Russ Freeman (born February 11, 1960) is a smooth jazz guitarist who is the founder and leader of The Rippingtons.

Two years later, he moved to Los Angeles, where he found work playing for commercials and with vocalists Engelbert Humperdinck and Anne Murray.

[3] The first version of the band included David Benoit, Gregg Karukas, Brandon Fields, Kenny G, and Dave Koz.

By 1993, The Rippingtons had solidified into a sextet of Freeman, Jeff Kashiwa on saxophone, Dave Kochanski on keyboards, Kim Stone on bass guitar, Tony Morales on drums, and Steve Reid on percussion.

A record producer and arranger, Freeman also plays bass guitar, keyboards, and drums.