Topaz (The Rippingtons album)

Topaz
Studio album by The Rippingtons
Released	May 18, 1999
Recorded	1999
Genre	Jazz, smooth jazz
Length	48:55
Label	Windham Hill / Peak
Producer	Russ Freeman
The Rippingtons chronology
The Best of The Rippingtons (1997) Topaz (1999) Life in the Tropics (2000)

Topaz is the 10th studio album by the American jazz group The Rippingtons. It was released in 1999 for the Windham Hill label. The album reached No. 2 on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Russ Freeman

CD

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Taos"	5:53
2.	"Summer Lovers"	4:40
3.	"Spirits in the Canyon"	5:01
4.	"Under a Spanish Moon"	4:18
5.	"Temple of the Sun"	4:45
6.	"Stories of the Painted Desert"	4:42
7.	"Snakedance"	4:21
8.	"Led Here By An Eagle"	5:20
9.	"Topaz: Gem of the Setting Sun"	4:57
10.	"Rain"	4:58
Total length:		48:55

Personnel

The Rippingtons

• Russ Freeman – keyboards (1, 2, 3, 5-8), acoustic guitar (1, 6, 10), classical guitar (1, 4, 5, 7), bajo sexto (1, 6), bass (1, 2, 6, 8, 10), guitar (2, 3), electric guitar (4, 6, 8, 9)
• Bill Heller – keyboards (1, 2, 3, 5-10), organ (9), grand piano (10)
• Kim Stone – bass (3, 4, 7)
• David Hooper – drums (1, 2, 3, 5-10), percussion (7, 9)

Guest Musicians

• David Kochanski – acoustic piano (3, 4)
• Tom Gannaway – flamenco guitar (4)
• Tony Morales – drums (4)
• Steve Reid – percussion (4)
• Robert Tree Cody – pito (1, 6, 8)
• Paul Taylor – alto saxophone (3), soprano saxophone (5, 10)

Production

• Russ Freeman – producer, executive producer, arrangements, recording, mixing
• Andi Howard – executive producer, management
• Patrick Clifford – A&R
• Nick Sodano – recording, mixing
• Doug Sax – mastering

Charts

Chart (1997)	Peak position
US Billboard Jazz Albums	4

External links

• The Rippingtons-Topaz at Discogs
• The Rippingtons-Topaz at AllMusic
• The Rippingtons Official Website