Rippingtons as Exotica?

This may be a big stretch, but I'll post it anyway.

It's not Martin Denny or anything, but back in the late '80's/early '90's, I heard about this "Contemp. Jazz" band called The Rippingtons. First CD I heard was called "Tourist in Paradise". Got me into the modern Jazz scene.

Anyway, lots of the song titles have Exotica type titles, and many of the tracks have jungle/bird sounds, etc. and use some crazy percussion instruments etc.

For example--

Off Tourist--

One Summer Night in Brazil

Aruba!

Other tracks:

Nature of the Beast

Kenya

Tropic of Capricorn

There are others--some much more atmospheric than others.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Scott

I was a fan of the Rippingtons way back when they put out their first album. I wouldn't call it exotica at all though. True, they have bird calls and quite a bit of percussion. But they are surely more pop jazz. Over the years the "pop jazz" scene just got way to polished and milky white for my tastes. But the early Rippingtons albums are still a nice listen.

Hey, my BF's good friend used to play with Rippingtons (drummer). He's not playing for them anymore...everything goes full circle in Tiki Central. Small World.

If you like it, it's cool but it's not exotica and it sure as hell ain't jazz. For jazz try Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon,Ben Webster,Lester Young, Sonny Rollins [oops...all tenor players. am I biased?]

Since "New Age Jazz" isn't new anymore... Does that nake it "No-So-New Age Jazz"? :wink:

I just so happen to have three Rippingtons cds up on eBay at the moment....

Tourist In Paradise

Welcome to the St. James Club

Curves Ahead

(Hey - when am I ever going to get another chance to link to any of my auctions, eh?)

Yo whore! Kidding kidding.... :P

Cheeky:

Tony M.? If so, is he still doing the web design thing? Loved that cat.

Scott

I second saxotica's jazz reference to Sonnny Rollins...possibly one of the best in my opinion...

If you can catch the rippingtons live, you won't be dissapointed. They are my favorite smooth jazz band (well, actually the only smooth jazz band I like). On record, they can be a little too soothing, but live is a different story.

On another vein, has anyone heard Meshell Ndegeocello's new album? It is way cool!

I saw the Rippinggtons at The Catalina Jazztracks Festival back in 1988, they were very good. I recently sold 2 of their cds on Amazon. For some reason that stuff sells better for me than the Miles Davis, Albert Ayler,Bud Powell, Dexter Gordon cds. A lot of the "Smooth Jazz" artists had bird calls (Jeff Linsky-Exotica from the 1992 Rendezvous cd) or ocean sounds (Swiss slide guitar master Max Lassar-Oceania from the 1992 A Different Kind Of Blue cd). Even some rockers get in on the action sometimes.....check out Incubus-Aqueous Transmission off the Morning View cd, ends with lots of frogs. When I hear that song I think it would be good background for Taderpups cocktail ceremony with the cool Japanese Koto behing the vocals. Ronnie Montrose also mellowed out on Koto for one track on the rockin Territory cd.