Herb Alpert on his 50th album, signing the Carpenters and playing with the Tijuana Brass in Augusta

Caption

President Barack Obama awards the 2012 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.

Credit: Courtesy of Obama White House Archives

Who can forget that sound? It's the mellow trumpet of Herb Alpert — a sound many of us have heard throughout our lives.

From mixing mariachi stylings with big band boom on "The Lonely Bull" to singing the lush Burt Bacharach ballad "This Guy's in Love with You" and groovin' up the charts with the 1979 instrumental "Rise" (later sampled in the 1996 Notorious B.I.G. hit "Hypnotize"), Herb Alpert's music has touched generations, and his latest tour spotlights his 50th album, 50, released in 2024.

Although he rose to fame in the swingin' 1960s fronting the smooth orchestrations of the Tijuana Brass, Alpert — who turns a young 90 years old next month — admits he's never been a soloist who showboats.

"You know, I think there are a lot of musicians that try to wow you," he told GPB in a Zoom call from his home in Malibu. "They have a terrific technique and a terrific energy, but a lot of musicians play for other musicians. You know, they want to be acknowledged. I've always tried to impress myself, tried to make music that made me feel like that's the most honest reflection of my my talent. I remember distinctly listening to the Whipped Cream & Other Delights album after it was finished, and the album gave me goosebumps. It was like, 'Wow, that's the music I'm going to be making in this concert.' That's music that made me feel good, and I think a lot of people will enjoy it."

Alpert says working with Mississippi soul singer Sam Cooke early in his career changed him. Along with Lou Adler, Cooke and Alpert wrote the classic hit “Wonderful World” in 1959.

"I learned a lot from him. He did know he was teaching me anything, but I just liked the way he approached his music," Alpert said. "It was very authentic. He used to walk around with this notebook, and he showed me this one lyric. 'Herbie,' he said, 'What do you think of this lyric?'  To myself, I said, 'Man, this is the corniest lyric I've ever seen. It just doesn't make any sense to me.' So he picked up his guitar and started playing. All of the sudden, I got it. I got the feeling I knew what he was trying to convey. I try to use Sam's advice: Close your eyes, don't get sidetracked by if somebody is really beautiful or they can dance real well. Just listen to the music, listen to it and see if it touches you."

With Jerry Moss, Alpert co-founded A&M Records and worked closely with artists such as Janet Jackson and the Police. But it was the brother sister duo The Carpenters who became a worldwide sensation and put the label on the map with "[They Long to Be] Close to You,"

"I recorded that song thinking I was going to use it as a follow up to 'This Guy's in Love with You,'" he said. "I signed The Carpenters in 1970, gave them that song, and it turned into magic. And it took a while, but that record was on the launching pad for the Carpenters, who, by the way, still sell records. I mean, they're popular all over the world."

A lifelong resident of Southern California, Alpert says the recent fires have brought the importance of music to the forefront across the country.

"Music is powerful," Alpert said. "I think music is something that gives people hope, and the beautiful part of being part of the arts — because, you know, I paint and sculpt, make music — that's the thing that's so beautiful about it. And even when you're listening to it, you are in the moment of your life when you're experiencing that. And I think that's the place where we all would love to be at the moment is in that moment — the only moment that really exists for us is that very moment that we're in."

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and Other Delights perform on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Augusta's Miller Theater. Tickets range from $39 to $75 and doors open at 6:30 p.m. with show time at 7:30 p.m.