by Jonathan WidranHaving quit his longtime gig with the Rippingtons in early 1999 to focus on his own career, saxman Jeff Kashiwa's Native Language debut, Another Door Opens, is a true sink or swim proposition. Fortunately, he's not totally a babe in the woods; he has a legion of loyal Rippingtons fans who might be curious to check out his new stuff, as well as the smaller following of his own band, Coastal Access, built over preceding years while doing numerous gigs in Southern California. More importantly, the saxman brings two crucial legacies from his tenure with the Ripps: first, the tutelage of mentor Russ Freeman and, second, the forging of an amazing creative partnership with Ripps keyboardist Dave Kochanski, who co-produced Another Door Opens and wrote four songs, including the brassy, swaying retro-funk-flavored"Hyde Park (The 'Ah, Ooh' Song)" on which Kashiwa winds a catchy lead melody over flowing brass embellishments, an infectious, soaring female backing vocals, and reoccurring snappy acoustic guitar licks from Marc Antoine....