Pop Culture Diary: This Week's Reviews, Reads and Roundup - Herb Alpert's TJB and Other Delights

What I've Been Into...

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass & Other Delights. I'm so glad Herb Alpert's nostalgic celebration of his TJB years made a stop in my town. The show was a blast and brought home how important this band's playful image and sound was to its time.

Yeah, the TJB's peppy tunes were cheesy, but they were fun, and the band never took itself seriously. The same is true for Alpert's stage show, which played to a packed house. The trumpeter and his current crop of musicians had a blast running through their hits as videos of the Alpert and the TJB in their heyday played on screens overhead. Through the course of the show, we saw the TJB on game shows, TV ads, in movies and on variety shows galore.

Alpert at age 91(!) was amazing. He danced onto the stage, sat himself down in a chair, waved the band into action and played trumpet throughout. His tone may be a little weak these days, but it was still lyrical and warm. He sounded nice, too, singing his one big vocal hit, "This Guy's in Love With You," penned by his late pal Burt Bacharach.

In between tunes, Alpert was funny and sharp as a tack sharing stories and recollections of meeting Louis Armstrong and other stars. Check 'em out if they come your way.