Jazz music legends, The Rippingtons latest Peak Records recording Cote DAzur is inspired by Russ Freemans passion for the French people and the storied region of the French Rivierais more than simply the latest stamp on Freemans well traveled passport. This new jazz music release taps into a spirit thats deeper and more transcendent than any other group project to date.

All of the jazz music on Cote DAzur tell stories of Freemans extensive travels in France with his wife Yaredt Leon, a hit songwriter in her own right who contributed tracks to the Ripps Latin-themed Wild Card (2005) and Modern Art (2009). Cote DAzur is bookended with jazz music they wrote together, the high energy title track and the beautiful Mesmerized. Yaredt has been Freemans consummate travel partner these past years. For a time, he couldnt get enough of Italy, but the minute Leon (whose mixed heritage is Colombian-French) introduced him to her fathers homeland of France, Freeman was hooked.

This is the best album Ive ever written, he says, and unlike on any other Rippingtons recording, the music is a pristine crystallization of the way I first heard it in my head. I think the incredible cultural connection between France and America hit me one night in Nice when I was watching a show on the history of St. Tropez. Bridget Bardot was so well known as a model and film actress, but in the 60s she also did hundreds of music videos of French remakes of songs that were big hits in America. Remakes of everything from Elvis to the Beatles were huge. Johnny Hallyday is a French music superstar who patterned himself after Elvis. All of this taught me how close our cultures really are. They also were big into American surf music in the early
60s, and that inspired the new song Le Calypso. All of this, combined with Yaredts French heritage, really made me fall in love with the country.

Cote DAzur is a daring, full-scale exploration of world that fascinates Freeman and, as he has discovered, has more ties to American culture than he ever imagined. So much so that on tour throughout the U.S. in the summer of 2010, The Rippingtons gave their thousands of loyal fans an extraordinary gift. Months before the official release of their best yet jazz music cd the band complemented their run of classic hits with an unprecedented sweep of six songs from the new collection.
Freeman knew he was taking a gigantic leap of faithyet he was so excited about his new musical explorations that he (and bandmates Jeff Kashiwa, Rico Belled, Bill Heller and Dave Karasony) couldnt wait to share them. As a thank you to fans, The Rippingtons have made a special fee download. You can find it on a fan page that features free jazz music online .

On their latest Peak Records album, Russ Freeman and The Rippingtons take their lucky fans on a trip of a lifetime to Cote DAzur. Traveling with them is their trademark jazz cat, by artist Bill Mayer, who again graces the CD cover art. Next time out, who knows? Freemans musical passport still has a lot of open space to be stamped. And, the journey continues! You can listen to their smooth jazz online .