Festival Welcomes a Jazz Legend

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By Charlie Warner, Special to the Independent

Herb Alpert and Lani Hall perform at the Festival of Arts on Saturday, Aug. 26.
Herb Alpert and Lani Hall perform at the Festival of Arts on Saturday, Aug. 26.

The Festival of Arts plans to roll out the red carpet for its end-of-season celebrity gala on Saturday, Aug. 26, which will feature a performance by nine-time Grammy award winning trumpeter, songwriter and music executive Herb Alpert and an appearance by actor Brian Cranston, who will act as commentator during the Pageant of the Masters production.

Alpert said he and his wife, Lani Hall, were dazzled at a visit to the Festival of Arts some years ago. “That was very impressive. The arts teach us so many different things. It’s amazing that our politicians fluff over it.”

Alpert’s appreciation for the arts goes beyond the genre he’s best known for.

“I’ve been painting and sculpting for 40 years now. I do it professionally, too,” he said in a recent interview. Alpert’s work includes large totem sculptures, some of which are installed in spaces that include Dante Park in New York City and on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

“I’m a right brained guy. I love to do creative things. It keeps me motivated. You know, when I get out of bed, I’m excited. The arts are such a mystery. You may love a solo or piece of art, but not be able to say why. You can only take it in. I think that’s why the arts are so beautiful.”

Even from a young age, Alpert was seeking to express himself. “I had an opportunity when I was 8 years old in grammar school. There was a music appreciation class, and there was a table full of instruments. I picked up the trumpet, and it changed my life.”

Alpert has been heavily involved in music education, including the creation of the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA.

“I try to get as many kids involved in the arts as I can. I think it’s an important ingredient for kids to have that experience, especially at a young age,” said Alpert. “I think if they stick with music, they can appreciate their own uniqueness and eventually appreciate the uniqueness of others.”

Alpert recently released a new album in late July, titled “Music Vol. 1.”

“I wanted to do something positive; there’s a lot of negative energy in this country at the moment and around the world. I wanted to make an album that was upbeat and positive.” The album reached the Top 3 on Billboard’s contemporary jazz chart. Alpert has another recording, “The Christmas Wish,” which is to be released Sept. 29.

“I always try to be honest as a musician,” said Alpert, in response to a question about how his older music differs from this newest album. “I just try to express myself as honest as I can.”

“When I started out, I spent a lot of time copying my favorite musicians like Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis. I came to the realization that ‘Who wants to hear that?’ They’ve already done it. So I wanted to get up to my own water level and be as honest as I could as a musician.”

Through the years, the Grammy winner has played with some of the biggest names in jazz. “I remember playing one night with Louis Armstrong. He was the only person I’ve experienced in my years as a musician that his personality came right through the horn. He is an unpretentious, upbeat kind of guy. You can really feel his music,” said Alpert. “I’ve met a lot of great musicians in my day, and that is certainly not always the case.”

Alpert then added, “I’ve been very lucky. I’ve been blessed. I’m also married to an angel.”

At the Festival of Arts concert, Alpert will be accompanied by his wife, Lani Hall, a Grammy winning original vocalist from Sergio Mendes and Brazil ’66, the breakout group Alpert produced. Alpert and the group will perform songs from the new album as well as a medley.

“There is a lot of great music out there,” said Alpert, on the state of music today. “I like the way we are hearing music from all around the world and it’s mashing together into something really interesting. I think jazz itself is looking for a renaissance, at the moment. I think we need another Miles Davis to come along and put it into another place. Overall there’s great music out there, it’s just a little harder to find.

“I listen to classical music and jazz. I do also like country. It’s amazing how much country music has evolved. It used to have this sort of twangy steel guitar thing and it’s morphed into something really interesting. There’s great music out there, it’s just a matter of taste.”

The founder of the A&M Records label also weighed in on the logistical side of the music industry today.

“We need to change some of the copyright laws. I’ve heard of records that get millions of spins, and the artists who write these songs receive a check for maybe $18. The copyright laws are antiquated and unfair. A lot of great writers are really not able to earn a living. We are in danger of the writers doing this as a hobby and not for a living, and that’s not good,” said Alpert. “Timing plays a huge part in success as an artist.”

“I like both elements of performing and recording,” said Alpert on the upcoming concert. “We’ve been doing concerts with the same group for the past 11 years, and it’s fun for me to do. I’ve sold a lot of albums; I’ve sold over 72 million albums. I know I make a lot of people happy with my music, and that’s a great feeling for me. I really do love it, and that’s why I’ll keep doing it as long as I can.”

And he offered final words of expert advice: “Practice everyday.”

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