Howard Alden
Encyclopedia
Howard Alden is an American
jazz
guitarist
born in Newport Beach, California
. He has recorded a long series of albums for Concord Records
. His performances were dubbed over Sean Penn
as 'Emmet Ray' in the 1999 Woody Allen
film Sweet and Lowdown
. Howard has recorded four albums with seven-string guitar innovator George Van Eps
.
in 1958. He began playing the 4-string tenor guitar
and banjo
at age ten. After hearing recordings of Barney Kessel
, Charlie Christian
, Django Reinhardt
and other jazz guitar greats, he got a six-string guitar and started teaching himself to play that as well. As a teenager he played both instruments at various venues in the Los Angeles
area. He studied guitar with Jimmy Wyble
when he was 16. By 1977 he was studying jazz guitar at the Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood, California with Howard Roberts
.
Alden moved to New York City
in 1982 to play an extended engagement at the Café Carlyle with jazz pianist/songwriter Joe Bushkin. Soon afterward, he was discovered by Joe Williams
and Woody Herman
. In 1983 he was already collaborating with Dick Hyman
, when he appeared with him and a host of other musicians at Eubie Blake
's one-hundredth birthday concert. In 1988 Alden signed with Concord Jazz
record label
, and recorded many albums with them over the following fifteen years as a bandleader and as a sideman.
to play guitar for his role as the legendary (but fictional) jazz guitarist "Emmett Ray" in the Woody Allen
film "Sweet and Lowdown
". Alden also performed most of the music for the film along with Bucky Pizzarelli
on rhythm guitar, with the music arranged by pianist
Dick Hyman
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
born in Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
. He has recorded a long series of albums for Concord Records
Concord Records
Concord Records is a U.S. record label now based in Beverly Hills, California. Originally known as Concord Jazz, it was established in 1972 as an off-shoot of the Concord Jazz Festival in Concord, California by festival founder Carl Jefferson, a local automobile dealer and jazz fan who sold his...
. His performances were dubbed over Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
as 'Emmet Ray' in the 1999 Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
film Sweet and Lowdown
Sweet and Lowdown
Sweet and Lowdown is a 1999 American comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen which tells the story of a fictional arrogant, obnoxious, alcoholic jazz guitarist named Emmet Ray who regards himself as perhaps the best guitarist in the world, or second best, after his idol, Django Reinhardt...
. Howard has recorded four albums with seven-string guitar innovator George Van Eps
George Van Eps
George Van Eps was an American swing and Mainstream jazz guitarist noted both for his recordings as a leader, and for his work as a session musician. He was also the author of instructional books that explored his approach to guitar-based harmony...
.
Early life
Howard Alden was born in Newport Beach, CaliforniaNewport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
in 1958. He began playing the 4-string tenor guitar
Tenor guitar
1932 Martin 0-18 T Sunburst Tenor Guitar|thumb|rightThe tenor guitar or four-string guitar is a slightly smaller, four-string relative of the steel-string acoustic guitar or electric guitar. The instrument was developed so that players of the four-string tenor banjo could double on the guitar...
and banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
at age ten. After hearing recordings of Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. Generally considered to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 20th century, he was noted in particular for his vast knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies...
, Charlie Christian
Charlie Christian
Charles Henry "Charlie" Christian was an American swing and jazz guitarist.Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar, and is cited as a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra...
, Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
and other jazz guitar greats, he got a six-string guitar and started teaching himself to play that as well. As a teenager he played both instruments at various venues in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area. He studied guitar with Jimmy Wyble
Jimmy Wyble
James Otis Wyble was an American guitarist, noted for his contributions to both jazz and Western swing. He was born in Port Arthur, Texas and died in Los Angeles, California....
when he was 16. By 1977 he was studying jazz guitar at the Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood, California with Howard Roberts
Howard Roberts
Howard Roberts was an American jazz guitarist, educator and session musician.-Biography:Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and began playing guitar at age 8. By the time he was 15 he was playing professionally locally....
.
Career
Alden made his first trip to the east coast in the summer of 1979, playing in a trio led by the legendary vibist Red Norvo for 3 months at Resorts International in Atlantic City.Alden moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1982 to play an extended engagement at the Café Carlyle with jazz pianist/songwriter Joe Bushkin. Soon afterward, he was discovered by Joe Williams
Joe Williams (jazz singer)
Joe Williams was a well-known jazz vocalist, a baritone singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards.-Early life:...
and Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
. In 1983 he was already collaborating with Dick Hyman
Dick Hyman
Richard “Dick” Hyman is an American jazz pianist/keyboardist and composer, best-known for his versatility with jazz piano styles. Over a 50 year career, he has functioned as pianist, organist, arranger, music director, and, increasingly, as composer...
, when he appeared with him and a host of other musicians at Eubie Blake
Eubie Blake
James Hubert Blake was an American composer, lyricist, and pianist of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, Blake and long-time collaborator Noble Sissle wrote the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, one of the first Broadway musicals to be written and directed by African Americans...
