Herb Alpert, born March 31, 1935, in Los Angeles, California, is an American trumpeter, composer and music industry innovator best known for leading Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass.
Raised in a musical family, Alpert began playing trumpet at age eight, blending jazz, mariachi, and pop into a distinctive sound. After co-writing hits like Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World” in the 1950s, he formed the Tijuana Brass in 1962 with producer Jerry Moss. Their breakthrough album, The Lonely Bull, introduced a vibrant, Latin-inspired style that captivated audiences worldwide.
In 1965, A Taste of Honey won a Grammy, propelling Alpert to superstardom. The Tijuana Brass outsold The Beatles in 1966, with five albums topping charts simultaneously.
Alpert’s mellow trumpet and innovative arrangements defined the “Ameriachi” sound. Beyond the band, he scored a No. 1 vocal hit with “This Guy’s in Love with You” in 1968. With Moss, he founded A&M Records in 1962, building it into a powerhouse label that signed artists like The Carpenters, The Police and Janet Jackson.
A philanthropist and sculptor, Alpert has earned nine Grammys and a Tony Award. Still active into his late 80s, his genre-defying career and entrepreneurial spirit have left an enduring legacy in music.
93 recordings of Herb Alpert you can hear at Instrumentals Forever:
1980 • A Banda • A Beautiful Friend • A Quiet Tear (Lagrima Quieta) • A Taste of Honey • Acapulco 1922 • Adios, Mi Corazon • All My Loving • All the Things You Are • Angel • Angelina • Angelito • Aranjuez (Mon Amour) • Aria • Bahia – Moliendo Cafre – Porompompero) • Behind The Rain • Belz Mein Shtetele Belz (My Home Town) • Bittersweet Samba • Blueberry Park • Brasilia • Butterball • Cabaret • California Blues • Cantina Blue • Casino Royale • Coco Loco • Crawfish • Desafinado • Dorita • El Garbanzo • El Lobo (The Wolf) • El Presidente • Fandango • Five Minutes More • Freckles • Friends • Green Peppers • Hello, Dolly! • I Want You • If I Were A Rich Man • In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning • It Was A Very Good Year • I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face • Lady In My Life • Ladyfingers • Lemon Tree • Let It Be Me • Libertango • Limbo Rock • Lollipops And Roses • Love At First Glance • Love Potion #9 • Magic Man • Magic Trumpet • Margarita • Memories Of Madrid • Mexican Shuffle • Mexico • Midnight Sun • Mona Lisa • Monday, Monday • Never On Sunday • Numero Cinco • Panama • Peanuts • Plucky • Push And Pull • Rise • Rosemary • Rotation • Route 101 • Salud, Amor Y Dinero • She Touched Me • Silent Tears and Roses • Slick • Smile • So What’s New • Someone to Watch over Me • South Of The Border • Spanish Flea • Struttin’ With Maria • Sugarloaf • Tangerine • Thanks For The Memory • The Girl From Ipanema • The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro) • The Robin • The Shadow Of Your Smile • Think About It • Tijuana Taxi • Up Cherry Street • What Now My Love • Whipped Cream •
