Howard Roberts

**wizard3739** · 08-30-2009, 01:02 PM

Doctor_Electron:

Yes, I knew Jerry Coelho very well, he was my roommate when we attended G.I.T. After graduation, I think he went back to teaching in Santa Maria and I lost track of him then. He was a good friend and a good guitarist. I hope he is still playing and doing well.
BTW, Howard brought his son Jay to a G.I.T. classrooom and he played for us. (he was about 10-12 years old then). He was already a monster player and totally blew us away with some great bebop chops. At that time he sounded a lot like his father.
As I mentioned in a previous post, Howard Roberts changed my musical life forever when I attended his seminar in North Hollywood in 1976. IMHO, he was a very special MASTER guitarist, musician and teacher. I have many of his records, tapes and cd's and often play them.

wiz

**lkmuller** · 08-30-2009, 02:54 PM

There are a couple of clips of Jay on Youtube, and yes, he is a monster.

**Fidelcaster** · 09-05-2009, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by gawfshot

the praxis books are still available from jamey aebersold, but buyer be aware- the mistakes haven't been fixed...

Could you please tell me what kind of errors are in the books?

**gawfshot** · 09-05-2009, 08:03 PM

For starters, discrepancies in scale fingerings, mis-labeled patterns...

**Fidelcaster** · 09-06-2009, 06:05 AM

So, are the errors just (annnoying) typos? Are they very numerous?

Thank you!

**woodykey** · 11-07-2009, 01:09 PM

Go to website Howard Roberts - Jazz Guitarist to find a lot of info on Howard by a dedicated HR fan. He has photos, links to a site that sells HR CD's (Sundazed Music label). I have bought 3 - "HR Is A Dirty Guitar Player," "Dirty and Funky," and "Magic Band at Donte's." All are really good, but my favorite is the Magic Band album, recorded live to 2-track at Donte's nightclub in North Hollywood. I had the good fortune to go to 2 of Howard's guitar seminars - the first in late 1971 in L.A., and the other in Austin in 1975. As well as being an awesome player and arranger, he was one of the most interesting and inspiring people I've ever met. Anyway, check the above site out, as well as Howard's son Jay Roberts' music school in Seattle, Robert's Music Institute .

**whippersnapper** · 11-08-2009, 11:31 AM

IMO, his "Live at Dontes" albums are some of the best recorded examples of the Jazz Guitar. Highly recommended.

**gremboul** · 11-08-2009, 12:33 PM

Gibson made a Howard Roberts guitar...looks like an ES175 with the soundhole of an acoustic guitar. I learned alot from his book "Guitar Manual Chord Melody" some of the chord formations in the book are very challenging "stretch".

**princeplanet** · 11-08-2009, 12:53 PM

did anyone do the monster chops course? How did they find it? I started it years ago but decided I didn't like the style of his lines. Wouldn't surprise me to have a change of heart one day....

**daveg** · 12-18-2009, 01:24 PM

Prior to Gibson making a Howard Roberts Guitar (played by Howard Alden for many years) there was an EPIPHONE Howard Roberts model.

There's plenty of detail at Mike Evan's Howard Roberts site on all of his guitars.

I have some Howard Roberts CDs and Books for sale.

Please see below for link.

**lkmuller** · 12-18-2009, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by daveg

Prior to Gibson making a Howard Roberts Guitar (played by Howard Alden for many years) there was an EPIPHONE Howard Roberts model.

Yes there was. I owned one in 1966. Found a pic of it (and me).

**daveg** · 12-18-2009, 03:55 PM

Apologies, that's not a Howard Roberts model.

It's the equivalent of a Gibson 335.

All of the HR models had ROUND sound holes and were same dimensions as the ES175 including the 3-4inch depth.

DaveG

**lkmuller** · 12-18-2009, 04:02 PM

Hi Dave, it must had something to do with Howard though, because his name was engraved on the headstock. I remember that was the reason I bought it, I was such a fan of his. I'll look and see if I have any clearer pictures. That is interesting. Now I'm sorry I sold it, lol.

**daveg** · 12-19-2009, 06:59 AM

Here's a photo of a rare Epi HR Custom from 1967 found on the web. All HR models were of this size and style until the (Gibson) HR Fusion came along.

