Known for his mariachi-inspired easy listening sound, trumpeter Herb Alpert is one of the most successful instrumental performers in pop history. He is also one of the entertainment industry's canniest businessmen, having co-founded A&M Records – a label that ranks among the most prosperous artist-owned companies ever established – with partner Jerry Moss. Collection includes: The Lonely Bull (1962); South Of The Border (1964); Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1965); !!Going Places!! (1965); What Now My Love (1966); S.R.O (1966); The Beat Of The Brass (1968); Rise (1979); Fandango (1982); Bullish (1984); Keep Your Eye On Me (1987); Classics, Volume 1 (1987); Steppin' Out (Featuring Lani Hall) (2013); In The Mood (2014); Come Fly With Me (2015).
The German industrial/gothic rock band Unheilig (which in German means "Unholy") formed in 1999 and quickly released their first single, "Sage Ja!," that same year. Initially signed to the Bloodline label, the group – including Grant Stevens, José Alvarez-Brill, and Der Graf – followed its debut club hit with a full-length offering in 2001 titled Phosphor. The success of the single and the album helped land Unheilig slots on their genre's festival circuit, including Zillo Open Air and the Doomsday Festival, but the trio members would soon find themselves back at work on new studio material, which resulted in 2002's Christmas album Frohes Fest and 2003's Das 2. Gebot. Unheilig built on their momentum by releasing another EP in 2003, as well as taking their sound to the audiences of Europe, which led to remixing projects and appearances on video game soundtracks.
A Canadian artist known for his fusion of blues, rock, and swing, Colin James rose to prominence in 1988 when his eponymous debut effort became the fastest-selling album in his country's history. A scintillating blues guitarist with plenty of rock appeal, James notched further hits like the Juno Award-winning "Just Came Back" before kicking off the '90s swing boom with a series of acclaimed albums leading his Little Big Band. Over the subsequent years, his recording output remained steady with a mix of blues, rock, and acoustic releases, and some touring. Since arriving on the international stage, James has played with an array of musical icons ranging from Stevie Ray Vaughan and Keith Richards to Buddy Guy, Albert King, and Little Feat. He experienced a career resurgence when 2016's Blue Highways topped the Roots Music Report's Blues Chart and he followed it with similarly acclaimed albums like 2018's Miles to Go and 2021's Open Road.
Prolific Irish singer/songwriter Paul Brady passed through several major bands before embarking on a long and successful solo career. Starting his performance life as a hotel piano player in Donegal at the age of 16, he moved on to a series of rhythm & blues bands in the mid- to late '60s, including Rootzgroop, Rockhouse, and the Kult. They were followed by a stint with the Johnstons as a guitarist and singer that ended in 1974, and a shorter one with Irish folk group Planxty that saw Brady touring extensively. It was in that band that he met Andy Irvine, and in 1976 the duo released the album Andy Irvine and Paul Brady. Brady's solo debut came in 1978 in the form of the folk album Welcome Here Kind Stranger.