Howard Roberts

[henryrobinett]

Henry..
Where did you get to meet HR ? Ken

I took s three day seminar in SF. But my teacher was a friend of his. A student friend. He kept taking his seminars and lessons and talked to him on the phone quite a bit. He talked to him about me so I had a good introduction.

[HR Fan]

Henry
That is great to hear !!
What year was that ? ken

[henryrobinett]

Henry
That is great to hear !!
What year was that ? ken

I think it was 1972.

[HR Fan]

Henry
I was listening to your " Uncommon Prayer " ..Cool stuff !!!
Did Charles Mingus mention what he thought of HR's guitar playing ? Ken

[henryrobinett]

By HR you don't mean me? No. And thank you very much!!

[HR Fan]

Henry
That is great both you and Howard have the same letters .LOL I did mean HR Howard Roberts though. Was Charles aware of him ? Ken

[jameslovestal]

Yes. He was very approachable. Affable. Always encouraged questions and was very concerned that you comprehended what he was saying. That was my experience.

I saw Howard many times at Donte's back in the 80s. These were great concerts and the band didn't get 'too out there' like some of those fusion records HR was making at the time. One was with Gabor Szabo. This was a somewhat strange pairing but it really worked.

[henryrobinett]

Henry
That is great both you and Howard have the same letters .LOL I did mean HR Howard Roberts though. Was Charles aware of him ? Ken

I was unaware of Mingus being aware of him. Even though Mingus played with Tal Farlow in the Red Norvo Trio, Pluck, Pick and Plank I don't think he thought much pf guitar players in general. You know, like most of the jazz world at that time.

[Flat]

I saw Howard many times at Donte's back in the 80s. These were great concerts and the band didn't get 'too out there' like some of those fusion records HR was making at the time.

I was probably in that room with ya'. I would see Howard every time he played Donte's.

And out there? I've got a copy of his Equinox Express Elevator LP. I haven't heard it in decades, but back when it was too much for my ears. I oughta dig that out and see if I've grown.

[Dennis D]

I was probably in that room with ya'. I would see Howard every time he played Donte's.

And out there? I've got a copy of his Equinox Express Elevator LP. I haven't heard it in decades, but back when it was too much for my ears. I oughta dig that out and see if I've grown.

.........I stumbled onto this one too...and the good ol' stuff of HR's and others in those days was long out of print !....


Hair Is Beautiful - Barney Kessel | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic


......there's more available now.....counting my blessings !!!

[HR Fan]

James
Did you take any pictures or recordings of HR playing at Donte's ?

[daveg]

Howard Roberts - Jazz Guitarist

It's hard to believe that anyone who is serious about Jazz Guitar has NOT heard of Howard Roberts.

[HR Fan]

Dennis
A friend made his old tape of HR into a DVD and gave me a copy.... Ken

[Dennis D]

Dennis
A friend made his old tape of HR into a DVD and gave me a copy.... Ken

Thx Ken !

He sure made it look easy, eh ?

Dennis

[HR Fan]

Dennis.. He sure did...Great to see him playing ..isn't it ? : )

[lawson-stone]

Dennis
A friend made his old tape of HR into a DVD and gave me a copy.... Ken

Wow he's also playing a pretty "budget" guitar. Looks like an Aria Pro II Herb Ellis model, judging from the headstock and tailpiece.

Another bit of evidence that the guitar doesn't need to be a Mercedes Benz if the hands driving it know what to do.

[Dennis D]

Dennis.. He sure did...Great to see him playing ..isn't it ? : )

It sure is !

[Jazzy Beatle]

Thanks for the uploads Ken!

[Lazz]

My song-writing partner went to G.I.T. I guess in '77.
He quit after 2 weeks (seems there was something he needed that he just wasn't getting from them) and they offered him a position teaching there instead, but he'd already moved contentedly over to Dick Grove.

Anyway, interesting HR/LA anecdote that he relayed to me:

Roberts had taken an international touring gig with a Downbeat poll-winners package. I don't think he'd been out of the country much before that, if at all. So he welcomed the recognition and the opportunity. The problem was that on his return home he found that he'd slipped right off the studio first-call list and been replaced by those who had stuck around while he was out of town.

His solution for the dilemma of lost work was to spend a week or so walking around L.A.'s studio blocks real fast and busy-like with guitar case in hand. Others on the scene who happened to be on the street as he passed would recognise him, of course, and were keen and happy to greet him and ask where he'd been and what he was doing.

"Yeah - good to see you, too" he'd say "But I can't stop... don't have time... really busy..." and bustle off around the corner in pre-occupied pursuit of something more important.

The following week, he started getting studio calls again.
Shrewd.

[HR Fan]

So true... HR's Red guitar was being worked on at the time.. Brian ..the person who gave me the film was the one that was doing a repair on HR's guitar.So HR chose from Easy Music store ( which Brian worked at ) that Herb Ellis Aria to play while his guitar was in the shop...

[SamBooka]

I think that is only the second vid of HR playing live I have ever seen.. !!!!!

[HR Fan]

I will post more of HR from this gig in Hawaii and also I have HR live at GIT playing one of his many Fusion guitars . (maybe 5 videos ) on You Tube

[HR Fan]

Wiz... Were you in the same class as Doug Perkins ?? If so did you take any pictures or record or film HR and Don Mock playing at your graduation ? Do you remember the color of the Fusion guitar that HR played ?