AOTW: Herb Alpert & Hugh Masekela (SP-728)

[Captain Bacardi]

Herb Alpert & Hugh Masekela
HERB ALPERT/HUGH MASEKELA
A&M/Horizon SP-728

Released 1978

Format: Vinyl/CD/8-Track/Cassette

Produced by Stewart Levine, Herb Alpert and Caiphus Semenya
Associate Producer: Hugh Masekela

Songs:

• 1. Skokiaan (P.D. Arranged by Caiphus Semenya - Hugh Masekela - Herb Alpert) 3:37
  2. Moonza (Caiphus Semenya - Herb Alpert) 4:38
  3. Ring Bell (George Weiss - Jerry Ragavoy) 3:24
  4. Happy Hanna (Hotep Cecil Barnard - Caiphus Semenya) 4:58
  5. Lobo (Edu Lobo) 7:20
  6. African Summer (Caiphus Semenya) 3:20
  7. I'll Be There For You (Caiphus Semenya) 7:05

Musicians:
Herb Alpert - Flugelhorn and Trumpet
Hugh Masekela - Flugelhorn
James Gadson - Drums
Chuck Domanico - Bass
Lee Ritenour - Guitar
Freddie Harris - Guitar
Arthur Adams - Guitar, Solo on "I'll Be There For You"
Hotep Cecel Barnard - Piano
Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion
Caiphus Semenya - Piano
Ian Underwood - Synthesizers
Louis Johnson - Bass (1)
Craig Hindley - Synthesizer (4)
Carlos Vega - Drums (5)
Michael Boddicker - Synthesizer (6)
Spider Webb - Drums (6)

HORNS:
Donald W. Cooke - Trombone
George Bohanon - Trombone
Sidney Isaac Muldrow - French Horn
Marilyn L. Robinson - French Horn
Maurice Spears - Bass Trombone

BACKGROUND VOCALS:
Letta Mbulu, Lani Hall, Caiphus Semenya, Hugh Masekela and Herb Alpert

Horns Arranged by Caiphus Semenya
Orchestration by Donald Cooke
Strings Arranged by Jimmy Jones
String Concert Master: Gerald Vinci

Recorded at A&M Recording Studios, Hollywood, California
Engineered by Don Hahn
Assistant Engineers: John Beverly Jones and Derek Dunann
Mastered at A&M Recording Studios by Bernie Grundman

Art Direction: Roland Young
Photography: Front Cover and Innersleeve - Roland Young/Back Cover - Bonnie Schiffman
Design: Chuck Beeson

This is the only Horizon album that Herb Alpert was on, the first Horizon album that John Snyder was not involved with, and the last time the yellow & orange label was used for a Horizon album.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Rudy]

I've got the music book for this album. Interesting to read along to the music. I rank this album right up there with "Fandango" as one of the best post-TJB albums.

 

[Steven J. Gross]

I would call the two albums Herb and Hugh made- very disjointed and a tough listen. It is NOT Herb's worst, and there are a few hot spots, but I would put it in the "not so good" catagory. I saw the tour live in LA in '78. Forgetable.

 

[Dave]

* * * * -- While it may be a unique showcase of the merging of two unique talents, each legends in their own way, it is a bit more essential for either collectors of Alpert's works or the Masekela completists, rather than just ANY listener...

Good, well-chosen material, but I kind of wish the two could have done, perhaps, an improvised version of either of their "earlier-claims to fame", such as a "mechanical-Lonely Bull", "a modern-Tijuana Taxi", "a newer-Taste Of Honey" or "some other type of-Grazin' In The Grass", just to name a few...

Still, it's good listening after a countless number of plays and certainly any one or two of the songs could have made it onto a compilation, by either Hugh or Herb...


Dave

 

[Harry]

I too find this one a fascinating listen, and it brings back some memories.

In 1978, Herb Alpert was pretty much yesterday's news as far as the pop music scene was considered. His Tijuana Brass glory days were over, disco was the in thing, and anything without a driving beat just wasn't 'cool.'

I recall giving the HERB ALPERT • HUGH MASEKELA album a listen and being surprised at how much I liked it. Once I heard the driving beat, I initially figured I'd be disappointed, but I kept going and it snuck up on me.

I recall hearing "Lobo" and deciding that it should have been a hit single. Deciding to try my own hand at editing with my old reel-to-reel tape recorder, I whittled it down to around 3:30, though my edit was decidedly different than the commercial one that later DID come out on a 12" sampler.

