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Biography
March 11, 2009
Herb Alpert Program
Bio – Approved by Herb Alpert
Musician. Artist. Producer. Composer. Music
executive.
To multitudes of music fans,
Herb Alpert is the trumpet-playing icon whose name
instantly brings to mind memorable songs that he
recorded either as the leader of the legendary
Tijuana Brass or as a solo artist yielding 5 #1
hits, 8 Grammy awards, 14 Platinum and 15 Gold
albums – totaling 72 million albums sold
worldwide.
To a global circle of musicians
Alpert's distinct, relaxed instrumental sound
makes him a favorite. Trumpet players are
especially aware of his unique musical expression
. “You hear 3 notes and you know it’s Herb Alpert”
said Miles Davis. “He gets right to the point of
what he’s playing,” remarked Wynton Marsalis,
“very melodic and nothing extraneous.”
To
the entire music business A&M Records was the most
successful independent record label in the world
founded by Herb and his partner Jerry Moss. In
1990 they sold the company as a tide of corporate
takeovers swept the industry.
A lover of
jazz since childhood Alpert has added his unique
style and sound to many of his solo jazz albums
over the years. He has worked with such notable
musicians as Hugh Masekela, Shorty Rogers and Pete
Jolly and has played with the legendary Louis
Armstrong. Alpert has also produced and played
with Gato Barbieri and the great Stan Getz.
All of these high profile achievements only
begin to define the generous extent of Alpert’s
creative spirit. The litany of Alpert’s
accomplishments also include:
Abstract
expressionist artist of respect and critical
renown: his canvases and sculptures are praised
for defining a flowing, visual vocabulary of their
own.
Broadway producer with a talent for
choosing prize-winning theater: He has helped
bring to Broadway Tony Kushner’s “Angels in
America,” Arthur Miller’s “Broken Glass,” August
Wilson’s “Seven Guitars,” and Gregory Hines’s
“Jelly’s Last Jam.
Philanthropist with a
hands-on approach: The Herb Alpert Foundation
funds arts and education programs and activities
selected by Alpert and his wife Lani for their
effectiveness and creative spirit.
Tracing
Alpert’s career a consistent creative imperative
serves as the logic and link between a diverse and
vast range. When recently asked about his musical
inspiration he says, “My love for jazz is rooted
in its spontaneity and its never ending search for
personal truth and creative freedom. It is with
that freedom that we’re doing these tours, playing
original arrangements of classic American
standards with the color of Brasilian music
scattered throughout, hopefully creating an
exciting and unique musical blend without ever
closing the space for spontaneity.”
Alpert
is a creative force with the spirit of imagination
and curiosity that inspires and lifts us to feel
the joy and depth of his incomparable musical
signature.
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