Steppin' Out

by Lani Hall, Herb Alpert

Overview

Trumpeter and pop music icon Herb Alpert and his wife, former Brasil '66 vocalist Lani Hall, have recorded and performed together a few times since meeting over 43 years ago. However, it wasn't until 2007 that the duo began touring and performing regularly. In 2009, they released the album Anything Goes, which found them interpreting standards and Brazilian music. They followed that album up with 2011's I Feel You, which continued in the jazz, Brazilian, and Latin music vein, adding in more contemporary pop songs. Alpert and Hall's 2013 release, Steppin' Out, also features a warm collection of songs that hit upon all the stylistic touchstones of their careers, from '60s novelty instrumentals to Latin music, Brazilian bossa nova, smooth jazz, and American popular song standards. Once again joining Alpert and Hall here is their touring ensemble featuring pianist/keyboardist Bill Cantos, drummer/percussionist Michael Shapiro, and bassist Hussain Jiffry. Steppin' Out also reunites Alpert with keyboardist Jeff Lorber, who appeared on Alpert's 1997 album, Passion Dance, and who produced his 1996 album, Second Wind. Generally speaking, Steppin' Out is the most stylistically varied of the three Alpert/Hall albums, moving from an electronic/dance reworking of "Puttin' on the Ritz" to the atmospheric orchestral ballad "I Only Have Eyes for You," Hall's poignant interpretation of Irving Berlin's "What'll I Do?," a dramatic symphonic take on Astor Piazzolla's 1982 nuevo tango masterpiece "Oblivion," and the smooth funk of the Alpert/Lorber original "Migration." The album even ends with Alpert revisiting his 1963 Tijuana Brass breakthrough hit "The Lonely Bull," this time with additional orchestral and electronic flourishes that sound less '60s lounge pad and more contemporary James Bond action movie theme, accented by Alpert's Miles Davis-influenced soloing. Ultimately, Steppin' Out represents not just the third album in a trilogy, but a loving creative partnership that, for Alpert and Hall, spans a lifetime. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	12/04/2015
Label:	HERB ALPERT PRESENTS
UPC:	0814647021034

Tracks

1. Puttin' on the Ritz

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Herb Alpert   Primary Artist,Trumpet
Lani Hall   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Jeff Lorber   Guitar,Keyboards
Ramon Stagnaro   Guitar (Acoustic)
Michael Shapiro   Drums,Percussion
Bill Cantos   Keyboards
Nick Glennie-Smith   Conductor
Hussain Jiffry   Bass
Coco Triuisonno   Bandoneon
Eduardo del Barrio   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Jeff Lorber   Composer,Producer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Mick Guzauski   Mixing
Art Pepper   Composer
Tom Coster   Composer
Astor Piazzolla   Composer
Herb Alpert   Composer,Producer,Cover Art
Carl Sigman   Composer
Sol Lake   Composer
Bernie Grundman   Mastering Engineer
Bill Cantos   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist,Orchestration
Lani Hall   Producer
Irving Berlin   Composer
Edith Piaf   Composer
Carlos Santana   Composer
Eduardo del Barrio   Arranger,Orchestration
Ziggy Elman   Composer
Hoagy Carmichael   Composer
Al Dubin   Composer
Harry Warren   Composer
Louis Guglielmi   Composer
Roland Young   Design
Alan Myerson   Mixing,Engineer
Mari Falcone   Arranger,Orchestration
Sheryl Lorence   Assistant
Randy Alpert   Producer
Charles G. Dawes   Composer
Hussain Jiffry   Engineer
Ruben Fuentes Gasson   Composer
Iggy Elizabesky   Engineer
Meryl Pollen   Design