"50": New Herb Alpert album in September
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DAN BOLTON
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abstract_fan
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martin
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I have listened to the single a few times. It is another collaboration with Jeff Lorber. Maybe not the strongest of melodies, but it has a nice groove, and a pleasant sound,
- greetings from the warm north -
Martin
DAN BOLTON
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It does have a rather funky "stripped-down" Spanish Flea kind of a vibe to it...
abstract_fan
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abstract_fan
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abstract_fan
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Herb Alpert’s 50th Album Is Here. What’s Kept Him Going Places? https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/16/arts/music/herb-alpert-50th-album.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
^^That's behind a paywall, so here's the article.
Herb Alpert’s 50th Album Is Here. What’s Kept Him Going Places?
The trumpeter, now 89, is at work on albums, live shows and sculptures, driven by the joy of creating and communicating. “I don’t look back,” he said. “I go forward.”Herb Alpert said he didn’t realize he’d reached his 50th album until he had finished recording it.Credit...Jake Michaels for The New York Times
For years, Herb Alpert talked by phone with Burt Bacharach once or twice a week. One day, two years before Bacharach’s death in 2023, he called Alpert with concerning news. “He told me he had to go to the hospital to have some fluid drained from his lungs,” Alpert said. “At the time, he was working with a musician who arranged a string part for him that he really liked. So he had the guy send him the part to bring with him to the hospital, so between shots and draining, he could study it.”
“Man, he was 92 then and still studying!” Alpert exclaimed. “That’s a quality I really admire.”
It’s also one he seems to share. This week, Alpert, 89, will release his 50th album, under the title “50” even though, he pointed out, he hadn’t realized he’d reached that milestone until he finished recording. His oversight shouldn’t be surprising given his schedule. Besides the new release, Alpert has been working on two other albums, in between playing dates on a tour that lasts through the end of the year. He’s also been enjoying his second career as a sculptor, having just completed a 14-foot-tall piece for the New Orleans Jazz Museum that depicts a man playing Alpert’s instrument, the trumpet.
“People will look at it and say, ‘Is that you playing? Is it Miles Davis?’” Alpert said. “It’s nobody. I was just trying to capture the feeling of playing.”
Communicating that feeling remains his primary concern whenever he performs or writes. “There are lots of artists who try to impress other musicians with their playing,” he said. “They’ll play these dizzying things, and you say, ‘Wow that’s fabulous!’ But is it touching anyone?”
Alpert, also a sculptor, has completed a 14-foot-tall piece that depicts a man playing the trumpet. Credit...Jake Michaels for The New York Times
Over the years, Alpert’s music has touched multitudes. Since his debut album with the Tijuana Brass, “The Lonely Bull” in 1962, his sets have topped the Billboard album chart five times, generating No. 1 singles in three consecutive decades. To this day, he’s the only artist to crown the charts fronting both an instrumental track (“Rise” in 1979) and a vocal piece (“This Guy’s in Love With You,” penned by Bacharach and Hal David in 1968). In the same time frame, he and Jerry Moss co-founded and ran one of the mightiest and most respected indie labels in music history, A&M Records, which they sold in 1989 for a reported $500 million.
abstract_fan
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David S
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Here is a gift article link for y’all. Enjoy: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/16/...ytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare^^That's behind a paywall, so here's the article.
Herb Alpert’s 50th Album Is Here. What’s Kept Him Going Places?
The trumpeter, now 89, is at work on albums, live shows and sculptures, driven by the joy of creating and communicating. “I don’t look back,” he said. “I go forward.”
Herb Alpert said he didn’t realize he’d reached his 50th album until he had finished recording it.Credit...Jake Michaels for The New York Times
For years, Herb Alpert talked by phone with Burt Bacharach once or twice a week. One day, two years before Bacharach’s death in 2023, he called Alpert with concerning news. “He told me he had to go to the hospital to have some fluid drained from his lungs,” Alpert said. “At the time, he was working with a musician who arranged a string part for him that he really liked. So he had the guy send him the part to bring with him to the hospital, so between shots and draining, he could study it.”
“Man, he was 92 then and still studying!” Alpert exclaimed. “That’s a quality I really admire.”
It’s also one he seems to share. This week, Alpert, 89, will release his 50th album, under the title “50” even though, he pointed out, he hadn’t realized he’d reached that milestone until he finished recording. His oversight shouldn’t be surprising given his schedule. Besides the new release, Alpert has been working on two other albums, in between playing dates on a tour that lasts through the end of the year. He’s also been enjoying his second career as a sculptor, having just completed a 14-foot-tall piece for the New Orleans Jazz Museum that depicts a man playing Alpert’s instrument, the trumpet.
“People will look at it and say, ‘Is that you playing? Is it Miles Davis?’” Alpert said. “It’s nobody. I was just trying to capture the feeling of playing.”
Communicating that feeling remains his primary concern whenever he performs or writes. “There are lots of artists who try to impress other musicians with their playing,” he said. “They’ll play these dizzying things, and you say, ‘Wow that’s fabulous!’ But is it touching anyone?”
