Couple brings own fresh twist to familiar favorites

Trumpet icon Herb Alpert and vocalist Lani Hall have known each other since 1966 and married in 1973.

Yet these artists, who appear next Thursday evening at the Holland Performing Arts Center, waited until this year to record a full-length album together.

The CD, “Anything Goes,” features 14 jazz standards that were recorded live at venues on both coasts.

Alpert, who came to fame in the 1960s as the founder of both the legendary Tijuana Brass ensemble and A&M Records, said the time was finally ripe for a joint album.

“We wanted to record a live album in small, intimate clubs,” said Alpert, who was on the phone from Los Angeles. “We held off for years because we figured audiences would be yelling for Tijuana Brass songs.”

But last year, the duo gave a series of club shows, performing the standards of such legends as Harold Alren, George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Hall and Alpert were pleased with the response.

“People came to the concerts without any preconceived notions about the music, and they loved what we played,” said Alpert.

The songs on the new CD — the Cole Porter title song, Gershwin’s “Fascinating Rhythm,” Arlen’s “Old Black Magic,” among others — are all familiar.

But Hall and Alpert took a fresh approach to all of the songs.

For example, “Old Black Magic” is usually performed at a brisk tempo. Hall turned it into a kind of slow torch song.

“The lyrics suddenly become clear and powerful,” said Alpert.

Alpert sold A&M Records in 1990, when corporate takeovers in the recording industry were at their height. He says he barely recognizes today’s music industry. Still, he does have one piece of advice for struggling young musicians.

“Make friends with the Internet,” he said.

Contact the writer:

444-1076, john.pitcher@owh.com