Player of a soft and ripe interpretation (5)

I believe the answer is:

piper

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'player' is the definition.
(piper is a kind of player)

I don't understand the rest of the clue.

(Other definitions for piper that I've seen before include "Wind instrumentalist" , "Musical blower" , "Highland instrumentalist" , "Highland musician" , "Scots musician" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app