**NSJ** · 12-19-2009, 10:41 AM

Here's my 1974 Gibson HR Custom--as you can see, no pickguard--took it off because it was toxic and was oxidizing the pickup itself. Will have to replace it, eventually, but not gonna blow $200 for a custom pickguard just yet.

**lkmuller** · 12-19-2009, 11:46 AM

Beautiful guitar, Dave! You know, there was one for sale here in Honolulu on Craigslist a few months ago. Wish I had snapped it up. I've been a fan of Howard Robers since I was a teenager (long, LONG time ago, lol), and absolutely love his tone.

**daveg** · 12-19-2009, 12:39 PM

HR, on his early recordings, used a variety of instruments but mainly the Black, highly customised, Gibson that he got from Herb Ellis.

Mike Evans has a lot of information at his site.

DaveG

**markf** · 10-15-2010, 03:48 PM

edit

**Kyleafornia** · 08-04-2011, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by Flat

I just found this forum. Glad I did! This is my first post...

I had the great fortune to study with Howard at GIT also (back in 1983/84) and it was one of the best things I ever did in my life.

I attended one of HR's traveling seminars with Don Mock in San Francisco, and it convinced me that I had to make my way down to Hollywood to study with Howard (and Joe Diorio, Ron Eschete, and occasionally Joe Pass. Jimmy Herring was in my class. Frank Gambale and Scott Henderson had been there a year or two earlier and were teaching. Man, there were some great players roaming the halls in those days, all living "a hundred floors above me in the Tower of Song."

)

Howard was a truly brilliant man, in my opinion. Absolutely fantastic player, of course, and perhaps an even greater teacher.

I've got a couple of Howard's own guitar picks in a picture frame along with the jacket for the LP "The Real Howard Roberts" on the wall of my little practice room/studio. Howard's wife Patty sent them to me after Howard passed away, and they are a treasured memento. Patty said in her note to keep them away from open flame, since she thought they were made of acetate and might burst into flames!

Mike Evans at the University of Toronto has for years hosted a really great tribute website for Howard. If you ever want to find out more about one of the greatest guitarists of the 20th century (imho, at least), you might enjoy checking it out.

Howard Roberts - Jazz Guitarist

I'm looking forward to exploring the rest of this site, learning from some of you guys, and hopefully contributing a little whenever I can.

Cheers,

Flat

Found your quote about HR picks - any idea where to get one? Thanks.

**Flat** · 08-04-2011, 04:00 PM

Hey Kyleafornia -

Sorry, not sure where you might get one. Maybe you could send an email to Jay Roberts? (Howard's son)

He runs a guitar school in the Seattle area - the Roberts Music Institute. Maybe he would know? Good luck.

-Tim

**Kyleafornia** · 08-04-2011, 04:24 PM

Tim,

Thanks for the advice, great idea!

**Flyin' Brian** · 08-04-2011, 04:47 PM

The original Epiphone (Kalamazoo) guitars are like these below. I owned a blond standard and selling it was one of my dumber moves.

**Conman** · 08-08-2011, 07:35 AM

HR is one of my favorites. He is a great jazz guitarist although he is phenomenal guitaristnone of the best. If you can ever get your hands on his version of spinning wheel it is amazing and one of my favorite jazz songs ever.

TH · 08-08-2011, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by princeplanet

did anyone do the monster chops course? How did they find it? I started it years ago but decided I didn't like the style of his lines. Wouldn't surprise me to have a change of heart one day....

YEAH!! That green book? And the orange one on chord melody too? I don't know ANYONE else that even heard of those, and I kept them with me for years. I agree, his examples (which he points out are just suggestions) were a little "inside" for my sensibilities but they did point out the principles of arpeggiation quite effectively. But the practice template... that was priceless. Just his no nonsense laying out how much time to work on this, rest and now do this. It's flexible enough so you can put your own vocabulary in.
It's a great tool for cutting down the "futz factor" in the learning process.

I'll have to take those volumes off the shelf! Thanks for the reminder!
David

**davidblair** · 08-15-2011, 04:54 AM

I lived 4 doors from the Roberts in North Hollywood as an eight year old. His son Doug and I were best friends.
My mother gave me a guitar and Doug's mom offered lessons but I wasn't serious.
If only I knew...
They were a real nice family. I wonder what Doug Roberts is doing now?