MUSIC : Building on Some Jazz Basics : Russ Freeman blends variety of styles in creating modern sound of the Rippingtons.

The pop-based contemporary jazz sounds that emanate from Russ Freeman’s band, the Rippingtons, probably won’t immediately remind you of Duke Ellington. But surprisingly, there’s a lot of similarity between the approaches of the 34-year-old guitarist from Galveston, Tex., and the maestro.

First, both men considered the orchestra--or in Freeman’s case, his band--their chief instrument. “My contribution to music comes from the writing and the arranging,” says Freeman from his home near Colorado Springs, Colo. “Still, I’m trying to be the best guitarist I can.”

Second, like Ellington, Freeman draws on myriad musical sources--in his case, Latin, world beat, R & B, funk, pop and jazz--to drive his tuneful vehicles.

“When the band started touring the world (in the early ‘90s), I figured it was time to start opening up and really get serious, let the music from other places be part of the sound,” Freeman says. The Rippingtons, composed of Freeman, Jeff Kashiwa (saxes), Tony Morales (drums), Steve Reid (percussion), Kim Stone (bass) and David Kachansky (keyboards) appear Saturday at the Universal Amphitheatre.

The crack drummer Morales, who has been with Freeman since the guitarist was playing the Baked Potato in North Hollywood in the mid-’80s, loves the fact that the band plays with an African influence on one tune, a Brazilian feel on another.

“I couldn’t play one style all night,” he says.

And while Freeman’s music seems as far from Ellington’s as Los Angeles is from Sydney, his compositions--like Ellington’s--are deceptively simple. They often seem to be light and fluffy but reveal more depth on a repeat hearing.

“The Rippingtons’ sound is fairly dense. There’s a lot of counterpoint,” says Freeman, who studied composition with Walter Scharf at UCLA in 1979. “I’ve actually always thought of the band as a classical chamber orchestra except with six guys, a modern sound and 20th-Century technology.”

A Rippingtons show is very upbeat, with the members smiling and dancing as they play. And, at times, Kashiwa will head into the crowd, playing face-to-face with fans. Ellington wasn’t this unabashed a crowd-pleaser, but he still played his chestnuts--”Satin Doll,” “Sophisticated Lady” and so forth--every night, and for many years relied on tenor saxophone great Paul Gonsalves to rouse fans with his heated solo on the classic “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue.”

“An audience wants to be entertained,” says Freeman. “The fans want to feel like they’re part of something, that they can contribute to the experience on some other level than just auditory, or in the third person. And this tour, we’re going more interactive by passing out percussion instruments at shows.”

The Rippingtons, whose latest album is “Sahara,” have achieved a solid degree of popularity, with album sales in the 200,000 range. Freeman is asked if he would stick with his pop-based style if he weren’t selling so many albums.

“I’m happy we are able to do something I love to do,” he says. “And the love comes not from the commercial success but from the fact that I love playing. And if we really wanted to sell records, why not go into rap or heavy metal? It’s easier to sell 500,000 albums there than it is doing this.”

WHERE AND WHEN

What: The Rippingtons and guitarist Norman Brown.

Location: Universal Amphitheatre, 100 Universal Parkway, Universal City.

Hours: 8:15 p.m. Saturday.

Price: $25-$34.50, plus facility fee and handling charge.

Call: For tickets, (818) 777-3931 or (213) 432-4800; for information, (818) 980-9421.