Alpert, Herb (1935-…), is an American bandleader, trumpet player, and record company executive. He became famous in the 1960’s for leading a band that played the “Tijuana sound.” Alpert got the idea for the sound while watching a bullfight in Tijuana , Mexico. The sound blends j azz , rock music , and traditional Mexican music. Alpert led a band called the Tijuana Brass, in which he was the featured trumpet player. He has won a number of Grammy Awards for his music.
Herbert Alpert was born on March 31, 1935, in Los Angeles. He got his start in show business as a songwriter. He collaborated with Lou Adler to write the song “Wonderful World” (1960), which became a hit in a recording by Sam Cooke. In 1962, Alpert and Jerry Moss founded the A & M record label. Their first hit was “The Lonely Bull” (1962), Alpert’s debut recording with the Tijuana Brass. The record mixed actual crowd noises with a musical arrangement dominated by Alpert’s trumpet. Alpert and his band recorded a number of hits, all featuring the Tijuana sound. Their hit recordings included “Spanish Flea” (1965), “A Taste of Honey” (1965), and “Zorba the Greek” (1965). Alpert also had hits with “This Guy’s in Love with You” (1968), arranged by the American composer and songwriter Burt Bacharach and featuring Alpert on the song’s vocal, and Alpert’s solo release “Rise” (1979).
Alpert and Moss sold their A & M label in 1987 but managed it until 1993, when they left the company. In 1994, they founded Alamo Sounds, an independent record label built on the A & M model. Alpert also continued to perform live jazz concerts. He and Moss were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Alpert is also a painter and sculptor. His works have been exhibited at galleries and museums. He has been married to the American singer Lani Hall since 1974.
