Howard Alden

Howard Alden (born October 17, 1958 (age 52)) 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.

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 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 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.

In A Mellow Tone - Howard Alden and Bucky Pizzarelli (2003)

 

01. In a Mellow Tone
02. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
03. Tangerine
04. Snow Fall
05. Cherokee
06. In The Dark
07. The Very Thought of You
08. Three Little Words
09. What’s New?
10. Moon Glow
11. Jitterbug Waltz
12. I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles
13. Blues Foe Emmett

Howard Alden & Bucky Pizzarelli – guitars. (7 string)

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