Basil Rodriguez, who plays Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida on Aug. 25, 2024. Credit: Photo via Palladium Theater

Lord knows if Herb Alpert will ever play another gig in downtown Clearwater (the guy’s 89 years old and lives on the west coast, for shit’s sake), and you know deep down that no matter how many times you come across Whipped Cream and Other Delights in Bananas Records’ back bargain room, it would be a transformative experience to hear it live.

Alpert’s biggest local fan Basil Rodriguez cites the trumpet hero as his earliest influences. The once musical director at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay would spend hours playing along to Alpert’s records.

This weekend, Rodriguez will hold the baton for an eight-piece (just like Alpert’s Tijuana Brass) that performs recreations of the original arrangements during this matinee.

Tickets to see Basil Rodriguez’s The Ultimate Tijuana Brass Tribute: South of the Border on Sunday, Aug. 25 inside the Side Door Cabaret at Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg are still available and start at $55.