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
![Rollins in Holland [The 1967 Studio & Live Recordings]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0712758040589_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Rollins in Holland [The 1967 Studio & Live Recordings]")