's one-hundredth birthday concert. In 1988 Alden signed with Concord Jazz
Concord Jazz
Concord Jazz is a subsidiary of Concord Records, owned by Concord Music Group.-Dozens of albums:*Charlie Byrd*Ruby Braff*Dave McKenna*Marian McPartland*Rosemary Clooney*Scott Hamilton*Tito Puente*George Shearing*Gene Harris*Mel Tormé*Monty Alexander...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, and recorded many albums with them over the following fifteen years as a bandleader and as a sideman.
Other endeavors
He taught actor Sean PennSean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
to play guitar for his role as the legendary (but fictional) jazz guitarist "Emmett Ray" in the Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
film "Sweet and Lowdown
Sweet and Lowdown
Sweet and Lowdown is a 1999 American comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen which tells the story of a fictional arrogant, obnoxious, alcoholic jazz guitarist named Emmet Ray who regards himself as perhaps the best guitarist in the world, or second best, after his idol, Django Reinhardt...
". Alden also performed most of the music for the film along with Bucky Pizzarelli
Bucky Pizzarelli
John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli is an American Jazz guitarist and banjoist, and the father of jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and upright bassist Martin Pizzarelli. Pizzarelli has also worked for NBC as a staffman for Dick Cavett and also ABC with Bobby Rosengarden in...
on rhythm guitar, with the music arranged by pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Dick Hyman
Dick Hyman
Richard “Dick” Hyman is an American jazz pianist/keyboardist and composer, best-known for his versatility with jazz piano styles. Over a 50 year career, he has functioned as pianist, organist, arranger, music director, and, increasingly, as composer...
.
Awards
- 1990 - "Best Emerging Guitar Talent" poll winner in JazzTimesJazzTimesJazzTimes is a magazine that dates back to Radio Free Jazz, a publication founded in 1970 by Ira Sabin when he was operating a record store in Washington, DC. It was originally a newsletter designed to update shoppers on the latest jazz releases and provide jazz radio programmers with a means of...
- 1992 - "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" from Down BeatDown BeatDown Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
- 1993 - "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" from Down Beat
- 1995 - "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" from Down Beat
- 1996 - "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" from Down Beat
- 2008 - Recognized as one of the "Top 75 Guitarists" by Down Beat
Discography
| Year | Album | Leader | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "No Amps Allowed" | Howard Alden & Jack Lesberg Jack Lesberg Jack Lesberg was a jazz double-bassist.He performed with many famous jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, and Benny Goodman.... |
Chiaroscuro |
| 1986 | "Swing Street" | Howard Alden | Concord Jazz Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a subsidiary of Concord Records, owned by Concord Music Group.-Dozens of albums:*Charlie Byrd*Ruby Braff*Dave McKenna*Marian McPartland*Rosemary Clooney*Scott Hamilton*Tito Puente*George Shearing*Gene Harris*Mel Tormé*Monty Alexander... |
| 1988 | "Swinging Into Prominence" | Howard Alden | Famous Door |
| 1988 | "Plays the Music of Harry Reser Harry Reser Harry F. Reser was an American banjo player and bandleader. Born in Piqua, Ohio, Reser was best known as the leader of The Clicquot Club Eskimos.- Career :... " |
Howard Alden | Stomp Off |
| 1989 | "The Howard Alden Trio Plus Special Guests Ken Peplowski Ken Peplowski Ken Peplowski is a jazz clarinetist born in Cleveland, Ohio, known primarily for playing in the swing music idiom. He is sometimes compared to Benny Goodman in terms of tone and virtuosity... & Warren Vache Warren Vache Warren Vaché is a jazz trumpeter, cornetist and flugelhornist born in Rahway, New Jersey. He came from a musical family as his father was a bassist. In 1976 he released his first album... " |
Howard Alden | Concord Jazz |
| 1989 | "The ABQ Salutes Buck Clayton Buck Clayton Buck Clayton was an American jazz trumpet player who was a leading member of Count Basie’s "Old Testament" orchestra and a leader of mainstream-oriented jam session recordings in the 1950s. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong... " |
Howard Alden & Dan Barrett | Concord Jazz |
| 1990 | "Snowy Morning Blues" w/ Monty Alexander Monty Alexander Monty Alexander is a jazz pianist and melodica player. His playing has a strong Caribbean influence and swinging feeling, but he has also been influenced by Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly, and Ahmad Jamal.-Biography:Alexander discovered the piano at the age of 4, taking classical music... |
Howard Alden | Concord Jazz |
