Finally: Lowdown on new Rippingtons, Yellowjackets, & more

Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons have delivered another winner, with great melodies, engaging riffs, and just a couple pratfalls. The second cut on the new Cote D'Azur, "Le Calypso," is one of the unfortunate missteps, with a melody that's not much there. But for most of the rest, from the zesty title track which opens the disc with a booming bassline, to the closing "Mesmerized," the Ripps show their mettle. Freeman shines as always - he never gets enough credit for his playing, and the band is tight and grooving throughout. Critics may call the music formulaic, and while it fits neatly into the smooth jazz playlists, it still offers more than ear candy. These guys can play, and even if they rarely surprise anymore, you can always count on a Rippingtons album to deliver the goods.

The Yellowjackets predate the Ripps, and originally were more bluesy/r&b oriented, serving primarily as the vehicle for guitarist Robben Ford. With Ford's departure, they became more jazz-centric, first with saxophonist Marc Russo, then even more so with his replacement, Bob Mintzer. Their jagged compositions, by all four band members, bring to mind everyone from Weather Report, Chick Corea, and 60s West Coast jazz. Timeline features Mintzer, original members Russell Ferrante on keys and bassist supreme Jimmy Haslip, and the return of drummer Will Kennedy. Mintzer's magnificent sax playing is always marvelous, and Ferrante's keyboard work (especially his acoustic piano on the title track) makes this as fun to listen to in its way as the Ripps. And of course, the rhythm section is spot on. It's great to hear music by these veteran groups as impressive as anything they've recorded over their lengthy careers.

Back before either of these groups was in existence, the CTI label released a host of fab jazz discs. They ranged from early crossover discs to straightahead jazz to Latin flavorings and nearly everything in between. A series of re-releases includes George Benson's White Rabbit and Deodato's Prelude. The former offers a seven-minute take on the Airplane classic, done as a funky Latin jam, with Herbie Hancock, John Tropea on acoustic guitar, Benson on electric, and Hubert Laws on flute showing what masters can do with the mundane. Prelude was CTI's biggest seller ever, on the strength of the hit reworking of "Also Sprach Zarathustra," then popular as the theme to "2001: A Space Odyssey." Amazingly, Deodato only did two more albums for CTI as a leader, before going on to write and produce for other artists.