Legendary Alpert brings his trumpet stylings to Lincolnshire

The distinctive horn sound of Herb Alpert — prominent in his band, the Tijuana Brass, and in songs like “The Lonely Bull” and “Spanish Flea” — was a sensation through the 1960s.

But it didn't just happen overnight.

“I was drafted, and while in the Fort Knox Band, I knew I had to have my own trumpet sound to make it professionally,” said Alpert, during a phone conversation. “Everyone was influenced by others like Harry James, Louis Armstrong, of course. I was intrigued by Les Paul's ‘How High The Moon,' and the double tracking method he used on it.

“So, I sat in my garage with two tape machines going back and forth. Living in Los Angeles, the mariachi influence was intriguing too, and that experimentation eventually became the Tijuana Brass sound.”

Alpert and singer Lani Hall, his wife since 1974, bring their band to Lincolnshire's Viper Alley for an 8:15 p.m. show Saturday, June 11. Armed with a new CD of popular American standards, the entourage favors intimate settings like the Alley, and brings along a level of unpredictability to the music.

“It's all improvisation. Lani establishes the melody, and the nuances we play behind her are all off the cuff,” he said. “There's chord structures and harmony ... other than that, it's anything goes. That's the charge for me. I figure if it's fun to play, it's fun to listen to.”

Hall is also celebrating a homecoming of sorts with this gig. “She's a Chicago native, from Kimball and Lawrence avenues, and has her own history being the original lead singer for Sergio Mendes and Brasil ‘66. The touring actually came out of a 40th anniversary tribute for Sergio three years ago. It all sounded good, we talked about it, and decided if not now, when?”

The aforementioned band was part of the A&M Records stable, formed by Alpert, and long-time friend, Jerry Moss. Responsible and known for a smooth and silky sound, their brand was an antithesis to folk and psychedelic music. The company later nurtured artists such as Joe Cocker, The Carpenters, Peter Frampton, Cat Stevens and Burt Bacharach.

A natural storyteller, Alpert enjoyed relating how his company started and the reactions that came with it. “In the 1960s, little record companies were all over, operating out of the trunks of cars ... you'd go to a recording studio, put songs on tape, run to a radio station, after pressing a couple copies, and see what happens. ‘Lonely Bull' was the start.

“We had the song, wanted to get it out, and it was a rage three days later ... in Australia, and among small independent U.S. distributors. We were lent $75,000 to press more records for order, then ‘Bull' went into the top 10 on Billboard. We were told take the money and run, it's an aberration ... instead, we invested, all working out of my garage.

“We grew. We liked the artists we had signed, and even someone like Joe Cocker, we liked to develop them. The main lesson learned is timing ... the right place, the right time, the right taste.”

<b>Herb Alpert & Lani Hall</b>

<b>When:<b> 8:15 p.m., Saturday, June 11

<b>Where:</b> Viper Alley, 275 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire

<b>Tickets:</b> $40; (847) 499-5000 or viper-alley.com