★★★★★
Herb Alpert was there, playing a pivotal role, when fusion begat smooth-jazz. And, it seems, he's never left. From the opening "Puttin' on the Ritz" to the reworking of "The Lonely Bull," Alpert's career-igniting 1962 hit with the Tijuana Brass, Steppin' Out feels stuck in an early '80s groove. Fittingly, Jeff Lorber has been invited along. Still, as retrofitted smooth projects go, this is generally grade-A stuff...
- jazztimes.com
2014-01-22
★★★★★
This is unexpected - in lots of ways. Herb is still bashin' 'em out and, for this adventure in sound, has his talented wife along for the ride. They begin with a housed-up version of Puttin' On The Ritz and get away with it unlike anyone else two years shy of 80 could. Next up we're intoa classic slice of late-70s fusion, all pitch perfect, full of grande fromage - and great as a result.
- recordcollectormag.com
2013-12-06
★★★★★
The 1960s gave us the Beatles and the Stones, Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin. They also gave us Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Indeed, among the era's American hitmakers, few came close to matching the popularity of the TJB (none of whom were Mexican, including Alpert, who used to jokingly refer to the septet as "four lasagnas, two bagels and an American cheese"). Sure, it was fizzy, high-caloric pop, and Alpert was a solid though hardly exceptional trumpeter...
- jazztimes.com
2013-05-11
★★★★★
According to the press release this is a "masterpiece", so we approached it with some excitement. First impressions are of the glossy, slick, big-studio production of the early 80s: the sound drips from the speakers. For those expecting big Tijuana sounds, Alpert's trumpet here is less brassy (if that's possible), and used more as an instrument than a novelty accessory. Produced in Mexico, Fandango has an overriding feel of high-class post-disco Latin dance, with great changes in pace and mood...
- recordcollectormag.com
2013-04-01
★★★★★
A&M; has reissued and remastered Alpbert's Tijuana Brass-free, out-of-print, 1982 solo album Fandango. It's heavily-Latin and Mexican-influenced, and for real, unlike the vaguely tropical and relatively exotic feel of his most famous work in the '60s and '70s, it really shows off Alpert's skill as a trumpet player, and that he only got better as time went on, as one does...
- popdose.com
2013-06-25
★★★★★
Herb Alpert's landmark 1965 album, "Whipped Cream and Other Delights," remains a true lounge-music classic. Now, a whole new legion of lizards can enjoy its sizable "Delights" thanks to this fine remix effort. In truth, this was an iffy project to undertake--it's a tall order to mess with a classic. The album was both a critical and a commercial smash, winning four Grammy Awards and spending eight weeks at No. 1 on the charts. Plus, that original record still holds up 40 years after its release...
- www.soundspike.com
2010-12-20
★★★★★
For those whose 60s meant not The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix but Englebert Humperdinck and Ken Dodd, Herb Alpert, trumpet player and record company mogul, was the master of sophistication. Alpert and his Tijuana Brass were enormous, becoming the biggest-selling instrumental act in the US. In the UK, they enjoyed five top 10 albums and two top 10 singles...
- www.bbc.co.uk
2010-09-16
★★★★★
Beat diggers sometimes catch a bad case of B-siditis. First, their fingers turn red in sudden outbreaks of vinyl withdrawal. Then, they start gettingdelusional dreams about the dark side of the vinyl moon, where the true gems are buried. Soon after, their hands get too shaky to sift through the bins. Shout! Factory provides them with a rare placebo, by releasing two of Herb Alpert's "Remixes From Rise."Who? Herb Alpert. Herb Alpert, the A in A&M Records...
- rapreviews.com
2010-02-13
★★★★★
Conjuring up images ofdentists' offices, confining elevators, and other unpleasantenvironments, an ultra-mellow record like Second Wind winds upproducing the opposite of its intended effect. Herb Alpert, anunpretentious, unremarkable trumpeter who's got his lite-jazzlicks down cold, works here with fusion schlockmeister JeffLorber to concoct a sonic wet blanket of mechanized rhythms andcolorless keyboards. Whipped cheese and lesser delights? C+
- ew.com
2009-06-12
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