I recall wandering into a downtown Philly record store that year and hearing the HERB ALPERT • HUGH MASEKELA album blasting from the store's speaker system, with the patrons and staff all 'grooving' to the record. This was my first clue that Herb might be tapping into a different demographic from before. This was confirmed with the next album RISE, which also got great support from the R&B crowd.

This remains my one and only album on the Horizon imprint of A&M, as I just never cared much for the more hard-core Jazz.

One track on the album preceded it - "African Summer." That one had appeared on a single earlier (with "The You In Me" on the other side).

I was happy to find the 12" vinyl sampler from the album not too long after its release. It was another that was rescued from the radio station's throwaway pile, and it contains three songs edited down to more managable lengths for radio:

Skokiaan (3:25)
Happy Hanna (3:15)
Lobo (3:25)

The same three are repeated on the flip side in mono.

Later on in the '80s, I was thrilled to find the album on CD, and it was the first 'digipak' I'd ever encountered.

Harry
NP: HERB ALPERT • HUGH MASEKELA

 

[mikeargo]

I admit I really haven't listened to this album in years, but it's still surprising to me how much of it still floats around in my head and resurfaces from time to time in the ongoing, chaotic mix of HA tunes that run in my day-to-day mental background...especially "Skokiaan," a really happy song.

Bought this one when it came out; the latest HA music we had at the time was Just You & Me. What a contrast! I remember wondering what in the world Herb was up to with such a dramatic change from his last project. As with many other styles, Herb was way ahead of his time with the Hugh Masekela collaborations. It would be another decade before acts like King Sunny Ade & other Afro-Pop sounds would really penetrate the mass American audience.

Mike A

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I remember thinking just how good it was to have Herb back on the radio again, with SKOKIAAN and HAPPY HANNAH both being featured on SOUL TRAIN. These songs really paved the way for RISE. Also, the two Alpert/Masakela albums established Herb as a jazz musician. Very important, indeed!


Dan

 

[Mr Bill]

I would call the two albums Herb and Hugh made- very disjointed and a tough listen. It is NOT Herb's worst, and there are a few hot spots, but I would put it in the "not so good" catagory. I saw the tour live in LA in '78. Forgetable.

I have to disagree with you, Steve. For me this ranks up among the "more listened to" of my Alpert collection. Admittedly as a newcomer to jazz at the time it did take some time to warm up to it.

I also attended the LA Roxy show (I believe the first of the four shows anyway). All in all a very strange evening for me having totalled my parent's car the afternoon and taking a date (Hi Tracy) from work (Arby's) who'd never heard of Herb Alpert...

--Mr Bill

 

[Murray]

I found this LP at a used record store last year. I had never heard of Hugh Masakela before, but figured since Herb was on it that it should be worth a listen. It turned out to be the best $8.00 I ever spent! There are some very catchy tunes on there, and I like the African influences.

Back in 1978, I was into Maynard Ferguson and Chuck Mangione, so I know that I would have loved this album had I heard it then.

Murray
...giving it *****...

 

[Rudy]

True on the comments above: this one lets Alpert "stretch" into jazz, African (or "world music"), and even the latest beat of the day, without fully cashing in to pop success. Great supporting cast of musicians also. I played it quite a bit when it came out and it still gets a spin here every so often. I also found it interesting that "Main Event Live" featured all new tracks, rather than re-recordings of the songs from the first album or earlier TJB albums--that one was also a favorite.

Also a neat coincidence that about a decade earlier, they both had consecutive #1 singles on the Billboard chart, Herb with "This Guy's In Love With You" and Hugh with "Grazing In The Grass".

 

[Rudy]

Back in 1978, I was into Maynard Ferguson and Chuck Mangione, so I know that I would have loved this album had I heard it then.

Which Maynard era? I have the Mosaic 10-CD box set of his Roulette sides, but that's quite different from his more commercial Columbia era (which I have some favorites of also).

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I have this, but haven't listened to it in years either. I should give it another shot. I remember liking "Skokiaan" the best, it was a good leadoff track.

 

[Steven J. Gross]

I do have the CD- never listened to it, so I will give it a "spin"(?) later. Maybe it will refamiliarize myself to it. neeye:
( I have the studio album on CD- not the "Live"- was that released as a CD? Must be rare, if so.)
Maybe Herb's mustache was the problem!

 

[Mr Bill]

Correct, Steve... Main Event Live was not released on CD. It would be nice if it got CD treatment in this upcoming crop of Shout!Factory re-releases, though.

