Howard Roberts

[Kyleafornia]

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?

I just picked up a Benson 300H amp, like HR used and man am I pleased! I play a Gibson L-4CES (like ES175 but with spruce top) and it sings!

Always wondered, I heard mention many times that they lived in Hollywood or West Hollywood. Since you grew up there, do you know the address? I know, it's been a while, but a friend of mine actually does tours on homes of guitar players & I'm sure he;\'d be interested - not to bug anyone but to drive by. If not it's cool, just fixated on all things HR I guess. ) Now if I could get my fingers to cooperate!

[Kyleafornia]

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.

Hi,

Interested in your sale items, can you list?

Thanks!

[Kyleafornia]

Hi,

Interested in your sale items, can you list?

Thanks!

I'm interested in sale items also, did I miss the list? Thanks.

[croth]

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

Nice c.1966 pic, no doubt, but sorry to disappoint you but that is not an Epiphone Howard Roberts you're playing. The HR was (is) a single cutaway, oval-holed guitar with a single Johnny Smith floating pickup and 2 controls.

[croth]

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

I own a '67 like the one you have pictured here except that mine is a little more unusual in that the controls are not built into the body, but are floating- built into the pickguard instead. The top, then, is solid, and has never been drilled into. I have only seen a picture of one other like that, and for all I know it could be the same one that just changed hands. Gibson and private appraisers have told me that a couple were made that way and that the workmanship appears to be factory original.

I think it is a great guitar and has been very under-valued considering its extraordinary solid carved spruce top workmanship.

[Banksia]

This is the Gibson HR Custom



This is the HR Artist

And this is the Gibson HR Fusion

[croth]

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

Oops. Sorry, I see someone else discovered the error before my post. I didn't see this before. My oversight.

[Kyleafornia]

I bought the three volume Compendium "Praxis" books from Roberts Institue of Music, where his son Jay now teaches. HR was light years ahead of me but I have grown by leaps & bounds reading these books.

[Synchro]

I got to see Howard in a clinic circa 1980. He was jaw-dropping good. He played things that were all but incomprehensible and did so effortlessly. IMHO, his recorded output doesn't do justice to his abilities.

[StevenGurg]

Hey Players,
Here is the link to some cool photos and video and music:
Howard Roberts Tribute | Indiegogo

Jay Roberts, son of HR, is producing an amazing tribute to his dad with some really great talent, such as:
SunnySide Out- The Players
The list of musicians eager to pay tribute grows daily- currently we are contacting those who played with HR during his career... Below are some of players that have expressed interest so far:
Carol Kaye - Bass/Guitar
Bob Bain - Guitar w/Doc Severinsen
Joe Porcaro - Drums
Dave Grusin - Piano
Chuck Berghofer - Bass
Mitch Holder - Guitar
Howard Alden - Guitar
Don Mock - Guitar - Co founder of MI
Tom Collier - Vibes
Dan Dean - Bass w/Dave Grusin
Marc Seales - Piano
Luis Peralta - Percussion w/Dizzy Gillespie
This list of high caliber players- those deeply influenced by HR in so many ways - grows each day and will be updated weekly on www.indiegogo.com/HowardRobertsTribute, as it develops.

This is an admirable venture and a way to educate more players about HR.

[Jazzy Beatle]

I discovered Howard Roberts a few months ago when I bought “jazz guitar vol.1 ultimate collection.” His “Good Pickin’s” album is on CD 5. I’ve got Jody Fisher’s Complete Edition of Jazz Guitar and he put H.R. on a list of guitarists you should hear.

However, it wasn’t until a few weeks ago when I first heard of Howard Roberts’ educational endeavours. I was kind of skeptical but I kept an open mind and tried to find out as much as possible about this amazing jazz guitarist. Suffice to say I decided to order the Guitar Compendium set and join this forum to see what else I can dig out on H.R. as well as find more words of jazz guitar wisdom, etc.

Found an interesting article on H.R. in Vintage Guitar magazine. In case you haven’t read it already and would like to, here’s the LINK.

[citizenk74]

Thank you so much for posting that link. Great article.

[Greentone]

My first issue of Guitar Player (Aug/Sep 70 I think) had a piece on the Wrecking Crew guys in the studio. It showed Roberts and Kessel playing old Telecasters. I was a teenager and recalled that my father had Howard Roberts records. I gave them a listen and was blown away. Been a fan now for 45 years.

[jameslovestal]

Check out the CD The Real Howard Roberts on Concord. It is his most straight ahead recording. I saw HR at Donte's in West Hollywood many times back in the 80s. Just great. One time he played with Gabor Szabo. Now that was interesting since their styles were very different. Of course HR is a fantastic jazz guitar players but most of his records are commercial and what I call pop jazz or his live recordings are kind of 'far out' in that the songs go on forever with super long solos (that is great if one is there like I was at Donte's but not so much for repeat listening).

[cgratham]

+1 for James's comments. The Real Howard Roberts is a great CD. I also enjoy most of the more pop jazz stuff but am not so keen on the live recordings.

[neatomic]

my fave hr is a quintet blowin date from 1959 on verve…good pickin's

cool cover too!



good group-


Guitar – Howard Roberts, Bass – Red Mitchell, Drums – Stan Levey, Piano – Pete Jolly (always good, and one of hr's main foils), Saxophone [Tenor] – Bill Holman with big tone
cheers

[jameslovestal]

[QUOTE=neatomic;568259]my fave hr is a quintet blowin date from 1959 on verve…good pickin's


good group-


Guitar – Howard Roberts, Bass – Red Mitchell, Drums – Stan Levey, Piano – Pete Jolly (always good, and one of hr's main foils), Saxophone [Tenor] – Bill Holman with big tone
cheers


I have this album and it is a very good straight ahead recording for Roberts. The one I have has a different cover with just a picture of Howard. I much rather look at that gal! As for Pete Jolly, when I saw Tal Farlow in Newport CA. he was the piano player.

Note that I also have most of Roberts commercial records, with my favorite one being Howard Roberts is a Dirty Guitar Player. But I don't listen to these much due to the songs being pop music. OK, Roberts has a tasty solo on many songs but it is only about a 10 second solo. Also the organ sound is very old fashion.

[neatomic]

really nice pete jolly date..from 63 with hr…on some…little bird

killer version of the then new, to kill a mockingbird film theme



worth lookin for

cheers

[Flat]

One of Howard's own. Made from acetate and highly-flammable!

[neatomic]

i have a couple of those picks..got'em back then

cheers

[HR Fan]

Hi
Did you study at GIT and what year ? Also if the 1980's ...do you remember HR playing his brown Fusion guitar ? Ken

[lawson-stone]

Most of his albums are available on iTunes, more than I had expected.

[neatomic]

you can see from that fusion guitar pic..which i remember...that hr was very concerned with intonation...guitar has an adjustable tune-a-matic bridge and (violin style) adjustable tailpiece..that fine tuning points to good ears..hr had massive chops and great instrument tech & design leanings..why he was always striving for (and sometimes cutting up perfectly good guitars)..aiming for that much more

cheers

[HR Fan]

Hi
Did you get to meet HR ? Ken

[HR Fan]

Hi
Thanks for writing back..
I have also posted on You Tube of him playing live with Pete Jolly from the 1980's.many videos..... He is playing one of his Fusion guitars.... Ken