Herb Alpert trumpeting new album on tour heading for Iowa City

Two months ago Taylor Swift became the first recording artist to have four albums on the Billboard Top Ten at the same time in nearly 60 years. Just after accomplishing this rare feat, the pop icon received a note and a TikTok video message from the last musician able to say the same.

Trumpet playing pioneer and the former head of A&M Records Herb Alpert congratulated Swift.

“I was more than happy to do so,” Alpert said while calling from his Los Angeles home. “I think Taylor is very smart and talented. She’s a good person and she really knows her audience. She’s very gifted.”

Alpert, 88, would know, since the former leader of Tijuana Brass has played and worked with some of the greatest recording artists in pop music history. Alpert was close friends with composer Burt Bacharach and jazz icons Stan Getz and Miles Davis, among many other top-tier talents.

The Carpenters, The Police, Cat Stevens and Janet Jackson are some of the legendary artists who were part of A&M Records, which Alpert formed in 1962 with his business partner, Jerry Moss.

“I've been around some of the greatest musicians,” Alpert said. “Miles Davis was the best jazz bop musician ever. Miles understood how to do it. And then there is the Police and Sting, who is a wonderful human being. Sting was a jazz bassist before he formed The Police. No one ever replicated the sound of the Police, since they can't capture the special feeling that band had.”

Alpert wasn’t just the head honcho of a thriving label. He is an accomplished musician who enjoyed great success. Alpert sold more than 70 million albums and has 14 platinum records. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's 1965 album, “Whipped Cream & Other Delights,” was so popular it was the number one album of 1966 and outsold The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and The Rolling Stones.

The eight-time Grammy Award winner recently completed his 42nd album, “Wish Upon a Star,” which will be released Friday, Sept. 15. The album’s tunes include versions of Jerry Reed’s “East Bound and Down,” The Beatles' “And I Love Her” and Elvis Presley’s “(Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame.”

“I remember watching the movie ‘Smokey and the Bandit,’ and Jerry Reed is in the movie and his song (East Bound and Down), I couldn't get the melody out of my mind,” Alpert said. “But I’m like that with some movies like (1954’s) ‘Spellbound,’ which I saw when I was a kid. I couldn’t get that melody out of my head.”

In Iowa City

Alpert will perform cuts from “Wish Upon a Star” and other favorites when he performs Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City.

“I still love going out on the road,” he said. “There’s nothing like it.”

Vocalist Lani Hall, his wife of nearly 50 years, will join him.

“When I met Lani I met an angel,” Alpert said. “We’re opposites but it works.”

Star power

The eight-time Grammy winner should embark on a spoken word tour since his experiences should be detailed. Among those anecdotes is working with the late Karen Carpenter.

“I loved working with Karen,” he said. “She had an amazing voice that so many people loved. Karen was an amazing drummer.”

Alpert also marveled at Janet Jackson’s talent.

“Janet was obviously in Michael Jackson’s shadow and then she released ‘Control,’ ” Alpert said. “That's an incredible album with amazing production by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Janet can sing, dance and do everything — and is a wonderful person on top of it.”

However, the Sex Pistols were not so nice. A week after the British punk rock band signed with A&M in 1976, Alpert dropped the act.

“I didn’t like their energy or their vibe,” he said. “I didn’t care how much money we could have made with them. I didn’t want them on our label. They were phony. I had no time for that.”

It was a two-way street with A&M, which was an artist-friendly label.

“When we had Waylon Jennings in 1964, I tried to make him a little more pop, but he wanted to remain country,” Alpert said. “I let him out of his deal and he was surprised. I did it because it was best for him. I knew he was going to be a big star but I tried to do the right thing.”

Alpert also knew that a fledgling comic, who opened for him in 1963 was going to be a star.

“That unknown comedian was George Carlin,” Alpert said. “This was back when Carlin was in a suit and tie with short hair. He was doing the (Hippie Dippie) weatherman bit. But he was very funny and smart.”

Right around that time Alpert became close friends with Burt Bacharach, the legendary composer and pianist who died in February at age 94.

“I would talk with Burt two to three times a week and you know what we would usually talk about? Sports. But we would also talk music, too,” Alpert said. “I remember when he went into the hospital to have fluid drained from his lungs. You know what he did? He asked for a score that someone sent him so he could study the score while he was in the hospital. Burt cared so much about music his entire life.”

Alpert is just as passionate about music.

“I’ve loved it ever since I was a kid and I still feel so strongly about my work,” he said.

And he shows no sign of slowing down. Alpert, who enjoys the dark humor of Carlin, joked about his advanced age during this interview.

“How do you know this isn’t a seance,” he cracked.

Long live, Alpert.