--Mr Bill

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Isn't it amazing how an album can come out of a chance phone call? For those who may have forgotten, that's exactly how this album came to be. Herb had produced an album by South African songstress Letta Mbulu and was intrigued by the rhythms of that music, and thought there was something instinctive with that music and what he had tried doing with the TJB. But Herb was stumped and decided to call his friend Stewart Levine, who had produced albums by the Crusaders as well as Hugh Masekela. Masekela just happened to be staying at Levine's home and answered the phone. At first it was just a "hi, how are you?" type of call, but after a while Herb begun to think of the pairing of hornmen and they got together later that afternoon and laid the groundwork for this album. (This was compiled from the A&M press kit as well as a couple of interviews.)

As for the album itself, this is clearly one of my favorites of Herb's. It was such a departure from the TJB sound and forced Herb to open up a bit more on trumpet. I think this was a very important step and album for Herb that led to a more diverse sound in future albums.

"Skokiaan" is just a pure thrill to listen to, especially if you've heard other versions of this song, which is rather old. Just hearing the guitar work of Lee Ritenour is pretty amazing. This song is robust and exciting with a driving rhythm. The solos of Herb & Hugh start strong, although it dies down a bit at the end. "Moonza" is another gorgeous song. I loved listening to this in the headphones, just to hear the guitar parts. Like others, my favorite song was "Lobo", which got a LOT of airplay on jazz stations in '78. Again, the rhythm section is just so tight, yet there are some elegant things happening as well, such as Tommy Tedesco's acoustic guitar work, and the combination of Carlos Vega's drums and Paulinho Da Costa's percussion. "Happy Hanna" is another favorite, and I think contains Herb's better solo work.

Herb once said that this album wasn't about the battle of the trumpet vs the flugelhorn, but rather a dialogue between two musicians. I remember being completely surprised when this album came out, since I hadn't heard anything about its upcoming release. I remember thinking "What the hell are these two guys doing together?", but it turned out to be a perfect pairing. It sounds as if the musicians had a great time making this album. When the doldrums of winter come to an end and springtime hits (which is usually in early March for me) I find that this album is perfect to listen to when enjoying the sunshine.


Capt. Bacardi
...thinking that anyone who doesn't like this album has a dead soul, online...

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Fittingly, I just happened to buy Hugh Masekela's autobiography a few days ago titled Still Grazing - The Musical Journey of Hugh Masekela, which is a very interesting book. Masekela went through a lot of racial turbulance throughout his life, which provided a lot of musical material for Hugh. I haven't finished reading the whole thing yet, but have come across his memories of recording with Herb Alpert. According to Masekela there were 10 songs recorded for the album, which means there's 3 unreleased tracks floating around somewhere. As for the tour, here's what he had to say:

We played medium-sized clubs all over the country. I was completely crazy on this tour, drinking, smoking (pot), and partying like a pirate. That Herb Alpert was able to stomach my insane behavior without coming down on me still boggles my mind, but he was enjoying the camaraderie of the great musicians we were playing with. More than that, he was able to talk a lot of jazz shop with all of us. For a long time Herb had been perceived as a multimillionaire who played mariachi-flavored pop Muzak and knew very little about other contemporary music. On the contrary, not only was he responsible for guiding A&M Records to become one of the world's top music companies, but he was able to bring to the label unknown artists who became major icons in the industry: the Carpenters, Paul Williams, the Brothers Johnson, Sergio Mendes, Joan Armatrading, Quincy Jones, and the Tijuana Brass. But people who considered themselves jazz purists liked to attack him. One night Herb and I went to catch a Joe Williams performance at the Century Plaza Hotel near Beverly Hills. Between sets, Joe came over to our table and started to put Herb down by claiming that he "wasn't really happening." I was more embarassed for Joe than for Herb, because I thought he was being picky, petty, and perhaps a tad jealous. Herb was actually an avid scholar of jazz, with one of the richest libraries of the genre, a very keen student with a sincere desire to excel in it. This tour gave him a chance to spread his wings and stretch out.

