When guitarist / keyboardist Russ Freeman was approached in 1987 by the Japanese Alfa label to form an all-star fusion band, he formed The Rippingtons with David Benoit, Kenny G. and Brandon Fields. Over the years, the composition of this band has changed drastically and new band members came and went. Saxophonist Eric Marienthal is the only renowned musician on Wild Card. However, this has not
… affected the sound of The Rippingtons which has remained virtually unchanged: a mixture of pop and jazz, where the pop side wins the game. This approach has earned them a large fan base, but it can come across as thoughtful. On Wild Card, The Rippingtons do a few trips to Latin. El Vacilon is the absolute outlier and one of the few songs on which The Rippingtons do not appear forcibly. (AD)more