An exotic and explicitly sensual mixture of salsa and poppy, swinging jazz, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass’s iconic album Whipped Cream and Other Delights pushed musical boundaries and shot to the top of the charts when it was released in 1965. While it’s understandable that a group of contemporary musicians would want to pay homage to Alpert’s watershed album, it’s unfortunate that the tracks on Whipped Cream seem hollow and soulless when compared to the originals. The impressive roster of artists includes John King (of the Dust Brothers) and acid jazz innovators Medeski, Martin and Wood. Alpert was also onboard for the project and recorded additional trumpet lines for all 12 revamped tracks, but not even his participation can save this from being a stale attempt at reclaiming the innovations of the past. While Medeski, Martin and Wood’s ‘El Garbanzo’ captures the spirit of the original, too many tracks — like DJ Foosh’s rendition of ‘Tangerine’, a cover that sounds like the background music in a Wet Seal store — are frustrating and, worse, pretty boring.
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