Apparently, Masekela was going through a lot of soul-searching at this time and was struggling to deal with it. Prior to doing the Main Event - Live! album Hugh said that "to anesthetize the pain, all that really mattered to me was the procurement of as much good cocaine, pu**y, alcohol, and smoke as I could possibly consume, only to wake up wherever I had gone down and to start all over again." He continues:

When Herb Alpert suggested we bring back Caiphus and Stewart to produce our next album, I replied glibly, "No, we can do it ourselves." I was so high I wasn't even listening to what I was saying. In fact, I was on my way to score some cocaine and then meet with one or another of the women I was seeing at the time. I believe Herb Alpert was optimistic about my possibly changing my life as time went by, thinking that I would finally realize the opportunity he had opened up for our potential as a duo. Herb was not only overly accommodating, but also unreasonably generous, trying his utmost to see that Jonas and I were always comfortable. We were living in giant chalets at the Chateau Marmont, and had a 24-hour limousine service and an unlimited expense account - we were truly living the life. I was just taking, giving nothing in return. We finally got around to producing the album. After spending about six weeks in the studio, Main Event, a simulated live-performance recording, could best be described as a damp squid.

Kind of a harsh self-review of a pretty good album, but it does show the type of gluttony the 70's was for a lot of performers.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I gotta remember that term, "damp squid"...it really doesn't apply to the album at all, but it IS a colorful image...

Dan

 

[Rudy]

As for the album itself, this is clearly one of my favorites of Herb's. It was such a departure from the TJB sound and forced Herb to open up a bit more on trumpet. I think this was a very important step and album for Herb that led to a more diverse sound in future albums.

I also heard a very distinct change in Herb's trumpet playing starting with this album. More so in the improvising.

"Skokiaan" is just a pure thrill to listen to, especially if you've heard other versions of this song, which is rather old. Just hearing the guitar work of Lee Ritenour is pretty amazing. This song is robust and exciting with a driving rhythm. The solos of Herb & Hugh start strong, although it dies down a bit at the end. "Moonza" is another gorgeous song. I loved listening to this in the headphones, just to hear the guitar parts. Like others, my favorite song was "Lobo", which got a LOT of airplay on jazz stations in '78.

"Lobo" and "Skokiaan" are my favorites. Typical Herb Alpert touch, though, to put a new spin on an old long-lost song, too.

In fact, I'm about to listen to "Zanzibar", another Edu Lobo song...by Earth Wind & Fire.

 

[Brasil_Nut]

Absolutely 100% amazing and original...this is one of my favorite Herb Alpert albums of all time. Just about played the grooves off of it in High School and thereafter. Not to be outdone by the follow-up Live album with the same pair, standouts (for me) would be "Skokiaan" and "Lobo," not to mention "Moonza" and "I'll Be There For You".

Great album all the way around the board...a definite bit of magic from two sensational, amazing artists.

Jon

 

[W.B.]

I do remember this album in the record collection of the summer camp I stayed in during the summers of the late 1970's. Didn't hear much of it then, but I do recall the A&M/Horizon label design at the time.

 

[martin]

I always enjoyed the Alpert/Masekela album and was able to get it on CD from Japan a few years back. I considered it at first as a natural continuation of the TJB era: Herb turning from the latin/mariachi influence to African music. He was indeed ahead of his time, yes. I never cared all that much for "Main Event" and it was the only LP I missed when it came out. Thanks to Harry, I was able to get hold of a copy shortly after discovering this site. The reflections from Hugh Masekela was a very interesting read, thanks to the Captain for providing that.

- greetings from the cold north -

Martin

 

[Stephen Vakil]

It's interesting how varied the opinions are on this album. This is one of my favourite Alpert albums and is one of the ones I play most. It's interesting to hear the different styles of the two musicians; for every note Alpert takes to say something, Masekela seems to need 23!

The best tracks for me are (in this order) Moonza, Lobo and I'll Be There For You.

10/10!

 

[Jay Maynes/Juan Oskar]

After reading Masekela's comments, it shows that "uncle" is a very classy guy. JO

 

[Captain Bacardi]

After reading a bit more of the book, it seems that Masekela was almost on the A&M roster in late '73. Herb had been in contact with Hugh's producer Stewart Levine at this time and had heard some of the sessions that Hugh was doing and offered some ideas to enhance the production. Levine, however, was not keen on Herb's suggestions and instead made a deal with Blue Thumb Records and released the albums Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz and I Am Not Afraid, both of which are excellent albums by Masekela!

It's been mentioned that Masekela followed Alpert's "This Guy's In Love With You" on the charts in 1968 with "Grazing In The Grass". Another parallel is that in the August 29, 1974 issue of Rolling Stone there is a review of Herb's You Smile - The Song Begins followed by a review of Hugh's I Am Not Afraid. Both got great reviews from the RS staff.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Masekela mentioned that MAIN EVENT was a "simulated" live recording. Pretty amazing...I always thought it WAS a live recording. It sure is a great simulation.