Andrew Ripp

After listening to one minute of Andrew Ripp, I immediately bought several copies of his album, “Fifty Miles to Chicago”. I considered that the purchase of these albums in hard economic times was an investment in great music. I only wish I was as wise before my investment in a case of Snuggie’s. How was I to know that my family would not appreciate body-length blankets with sleeves made of synthetic fleece? I hate infomercials for taking advantage of me. Anywho…it was Andrew’s recent opening slot on tour with Dave Barnes that brought him into my music collection. My family has certainly enjoyed this replacement gift.

Andrew’s music is a perfect choice for your upcoming summer road trip. As the miles pass along you will find that tracks like “Get Your Smile On”, “The Privileged Life” and “You Got My Number” will have you grinning at your fingers as they dance on the steering wheel. Be prepared to slow things down a little because this Chicago native also has a vulnerable side as well. Soulful songs like “Dresden Wine”, “On My Way” and “Tim’s Song” will get you reflecting on love and life.

Andrew Ripp is the real deal. One listen and I guarantee you’ll be hooked. Oh, and don’t miss the solo at the end of “The Privileged Life”. Andrew rocks a kazoo. Let’s just say that I finally would be able to join an artist on stage if called upon because I too can rock the hell out of a kazoo. Life is good.

Make sure you experience the softer side of Andrew with his studio video version of the hauntingly beautiful piano-driven ”Dresden Wine”. - Fresh Scouts

You know those moments where you listen to a song and immediately start to get chills down your spine? That's my cue that an artist or a particular song resonates somewhere deep within me. Andrew Ripp's song "Dresden Wine" gave me chills. And based on the video of him playing the song live in the studio, I was introduced to his soulful, unique voice and led by the nose to the rest of his album...

Fifty Miles to Chicago has an honest spirit about it that's hard to describe. Ripp is a storyteller. And like all great storytellers, he focuses on relationships. Some romantic, some friendly, and some about the relationship with yourself, which is often the hardest one to keep.

The music on this album moves from rock to rock ballad and back again with little effort. And Ripp seems as comfortable at the piano as he is with a guitar, which proves he's got some serious music chops.

“This record really portrays who I am not only as an artist but as a person,” says Ripp of writing the album. “Honesty goes a long way because you can see right through it when somebody is slopping words on a page. And I feel like we took the time that was necessary to really work through every word.”

Ripp worked with songwriter Randy Coleman and received help from bass player Randy Coleman (formerly a member of Tonic) as producer. But this is all Ripp. He funded the album himself and recorded it in Lavery's home studio in Los Angeles. He definitely was a part of every step of the production and you can hear that in the album. Ripp brought in Pete Maloney (Dishwala, Tonic), Will Hollis (Eagles' keyboard player), and steel guitar player Eric Heywood (Ray LaMontagne). This crew can play.

As I mentioned at the beginning, my favorite song on the album is definitely "Dresden Wine", but I'm a sucker for powerful piano-driven ballads. But that's far from my only favorite on Fifty Miles to Chicago. It opens with a groove that made it difficult not to get up and dance. "Get Your Smile On" has almost a Jason Mraz-feel to it with the rhythmic cadence of the lyrics along with the guitar and drums. He doesn't stop there though, instead building into a more organic fusion of rock riffs that spill back into the lyrical flow...

"Miracle of You" feels almost like a collaboration between Sting and Jason Mraz. The music has a sweet Caribbean beat and light guitar that blends seamlessly with his unique voice and some great harmonies in places.

And "But You Saved My Life" has a sweet acoustic riff that leads into a blues/rock riff reminiscent of the classics from the 70s, right down to the organ and the groovy back-beats.

Ripp has an amazing sound on Fifty Miles to Chicago that will be tough to top. He's been playing with Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Fiction Family (Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek), Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, and others.

And as if touring and working on the album didn't keep him busy, he recently did an overseas tour playing for the troops and spends time volunteering for a group called the Art of Elysium, who uses time donated by artists (musicians, actors, and so on) to spend time with kids in hospitals to give them a boost.

