The TJB recorded bunches of albums throughout the 60's and early 70's, peaking with 1965's Whipped Cream & Other Delights (#1 for eight weeks). The pace slowed down as A&M increasingly became less of a one-horse label (Carole King's Tapestry and the Carpenters, in particular, made the imprint a major player), and Alpert's hits all but dried up by the end of the decade. Musically, he moved from being charmingly naughty to simply boring - playing what can be politely called "smooth jazz" - by emulating artists like Chuck Mangione and Gato Barbieri who recorded for his own label. No matter what, Herb Alpert's story came to a happy conclusion when he and Moss sold A&M to Polygram in 1990 for a reputed $500 million.

While there's an undeniable period charm to the the old Tijuana Brass Greatest Hits albums, The Definitive Hits (2001) is easily the best Alpert compilation ever done and is highly recommended for most listeners. Very smartly selected, it nails the very best vintage TJB singles (among many), then it picks up later hits like "Rise" (1979) and "Diamonds" (1987). For further listening, the band's early records, especially The Lonely Bull (1962) and Whipped Cream (1965), are each pretty irresistible on their own. Alpert's Christmas Album (1968) is no slouch, either, though it often veers uncomfortably close to pure easy listening.

Most of Herb Alpert's extensive catalog was reissued on CD in the initial rush after the format was invented. By the early 20th century, however, most albums had fallen out-of-print, and many were fetching hefty prices on the collector's market. Thankfully, Shout! Factory began reissuing the classic 60's Tijuana Brass catalog in 2005, including the highly sought-after Christmas Album. The label capped the program off with a rarities album (Lost Treasures, 2005) and a remix celebration of Whipped Cream called Rewhipped (2006). [top of page]