Arriving on the heels of his 2020 documentary film Herb Alpert Is..., 2021's Catch the Wind finds legendary pop trumpeter Herb Alpert continuing to put his distinctive instrumental stamp on nicely curated covers and originals. Along with his career-spanning documentary, Catch the Wind is a continuation of Alpert's late-career resurgence that began in the 2000s with albums like 2009's Anything Goes and 2011's I Feel You, and which culminated in a Grammy win for 2013's Steppin' Out and a nomination for 2016's Human Nature. What continues to be particularly intriguing about Alpert's work here is his knack for rethinking his Tijuana Brass roots, offering new twists on classic songs. To this end, he takes on the Beatles, transforming "Eleanor Rigby" with a moody adult contemporary vibe and vocals by his wife Lani Hall, a combination that brings to mind Sting's solo work. He also sinks into an orchestral version of "Yesterday" that balances classical string shimmer with his own Miles Davis-like trumpet leads. Similarly, he frames his warm trumpet on "America the Beautiful" against an underpinning of fretless bass and strings, a style that surprisingly evokes the sound of Carly Simon's "Let the River Run" from the Working Girl soundtrack. There are also several engaging originals, including the 1960 organ groove of "Slick" (featuring keyboardist Jeff Lorber) and the tropical, clubby R&B of the title track. There's also the funky "Dance with Me," which recalls Alpert's 1979's disco-infused Rise. We also get several acoustic jazz numbers, including "Will I See You Again" and a poignantly fragile rendition of "Smile." Heartfelt and stylistically wide-ranging, Catch the Wind is an enjoyable update of the easy listening traditions that Alpert helped create.
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