In Brief

*** Herb Alpert, “Passion Dance,” Almo Sounds. Call this the Tijuana Brass with heat. Alpert has almost always had a Latin tinge to his recordings, but rarely with this kind of steaming rhythmic intensity. And the presence of sterling Latin players such as saxophonist Justo Almario and keyboardist Eddie del Barrio urges Alpert into playing that reaches well beyond his usually laid-back style. It’s amazing what a little salsa can do.

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