| 1991 | "13 Strings" w/ George Van Eps George Van Eps George Van Eps was an American swing and Mainstream jazz guitarist noted both for his recordings as a leader, and for his work as a session musician. He was also the author of instructional books that explored his approach to guitar-based harmony... |
Howard Alden | Concord Jazz |
| 1991 | "Misterioso" | Howard Alden | Concord Jazz |
| 1991 | "Hand-Crafted Swing" | Howard Alden & George Van Eps | Concord Jazz |
| 1992 | "Good Likeness" | Howard Alden | Concord Jazz |
| 1993 | "Seven & Seven" | Howard Alden & George Van Eps | Concord Jazz |
| 1994 | "Keepin' Time" | Howard Alden & George Van Eps | Concord Jazz |
| 1994 | "Your Story: The Music of Bill Evans" | Howard Alden | Concord Jazz |
| 1994 | "Encore! Live at Centre Concord" | Howard Alden & Ken Peplowski | Concord Jazz |
| 1995 | "Concord Jazz guitar Collective" | Howard Alden, Frank Vignola & Jimmy Bruno Jimmy Bruno -Biography:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bruno started playing at the age of 7. He began his professional career at the age of 19, touring with Buddy Rich. Among his many credits, he is the only guitarist to have ever led Frank Sinatra's band... |
Concord Jazz |
| 1996 | "Take Your Pick" | Howard Alden | Concord Jazz |
| 2001 | "The Jazz KENnection The Jazz KENnection The Jazz KENnection is a 2001 release of the late clarinetist Kenny Davern and clarinetist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski from Arbors Records... " |
Kenny Davern Kenny Davern Kenny Davern , born John Kenneth Davern, was one of the premier jazz clarinetists of his generation.-Biography:He was born in Huntington, Long Island to a family of mixed Jewish and Irish-Catholic ancestry... & Ken Peplowski |
Arbors Records Arbors Records Arbors Records is an independent American jazz record label based in Clearwater, Florida. It was founded by the family team of Mat and Rachel Domber in 1989, initially devoted to the recordings of their friend Rick Fay.-History:... |
| 2001 | "Live In Belfast" | Frank Tate | Nagel-Heyer |
| 2002 | "My Shining Hour" | Howard Alden | Concord Jazz |
| 2003 | "In A Mellow Tone" | Howard Alden & Bucky Pizzarelli Bucky Pizzarelli John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli is an American Jazz guitarist and banjoist, and the father of jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and upright bassist Martin Pizzarelli. Pizzarelli has also worked for NBC as a staffman for Dick Cavett and also ABC with Bobby Rosengarden in... |
Concord Jazz |
| 2004 | "Live In '95" | Howard Alden & Dan Barrett | Concord Jazz |
| 2005 | "Everything I Love" | Howard Alden & Dave Cliff Dave Cliff -Career:David John “Dave” Cliff was born in Hexham, Northumberland. He began his career playing rhythm and blues in the Newcastle area. In 1967, he moved to Leeds and gained a diploma in jazz studies from Leeds College of Music while studying with bassist Peter Ind and Bernie Cash.In 1971, after... |
Zephyr Records |
| 2006 | "Howard Alden's UK 4 Live at Lewes" | Howard Alden | Woolf Notes |
| 2006 | "Maurice Hines: To Nat King Cole Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres... With Love" |
Maurice Hines Maurice Hines Maurice Hines is an American actor, director, jazz singer and choreographer.Born in New York City, Hines began his career at the age of five, studying tap dance at the Henry LeTang Dance Studio in Manhattan. LeTang recognized his talent and began choreographing numbers specifically for him and his... |
Arbors Records Arbors Records Arbors Records is an independent American jazz record label based in Clearwater, Florida. It was founded by the family team of Mat and Rachel Domber in 1989, initially devoted to the recordings of their friend Rick Fay.-History:... |
| 2006-05-08 | Dialogues (Kenny Davern album) Dialogues is a studio recording from June 2005 by the late clarinetist Kenny Davern and tenor saxophonist/clarinetist Ken Peplowski, released by the Arbors Records label... " |
Kenny Davern Kenny Davern , born John Kenneth Davern, was one of the premier jazz clarinetists of his generation.-Biography:He was born in Huntington, Long Island to a family of mixed Jewish and Irish-Catholic ancestry... |
Arbors Records Arbors Records Arbors Records is an independent American jazz record label based in Clearwater, Florida. It was founded by the family team of Mat and Rachel Domber in 1989, initially devoted to the recordings of their friend Rick Fay.-History:... |
| 2007 | "Howard Alden and Ken Peplowski's Pow-Wow" | Howard Alden and Ken Peplowski | Arbors Records Arbors Records Arbors Records is an independent American jazz record label based in Clearwater, Florida. It was founded by the family team of Mat and Rachel Domber in 1989, initially devoted to the recordings of their friend Rick Fay.-History:... |
| 2010 | "I Remember Django" | Howard Alden - featuring Anat Cohen & Warren Vaché | Arbors Records Arbors Records Arbors Records is an independent American jazz record label based in Clearwater, Florida. It was founded by the family team of Mat and Rachel Domber in 1989, initially devoted to the recordings of their friend Rick Fay.-History:... |
External links
- Howard Alden Official site