Whipped Cream & Other Delights

iTunes Review

We’ll say it straight: Herb Alpert was as essential a part of the ‘60s music scene as the British Invasion or Motown. The trumpeter’s inventive interweaving of jazz, pop and Latin motifs won him an enormous audience on both sides of the Generation Gap. Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1967) took Alpert and his Tijuana Brass to new commercial heights, boosted by an album cover shot featuring a sexy babe slathered in desert topping. But it was the tunes that kept folks coming back for more. Alpert’s crisp rendition of “A Taste Of Honey” and the New Orleans-inflected title track are the best-known numbers here. Beyond these favorites, the band serves up slow Spanish balladry (“Lemon Tree”), breezy Broadway-style tunes (“Lollipops And Roses”), melancholy rhumbas (“Tangerine”) and Southwestern-seasoned polkas (“Peanuts”) with smooth delivery and a bright finish. As bandleader, Alpert throws in odd arrangement twists and tempo changes while avoiding sonic clutter. If there’s a dash of schmaltz in the salsa, the result is a highly addictive recipe. Whipped Cream & Other Delights sold like hotcakes and helped maintain the Brass’ winning streak through the end of the decade.