Alpert, also a sculptor, has completed a 14-foot-tall piece that depicts a man playing the trumpet. Credit...Jake Michaels for The New York Times
Over the years, Alpert’s music has touched multitudes. Since his debut album with the Tijuana Brass, “The Lonely Bull” in 1962, his sets have topped the Billboard album chart five times, generating No. 1 singles in three consecutive decades. To this day, he’s the only artist to crown the charts fronting both an instrumental track (“Rise” in 1979) and a vocal piece (“This Guy’s in Love With You,” penned by Bacharach and Hal David in 1968). In the same time frame, he and Jerry Moss co-founded and ran one of the mightiest and most respected indie labels in music history, A&M Records, which they sold in 1989 for a reported $500 million.
martin
Well-Known Member
That's the best thing I've heard him do in a long time. A tune usually played by a big band. Has "hit" written all over it.
abstract_fan
Well-Known Member
At this moment it's 11:44 pm on Thursday night and I'm listening to Herb's new album on Amazon. I really like it. Several keepers in here so far. I realize it's not "supposed" to be out until tomorrow, but I guess it's past midnight wherever Amazon's servers are. I feel like I've managed to sneak into the pre-release listening party undetected!
No real big surprises so far but it's got a lot of cool arrangements. REAL good piano work -- if that's you, Bill C., nice job indeed!
More thoughts later tomorrow after others weigh in.
It's kind of cool to think that, with this new album, Herb has now recorded the same number of albums since he began his "latest career" in 2011 as he did with the Tijuana Brass. (Lonely Bull through Summertime) -- 13 albums in each run.
No real big surprises so far but it's got a lot of cool arrangements. REAL good piano work -- if that's you, Bill C., nice job indeed!
More thoughts later tomorrow after others weigh in.
It's kind of cool to think that, with this new album, Herb has now recorded the same number of albums since he began his "latest career" in 2011 as he did with the Tijuana Brass. (Lonely Bull through Summertime) -- 13 albums in each run.
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Just had a quick listen to the whole album. A mixture of styles and emotions. Are You Lonesome Tonight in the same vein as the 50th anniversary version of The Lonely Bull - all sad and poignant. But three consecutive tracks that I really liked a lot - Baubles Bangles & Beads, Morning Mist and Never Too Late are all very attractive and very listenable. The opening track (which I have had for a while) is a nod to the Tijuana Brass days and very radio friendly. Not sure about Sh-Boom, though.....
Roll on album #51!
Roll on album #51!
martin
Well-Known Member
Being early up here in the east, I have had the chance to listen to "50" on Spotify, while waiting for the CD to arrive. All in all it is a really enjoyable album, though quite short, it clocks in at 32 minutes. Great arrangements and production. Herb' s playing is absolutely on top. Here are my comments on the songs:
Dancing Down 50th Street
Great opener, nice grooves, produced with Jeff Lorber
Sh-Boom
Produced with Joachim van der Saag. The arrangement has a careless, happy feel, very typical Herb Alpert, and it is in some ways reminding of the old, TJB days.
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Beautiful and expressive playing by Herb. Lovely string arrangement and playing by Bill Cantos.
Baubles, Bangles And Beals
Produced with Joachim van der Saag. A great Latin-tingled groove with a big band sounding arrangement behind Herb’s very recognizable playing. One of my clear favorites.
Morning Mist
One of Herb’s originals. A relaxed ballad in a beautiful arrangement.
Never Too Late
Written by Bill Cantos and Herb. A stompy, fun groove with many surprises. It reminds me in some ways of the TJB days, because of the musical humor.
Where Do We Go From Here
Another collaboration with Jeff Lorber. Very funky with Herb playing against a big band horn section and some great piano playing by Jeff.
Sleepwalk
A nice ballad with some original instrumentation by Joachim van der Saag featuring harp and guitars.
Corcovado
The Jobim classic presented with a slow bossa groove and acoustic guitar. Produced with Jon Gilutin. Herb makes the song his own in his unique way.
Jeanine
Great solos by Herb and the other players. Produced with Jeff Lorber.
- greetings from the north -
Martin
Dancing Down 50th Street
Great opener, nice grooves, produced with Jeff Lorber
Sh-Boom
Produced with Joachim van der Saag. The arrangement has a careless, happy feel, very typical Herb Alpert, and it is in some ways reminding of the old, TJB days.
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Beautiful and expressive playing by Herb. Lovely string arrangement and playing by Bill Cantos.
Baubles, Bangles And Beals
Produced with Joachim van der Saag. A great Latin-tingled groove with a big band sounding arrangement behind Herb’s very recognizable playing. One of my clear favorites.
Morning Mist
One of Herb’s originals. A relaxed ballad in a beautiful arrangement.
Never Too Late
Written by Bill Cantos and Herb. A stompy, fun groove with many surprises. It reminds me in some ways of the TJB days, because of the musical humor.
Where Do We Go From Here
Another collaboration with Jeff Lorber. Very funky with Herb playing against a big band horn section and some great piano playing by Jeff.
Sleepwalk
A nice ballad with some original instrumentation by Joachim van der Saag featuring harp and guitars.
Corcovado
The Jobim classic presented with a slow bossa groove and acoustic guitar. Produced with Jon Gilutin. Herb makes the song his own in his unique way.
Jeanine
Great solos by Herb and the other players. Produced with Jeff Lorber.
- greetings from the north -
Martin
abstract_fan
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Sinatra Fan in KC
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Though I haven't yet heard it - Amazon hasn't gotten it here yet - I'm actually thankful for a shorter album. Albums, IMHO, have gotten entirely too long over the past couple of decades. It's as though artists or producers want to fill up all of the space on a CD but artistically, I think the sweet spot is anything between 30 minutes on the short side and 45 minutes on the long side, which is what albums started out as in the original vinyl days.
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