Sophia Michaels
Over the past 60 years, trumpeter-vocalist Herb Alpert has scored 14 platinum albums, co-founded A&M Records (the home to Janet Jackson, the Police, and Peter Frampton) and become a major philanthropist; his foundation has donated millions to arts-education programs ranging from the Harlem School of Arts to UCLA.
Alpert’s story will be told in Herb Alpert Is …, a new film directed by John Scheinfeld (who directed Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary and co-produced The U.S. vs. John Lennon). The film has been picked up by the independent distributor Abramorama; it will hit theaters beginning May 5th, with a one-night world premiere event at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. A release says the film will trace “Alpert’s personal and creative journey that reveals the critical events, experiences, and challenges that have shaped an extraordinary life and instilled deep within the Grammy-winning trumpeter the desire to make a difference each and every day.”
Fellow legends appear in the film, too: Sting calls him a “cultural icon.” Questlove calls him “funky.” Lou Adler calls him “the coolest person in the room.”
“Herb is a true artist who did things the right way, achieved success on his own terms, and brought much joy to the world in the process,” Scheinfeld says. “ I wanted to make a documentary that would reflect this and, most importantly, to be a feel-good film that will uplift, inspire, and bring audiences together exactly as does Herb’s music.”
Added Abramorama CEO Richard Abramowitz: “It’s our great honor to celebrate the man who outsold the Beatles in 1966 and co-founded the most successful independent record label in history on his way to supporting artists and students young and old around the world. Herb Alpert is a renaissance man of the highest order.”
While he’s looking back on his life, Alpert is not done making music. His latest album, 2019’s Over the Rainbow, debuted at Number One on the Billboard Jazz and Contemporary Jazz album charts. Alpert begins a North American tour with Lani Hall in Arizona on Wednesday, February 26th.
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