Over the next twenty years, Alpert worked as a producer and with a number of producers; he collaborated with instrumentalists, singers, and composers. His trumpet sound matured and became even more expressive; “It changed. I think I had the same basic sound of the horn but I had an attitude lift,” Alpert laughs. He continued to borrow tastefully from varied sources (Brazilian samba, Bronx hip-hop) and developed a habit of creating music that predicted future trends.
A few examples:
• In 1970, Alpert worked with French composer and arranger Michel Colombier, producing the rock oratorio Wings, an ambitious – and sadly forgotten – groundbreaker that wove together strains of symphonic music with pop and jazz . It was a grandiose project that corralled the talents of dozens of musicians, including singers Bill Medley and Lani Hall, violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and lyricist Paul Williams.
