Overall a nice release with very catchy melodies. Great to hear Jeff's sax- what a perfect fit.

The only things that I could have wished for were a few less "programmed" percussion/drums. Dave K sounds like he was used minimally and even when live drums are heard there seems to be additional programming on top of him. I keep thinking what Steve Reid could have of added to these songs.

Favorite track is Modern Art - classic Ripps opener. The only thing making that track better would have been Russ shredding a solo. Song keeps building up and up and no "harder" electric riff came.

Hello,

I am back again. After giving "Modern Art" several, and I mean several listens to, I have decided it is not as good as "Twenty", but better than anything since "Black Diamond". Just my views though.

theo

Blimey ,I turn my back for five minutes and Kim Stone has left ,Jeff Kashiwa is back and Russ has married again .
This is better than Coronation Street

I really like Jeff's playing. He really goes for it in a few places. Of the Rippintons CDs from the 2000's, I like these the best:

Live Across America
Let It Ripp
20th Anniversary
Modern Art

A nice album but, for me, a big disappointment. Every song is nice, which means I don't find myself tempted to skip any tracks. Still, I find the overall project to be bland - something I haven't said about a Rippingtons release since Black Diamond, and my main problem with BD was the extensive use of drum programming. Once I got over that (I never get completely over it, but occasionally can learn to live with it), I started to like BD more.
I'm not sure I'll like Modern Art any more 5, 10, 15 years from now than I do today.
Part of the problem is it wasn't until track 7, Body Art, that I really got into anything. Part of it is that while Dave Karasony is the "drummer," I don't feel him much. Could be because Russ did "rhythm programming" (and it sounds like it) on most tracks, or maybe it's just the songwriting didn't give him much to work with. And a big part of the problem is we seem to have lapsed back into the 1990s, where every song on a smooth jazz CD is in that radio-safe zone of 4 minutes (Paris Groove - 3:39, Pastels on Canvas - 4:55, the other 9 tracks somewhere in between).
Again, it's not bad. There is nothing not to like.
But after Let It Ripp, Wild Card and 20th Anniversary, to say nothing of their having 2 years to work on these new songs, I find the cover art much more pleasing than the music.
BTW, Age of Reason is pretty good, too, but structurally similar to Body Art. And Sweet Lullaby is a very good ballad.

Thanks, Jazzwriter. I've been looking for a description of this album, and you just nailed it: its nice. A couple of the songs could have come right off a Peter White album: pleasant, middle-of-the-road Smooth Jazz.

Not exciting, breaks no new ground (except maybe the accordion), and is just a nice listen. For me, thats a little disappointing coming from Russ and company. I expect (and hope for) more from them.

Thanks again for hitting it on the nose.

Best,

SteveC

Any time, Steve.

Woody, I think I'm feeling you on this one...

Overall, great musicianship, well crafted tunes, lots of production going on etc. Excellent keys by Billy H, good foundations by Rico (or is that programmed also...)and Karasony. (Or, is that a program too? Just sounds too perfect at times, and no discernable variations that a human would normally make- so either it's a machine, or Karasony is becoming one )
Still one of the most talented drummers I've ever seen live.

But overall this recording is just not very exciting to me.

Tracks 1,3,5, and 7 are the ones getting repeat plays in my player. I've been listening to it on the way to work and back, so I hear pretty much the whole thing once per day (unless I'm riding my bike, a bit tough to listen then ).

The more I listen, the more vanilla it seems to be- I thought about putting a tempo (beats per minute) meter on it; it all seems to have that same laid back groove, and in some places just seems too slow altogether. That's fine in a ballad style, but disappointing on what could have been more upbeat rockers.

And I think that right there sums it up for me...

Not nearly enough rock, way too much smooth.

I love the Ripps most when they are, well, Ripping. That's what drew me to them in the first place, the fusion of rock/jazz, more like rock for adults with more tastes for melodies than lyrics.

This release is missing that, in my book at least....I know they can do it, I've seen them enough for it to be proven; why can't the studio versions be more like that?

I can hear the potential for a couple tunes (#5 in particular) to be great live butt-kickers, but they certainly aren't that on the studio versions.

All that being said, I do have to give a standing ovation to Billy Heller, there are some smokin keys passages on here, he's certainly an excellent player, maybe the best so far. (Best performance on an accordion too.)
And the riffing call-and-response between Billy and Russ is a showcase for their skills....Russ still is a virtuoso player.

I guess my expectaions were too high, I mean this is great by comparison to the rest of the music industry at this time, but compared to previous Ripps efforts, it a tad dull and predictable.

Ok, haters, go ahead and jump on me, but I have to say it...this one is coming out of the cd player and it'll be a while before it gets back in- there is a lot of other music out there that gets my juices flowing, so I'd rather listen to that than music that's too much in the "mold" of smooth jazz....
I don't feel like I got burned on the purchase or anything, it's still good enough to buy and listen to occasionally, but it won't be very often.
Sorry, Russ and Co- just my honest opinion.

Later
TonyY

Hmmm....

This is so true! Karasony flat-out rocks live!!! In fact, they all do. I believe it's hard to capture that same element in the studio (or using ProTools like most musicians do now).

Nor surprisingly, two of my favorite Ripps albums are the two live ones. Coincidence? Maybe.....maybe not. Hmmm.......