venturaguy49
Member
is the tradition of Herb Alpert. The young Jewish lad from L.A. had challenged the entetainment community with what was regarded as 'regional music by a group that billed itself as the Tijuana Brass, and of course critics must have had a field day with it, as hardly no-one but folks from the Southwest of America were familiar with Mariachi bands (usually featured at state fairs), so it must have confused the pundits of the record industry as to what would become of a band that clearly was appealing, but Tijuana? Well, thanx to a chewing gum commerial, and the Teabury Shuffle, t.v.viewers be- came familiar with a song that was also their latest single... ("where's they from again...oh, it's that tiawanna, or whatever", but the place of 'origin' hardly mattered, as the group's founder/leader even looked 'Latin', and the sound was infectuous enough, so what if one didn't memorize their name right off, the point was that this regional outfit played the grooviest Mexican stuff around. Thusly, the T.J.B. began life by challenging the public, and then delighting it with hit after delectable hit, and within a couple of years, the 'Brass' would become completely ubiquitous, as they were just about everywhere! In his tradition of challenging audiences, T.J.B. concerts consisted of performances of material lent to far different arrangments that their studio versions, and beginning with a solo venture entitled "Just You and Me", the leader of the group that personafied 'Americachi' issued an album that seemed quirky, dark, and just the very opposite of what the cheery T.J.B. was renouned for, but then, there was"Jerusalem", which also bore that solemn quality.Today, the Alpert tradition of perplexing and yet delighting fans continues, although many of which have become disappointed that he stopped performing his funk grooves ala "Rise", but this is Herb Alpert's way: taking something apart, only to create something cool in it's stead, so we'll have to stay tuned...lol the best may yet to come.
Warm Wishes,
Steve
Warm Wishes,
Steve