After nearly a decade at GRP Records, smooth jazz's premier ensemble made a very successful switch to Windham Hill with this recording inspired by leader Russ Freeman's ski adventures in his adopted home of Colorado.
Their tenth album continues the band's recent successful ventures into urban-flavored music while also showcasing Freeman's amazing talents for jazz and flamenco guitar playing, in addition to his trademark classical guitar-influenced pop/rock sound.
The collection is also a celebration of ten years of the smooth jazz format and the Rippingtons' instrumental role in creating music that helps define the genre's sound.
The band weaves through the title track with a soaring, echoing guitar melody over a cool, shuffling hip-hop groove.
Mark Williamson's spiritual-flavored chanting enhances the moody textures and funky, retro-soul vibe of the electric guitar-driven "Deep Powder," while the steamy, classical guitar-led "Seven Nights in Rome" finds the band looking down from the mountaintop, thoughtfully recounting the romantic ambience of a recent concert trip to Italy.
"North Peak"'s slamming percussion approximates a speedy downhill race, but all that chill is more than balanced by the daring and exotic "Angelfire," which blends Freeman's colorful flamenco stylings and Arturo Sandoval's crackling trumpet.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black DiamondRuss Freeman | The Rippingtons | Play | 04:46 | 10 MB | 34 MB |
| 2 | Deep Powder | The Rippingtons | Play | 06:16 | 14 MB | 38 MB |
| 3 | Seven Nights in RomeRuss Freeman | The Rippingtons | Play | 05:05 | 11 MB | 31 MB |
| 4 | Soul Seeker | The Rippingtons | Play | 04:40 | 10 MB | 31 MB |
| 5 | In Another LifeRuss Freeman | The Rippingtons | Play | 05:41 | 13 MB | 40 MB |
| 6 | Big Sky | The Rippingtons | Play | 04:23 | 10 MB | 32 MB |
| 7 | If I Owned the WorldRuss Freeman, Mark Williamson | The Rippingtons | Play | 03:39 | 8 MB | 20 MB |
| 8 | North Peak | The Rippingtons | Play | 04:12 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 9 | AngelfireRuss Freeman | The Rippingtons | Play | 04:13 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 10 | Jewel ThievesRuss Freeman | The Rippingtons | Play | 05:05 | 11 MB | 38 MB |
| 11 | Black DiamondRuss Freeman | The Rippingtons | Play | 04:46 | 10 MB | 34 MB |
| 52 mins | 121 MB | |||||
| 52 mins | 361 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kathryn Connors | Hair Stylist, Make-Up |
| 2 | Russ Freeman | Composer, Drum Programming, Engineer, Executive Producer, Keyboards, Liner Notes, Mandolin, Percussion, Producer, Rhythm Loops |
| 3 | Carl Griffin | Producer |
| 4 | Andi Howard | Executive Producer |
| 5 | Jeff Kashiwa | Sax (Tenor) |
| 6 | Dave Kochanski | Keyboards, Organ |
| 7 | Mark Ledford | Trumpet |
| 8 | Sonny Mediana | Art Direction |
| 9 | Brian Moore | 12-String Bass Guitar, Guitar |
| 10 | Steve Reid | Percussion |
| 11 | John R. Reigart III | Assistant Engineer |
| 12 | The Rippingtons | Primary Artist |
| 13 | Doug Sax | Mastering |
| 14 | Brian Springer | Assistant Engineer |
| 15 | Kim Stone | Bass |
| 16 | Carl Studna | Photography |
| 17 | Paul Wickliffe | Engineer |
| 18 | Mark Williamson | Composer, Vocals (Background) |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |