(click to listen)
“Tripp has just completed “Wall to Wall,” his long overdue debut album. But good things are worth waiting for, and “Wall to Wall” is a very good thing. Featuring bassist Bob Magnusson, pianist Rob Whitlock, drummer Duncan Moore and (on one cut) Peter Sprague on guitar, the eight-song release is impressive both for its fine musicianship and for this adroit saxophonist's late-blossoming skills as a composer.
Tripp penned all of the music, which ranges from charged post-bop and luminous ballads to svelte blues and a funk-tinged ditty, aptly titled “Hopalong.” In each instance, his writing is assured but never flashy, and strikes a deft balance between emotional depth and technical prowess. It's one of the most enjoyable works by a San Diego jazz artist I've heard in some time”.
George Varga
San Diego Union Tribune
October 2006
