In the Mood

by Herb Alpert

Overview

Although trumpeter and pop icon Herb Alpert is largely associated with his jazz, Latin, and lounge instrumentals of the '60s and '70s, he's never fully retired from the music scene. In fact, Alpert's 2013 album with wife and vocalist Lani Hall won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album. Coming on the heels of that album, Alpert's 2014 effort, In the Mood, finds the stylistically wide-ranging artist once again bringing together a mix of jazz standards, smooth pop instrumentals, and infectious original compositions. Working with his nephew, arranger/producer Randy Badazz Alpert, as well as such longtime collaborators as Bill Conti, Mike Shapiro, and Jeff Lorber, Alpert has crafted an album that perfectly updates his approach for a modern audience. Alpert was an early adopter of electronic sounds and In the Mood is no exception as it features a very club-ready, EMD reworking of the swing-era classic "Chattanooga Choo Choo." It's an iconoclastic move also echoed in his funky, hip-hop-inflected take on "Blue Moon." While Alpert always seems to be in search of new musical ground to explore, he's conversely never afraid to revisit his past, as evidenced by his electronic- and contemporary R&B-infused arrangement of his old Tijuana Brass number "Spanish Harlem." Elsewhere, Alpert teams again with Hall for several gorgeous, laid-back Latin numbers including the funky "Don't Cry," and the romantic "5 A.M." And it's not just Alpert's knack for crafting listenable, relaxing pop songs that makes In the Mood so enjoyable. Arguably, Alpert's trumpet playing has only deepened over the years and cuts here, like his poignant orchestral reading of "When Sunny Gets Blue," reveal his gift for small group jazz balladry that brings to mind a mix of Chet Baker and Harry Sweets Edison. Ultimately, whether he's digging deep into a jazz standard, or defying expectations with a breezy electronic arrangement, Alpert proves yet again he is a true pop journeyman on In the Mood. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	12/04/2015
Label:	HERB ALPERT PRESENTS
UPC:	0814647021072

Tracks

1. Chattanooga Choo Choo
2. Blue Moon
3. Zoo Train
4. Begin the Beguine
5. Don't Cry
6. Let It Be Me
7. Spanish Harlem
8. 5AM
9. Morning
10. When Sunny Gets Blue
11. Amy's Tune
12. All I Have to Do Is Dream
13. Sneaky

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Herb Alpert   Primary Artist
Paul Jackson, Jr.   Guitar
Bill Cantos   Voices
Lani Hall   Voices
Mike Shapiro   Loop Drums

Technical Credits

Harry Warren   Composer
Pierre Delanoe   Composer
Katharine Lee Bates   Composer
Roland Young   Art Direction
Brian Porizek   Packaging
Mari Falcone   Composer
Randy Alpert   Arranger,Engineer
Paul Jackson, Jr.   Musician
Jerome Kern   Composer
Bernie Grundman   Mastering
Bill Cantos   Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Musician,Producer
Brad Dutz   Musician
Boudleaux Bryant   Composer
Lani Hall   Musician,Producer
Cole Porter   Composer
Eduardo del Barrio   Arranger,Engineer,Musician
Jeff Lorber   Arranger,Composer,Engineer
Lorenz Hart   Composer
Samuel A. Ward   Composer
Hussain Jiffry   Mixing,Arranger,Musician,Producer
Mann Curtis   Composer
Clare Fisher   Composer
Ricardo Hambra   Musician
Meryl Pollen   Design
Iggy Clizovesky   Engineer
Maike Shapiro   Producer
Oliver Schnee   Musician
Hussian Jiffry   Composer
Scott Mayo   Arranger,Engineer,Musician
Jerry Leiber   Composer
Marvin Fisher   Composer
Mike Shapiro   Arranger,Engineer,Musician
Michael Shapiro   Composer
Gilbert Becaud   Composer
Herb Alpert   Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Cover Art
Phil Spector   Composer
Jamieson Trotter   Arranger,Engineer,Musician
Jack Segal   Composer
Felice Bryant   Composer
Mack Gordon   Composer
Oscar Hammerstein II   Composer
Richard Rodgers   Composer
Lani Hall Alpert   Composer