefly; Built to Last (Classical Guitar Reprise); Fools' Gold (Orchestra); Black Oak (Orchestra); Hotel Deville (Orchestra); Built to Last (Orchestra).

Personnel

The Rippingtons

band / ensemble / orchestra

Russ Freeman: guitar, orchestrations, programming; Jeff Koshiwa: saxophone; Zakk Wylde: guitar.

Album information

Title: Built to Last | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: eOne Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Abundance
< Previous

Standpoint
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.