Creativity Never Goes Out of Style

Herb Alpert, 90 Years Old and Fresh as Ever

Thursday, May 15, I had the absolute privilege of sitting in the audience at the Miller Theater in Philadelphia to see Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Let me tell you—he didn’t look a day over sixty-five. Seriously. The man was sharp.

As I told my husband, I didn’t know what to expect. Herb just celebrated his 90th birthday. But he walked out on stage right on time (ahem, looking at you, Lil Wayne—who showed up 50 minutes late at Jazz Fest, in New Orleans, a few weeks back.) Herb played his heart out for over an hour and a half. Encores included. Meanwhile, Lil Wayne barely made it to the 45-minute mark before calling it quits. Just sayin’.

Herb didn’t just play—he engaged. With the music, the audience, the moment. He asked questions, shared stories, made us laugh. His wife, Lani Hall—former member of Brazil '66—came out and sang two songs. They’ve been married for fifty years, and the chemistry was still there. You can catch a sample of the show on a CBS interview.

Behind the music, a backdrop of video clips and photos rolled—past performances, artwork, and glimpses of Herb’s life outside the spotlight. The band? Flawless. Ryan Dragon (trombone & percussion), Ray Brinker (drums), Kerry Marx (guitar), Bill Cantos (piano & marimba), Kris Bergh (trumpet & percussion), and Hussain Jiffry (bass)—the current Tijuana Brass lineup—brought it all to life.

The show’s been crossing the country, selling out everywhere. Miller Theater didn’t expect it, according to an usher we spoke to—this was their 15th sellout in a row. One of his songs, Ladyfingers, is even going viral on TikTok. Yes. TikTok. He’s accomplishing all this at 90.

Herb Alpert has racked up fifteen gold albums, fourteen platinum albums, nine Grammys, and a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside his longtime business partner Jerry Moss. And on top of that? He’s a generous philanthropist and, by all accounts, a damn good human being. If you want to read even more about his accomplishments go here.

The takeaway?

There is no expiration date on creativity.

So if you’re sitting around thinking you're too old, too tired, too “past it”—you're not. Herb’s out here proving it. Ninety years old and still blowing the roof off.

Also—can I ask a quick favor?

I’m trying to grow my Pinterest following. At the moment, I have a grand total of... four followers. Yep. Just four. So if you're on Pinterest or if you’d consider joining, I’d be so grateful if you gave me a: follow.

You’ll find boards featuring my books, my tiny wood sculptures, eventually my grandchildren’s art, bits of my travels, and other odds and ends that catch my interest. I’ll also be sharing select Substack posts as pins.

Thanks in advance for helping me grow my little corner of the internet!