Although trumpeter and pop icon
Herb Alpert
is largely associated with his jazz, Latin, and lounge instrumentals of the '60s and '70s, he's never fully retired from the music scene. In fact,
Alpert
's 2013 album with wife and vocalist
Lani Hall
won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album. Coming on the heels of that album,
's 2014 effort,
In the Mood
, finds the stylistically wide-ranging artist once again bringing together a mix of jazz standards, smooth pop instrumentals, and infectious original compositions. Working with his nephew, arranger/producer
Randy Badazz Alpert
, as well as such longtime collaborators as
Bill Conti
,
Mike Shapiro
, and
Jeff Lorber
has crafted an album that perfectly updates his approach for a modern audience.
was an early adopter of electronic sounds and
is no exception as it features a very club-ready, EMD reworking of the swing-era classic "Chattanooga Choo Choo." It's an iconoclastic move also echoed in his funky, hip-hop-inflected take on "Blue Moon." While
always seems to be in search of new musical ground to explore, he's conversely never afraid to revisit his past, as evidenced by his electronic- and contemporary R&B-infused arrangement of his old
Tijuana Brass
number "Spanish Harlem." Elsewhere,
teams again with
Hall
for several gorgeous, laid-back Latin numbers including the funky "Don't Cry," and the romantic "5 A.M." And it's not just
's knack for crafting listenable, relaxing pop songs that makes
so enjoyable. Arguably,
's trumpet playing has only deepened over the years and cuts here, like his poignant orchestral reading of "When Sunny Gets Blue," reveal his gift for small group jazz balladry that brings to mind a mix of
Chet Baker
and
Harry Sweets Edison
. Ultimately, whether he's digging deep into a jazz standard, or defying expectations with a breezy electronic arrangement,
proves yet again he is a true pop journeyman on
. ~ Matt Collar