🎵 AotW AOTW: Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - SUMMERTIME

[Stephen Vakil]

It has to be "The Nicest Things Happen" for me!

 

[CherryStreet]

It has to be "The Nicest Things Happen" for me!

Make that two!

BTW - Happy Holidays :bigsanta:

 

[JOv2]

Nice job Rudy -- Thanks!

 

[Rudy]

That's really cool. I had no idea that any other recordings of the song had that countermelody. It's great how Herb was able to pick that "foundation" out of those old recordings, add his own stamp and make it his own.

My only regret is that I did not find an "original" version of "Summertime" to tack onto the beginning. I think I have one on an early Polygram jazz sampler CD (called "Jazz Like You've Never Heard It Before") that featured a trumpet lead, but it's packed away right now.

 

[happycamper]

I have never owned this album, but I was recently fortunate to hear some excerpts of the tracks. This album does not compete with TJB masterpieces like Going Places, SRO and the Ninth, but each song has something interesting. I would jump at the chance to buy it.

If You Could Read My Mind is done very beautifully. I like what Herb did with the side melodies that embellish some of the in-between passages. I just wish I had never heard the vocal version of this song which has a lame, falling-out-of-love kind of theme.

Jerusalem and Catch a Falling Star are two more great arrangements. I voted for Jerusalem as my favorite on the album -- it is both mellow and powerful.

Hurts So Bad, Darlin, and Strike Up the Band provide some great entertainment and are well done. I need to hear more of the other songs before making any comment. I certainly hope it is reissued, or at least on iTunes sometime soon.

 

[Harry]

Resurrecting an old thread:

While out walking this morning, the song "Summertime" came on my portable music player, and I couldn't help but marvel at how good that particular recording sounds. Could it be the best sounding/best engineered Herb Alpert recording ever?

At first I thought maybe it was because the song was sourced from vinyl, and then I realized that when I digitized the album to CD, I probably used the SOLID BRASS CD for that track. SOLID BRASS would be the only place that "Summertime" appeared in digital format, and I have to say it sounds absolutely magnificent. Bravo to Mssrs. Alpert, Levine, and Grundman on this one!

Harry

 

[Rudy]

Resurrecting an old thread:

While out walking this morning, the song "Summertime" came on my portable music player, and I couldn't help but marvel at how good that particular recording sounds. Could it be the best sounding/best engineered Herb Alpert recording ever?

Most of that album sounds better than what preceded it. I have not yet checked the credits, but I know Gold Star was home to all of those earlier TJB albums. Could be they finally got to a different studio that had a more modern multitrack recorder and console, or Gold Star improved their technology. (Gold Star IIRC was primarily a three-track studio back in the 60s.)

It is actually an acoustic jazz recording. The background horns are overdubbed, but the bass, guitar, drums and Herb's trumpet (and the vocals) are very much in a small combo setting and sound very "live" together. I use this track a bit, from vinyl, to check my system after I make any changes, along with a few select others.

 

[Harry]

The credits (in post #1 of this old thread) list A&M Studios as the location where it was recorded. Everything is just so right about the way this record sounds.

Harry

 

[Mike]

Harry said:

SOLID BRASS would be the only place that "Summertime" appeared in digital format

Yeah, I have the Pony Canyon issue of Solid Brass and Summertime is as crisp and clear as could be posible. Tracking down the Solid Brass CD for that song alone would be worth the price of it.

Mike

 

[Captain Bacardi]

While out walking this morning, the song "Summertime" came on my portable music player, and I couldn't help but marvel at how good that particular recording sounds.

I always loved the opening of the tune, with the acoustic bass and acoustic guitar setting the groove as well as the light touch of the drums. The during Herb's trumpet solo the bass trombone in the background is the perfect compliment to the trumpet. Great tune all around!