A pop trumpet icon for his work with the
Tijuana Brass
in the 1960s,
Herb Alpert
has become something of a journeyman since the late 2000s. Beginning with 2009's
Anything Goes
,
Alpert
(who was 88 at the time of this recording) has released a steady mix of covers albums that showcase his warm trumpet style and storied knack for hooky, danceable melodies. He even won a Grammy for 2013's
Steppin' Out
and picked up his 24th nomination for 2016's
Human Nature
. 2023's
Wish Upon a Star
continues this latter-career resurgence and finds
offering sweetly attenuated takes on classic pop and jazz tunes. Leading off the album is his jaunty rendition of
Jerry Reed
's "East Bound and Down," a twangy country number best known as the theme song to the
Burt Reynolds
action-comedy Smokey and the Bandit. It's a tune that you could easily imagine
having covered in the '70s when the film was first released and nicely evokes his classic
sound. Equally inventive stylistic blends pop up throughout, including an electronic-reggae version of the standard "Angel Eyes" and a ukulele-centric, Latin jazz take on
the Beatles
' "And I Love Her." Particularly compelling are
's more romantic, bossa nova-inflected moments, including his orchestral reading of "On the Street Where You Live" and his take on the
Roger Nichols
and
Paul Williams
classic "We've Only Just Begun," the latter of which was made famous by
the Carpenters
and recalls the warm intimacy of
's own 1968 hit "This Guy's in Love." The album ends with a poignant rendition of the classic Disney title track with
's trumpet tone as wistful as ever. ~ Matt Collar