If you like great rock music, Andrew Ripp should be in your collection. Be sure to check him out and pick up a copy of Fifty Miles to Chicago. - Blogcritics

"Fifty Miles To Chicago" is the debut record from - surprise - Chicago's singer/songwriter Andrew Ripp. Ripp has recruited a fine assortment of established musicians to "create an organic album reminiscent of those made in the 70s and by artists like Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, and Hank Williams". These were not the artists that came to mind as I listened to "Fifty Miles To Chicago", but there is a palpable spirit of getting down to basics so that the purity of the music and vocal can shine. Some of the notable guests on this record include producer Dan Lavery (former bass player for Tonic) and musicians Pete Maloney (Dishwalla, Tonic), keyboard player Will Hollis (Eagles), and steel guitar player Eric Heywood (Ray LaMontagne).

Andrew Ripp delivers the best of both worlds on "Fifty Miles To Chicago"; his voice is soulful and emotive, fluctuating between grit and tenderness as demanded by the lyrics, and providing perfect accompaniment whether his tune is bright and poppy or slow and sober. Things kick off with my favorite track of the bunch, the infectious and groovy "Get Your Smile On". It is hard not to do so against the backdrop of this hip, Jason Mraz style romp. Other songs, such as "Just Another Song About California" or "On My Way", feature a subtle country flavor, bordering on Jayhawks turf. You will also hear something akin to Gavin DeGraw in his more piano driven pieces, including "Tim's Song" and "The Privileged Life". Ripp sounds like a nephew of Joe Cocker on the amazing "But You Saved My Life", and then gears down for the spine-tingling closer, "Dresden Wine". This ballad builds softly with mesmerizing piano, climbing slow and sure to a dazzling climax that should leave you speechless.

If you like Ray LaMontagne, Gomez, John Mayer, then you are surely doing to dig Andrew Ripp. This guy has some serious talent and doesn't waste it on hookless, bland tunes.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11 - Bills Music Forum

This is what happens when a young, potentially gritty blues vocalist hires a former member of Tonic to produce his album: Fifty Miles to Chicago, 11 perfectly inoffensive, slightly soulful rock numbers that suggest what might happen if Rob Thomas listened to a lot of Electric Mud (and did not suck). In fact, Ripp flashes a lot of talent here, both in his vocal performances and his songwriting; it’s just a shame that Dan Lavery’s squeaky-clean production was allowed to suck all the sweat out of the recordings. As a result, although Ripp clearly has the chops to carry a warts-and-all record, Fifty Miles makes him sound like an impostor, an impression deepened by frictionless belters like “Lifeline” that drop him squarely in the driest, whitest square of Taylor Hicks Territory. In all fairness, Ripp co-produced the disc, with Randy Coleman – but it’s hard not to assume that he’s a much more entertaining, dynamic performer in a live setting, and that the decision to geld this record was made purely for commercial reasons. Here’s hoping that subsequent albums find Ripp more willing to color outside the lines, and give his songs the rough treatment they deserve. In the meantime, he’s got a lot more than 50 miles to go before he gets anywhere near Chicago – other than maybe the one that gave us “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.” (Get Ripp’d 2008) - Eat Sleep Drink Music

Another pop/rock debut from oh-eight that slipped by me! Andrew Ripp makes straightforward ‘90s-style rock and roll, for fans of Matchbox 20 or the Eagles (with whom his keyboardist has performed). In fact, it sounds a lot like Train, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Especially when it comes to his crisp, just-ragged-enough vocals and the cranking organ on “Get Your Smile On.” This is a well-produced, meticulously crafted record with songs that are well-written and easy to listen to. I’m diggin’ it! - Berkley Place

Palatine, Ill., singer-songwriter Andrew Ripp’s debut Fifty Miles to Chicago is a tale in two parts. While the album’s first half treads closely to the acoustic musings of Jason Mraz and Joshua Radin, increasingly adventurous folk and funk influences creep into the disc’s B side, lending the record unexpected eclecticism. Earnestness is the glue that binds the album, defining songs like “On My Way,” a bittersweet rumination on long-distance relationships accented by mournful, twanging guitars. - Express Milwaukee.com

Andrew Ripp is the kind of singer who can soothe you with his warm voice. He is laidback but with enough funk and strands of jazz to draw you in. Fifty Miles to Chicago is an album you are likely to hear in a good bar where the staff has enough guts to pick their own music. All the pre-programmed fluff that has been making the rounds will pale when something real comes along and that is what Andrew Ripp is: a real singer. A bit more guitar on the next one please. - Here Comes the Flood