Jayvee Music Reviews with Jeff Vallet

After 28 years at the top of the contemporary jazz genre and 19 hit albums, it’s official – The Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman have discovered the Fountain of Youth.
“The title of the album is a cool double entendre for me,” says Freeman, who launched the original lineup of the band with the ground-breaking Moonlighting in 1986.
“It’s wondering how long any of us will last – a theme I address ironically on the song ‘We Will Live Forever,’ as well as asking myself how long The Rippingtons will keep going.”
In addition to featuring as many guitars from his longtime personal collection as possible, Freeman infuses Fountain of Youth with playful touches of the mandolin and a few new instruments in Freeman’s growing arsenal. These include the baglama, a Turkish sitar-like axe he picked up on a trip to Istanbul last year, a ukulele, featured most prominently in the breakdown section of “Rivers of Gold,” and a pedal steel guitar, featured as the lead instrument on “The Sun King” and via solos on “Rivers of Gold” – the title track and as a background texture on “Waterfall of Bequia.”
“The Sun King” is a powerful example of the dynamics Freeman created on Fountain of Youth, beginning with a pretty solo piano intro which gives way to a simple, jangling acoustic guitar before the crisp strains of the pedal steel kick in and the tune becomes a searing rock ballad.
True to its title, Fountain of Youth is a stark, soulful piece that harkens back to the classic rock vibe of Freeman’s youth, complete with the dancing pedal steel axe. Longtime Ripps fans and newcomers alike will immensely enjoy this musical dip in the Fountain of Youth, where rock and jazz creativity springs eternal and faith in artistry that knows no boundaries is restored.
Super creative and super stylish! Fantastic record!