Howard Alden (born (1958-10-17)October 17, 1958)[1] 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.
Biography [edit]
Early life [edit]
Howard Alden was born in Newport Beach, California 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.[2] 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.[3]
Career [edit]
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.[4] 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.
Personal life [edit]
Alden lives in Manhattan.[5]
Other endeavors [edit]
He taught actor Sean Penn to convincingly mime playing 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.[6]
Awards [edit]
- 1990 - "Best Emerging Guitar Talent" poll winner in JazzTimes
- 1992 - "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" from Down Beat
- 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 [edit]
| Year |
Album |
Leader |
Label |
| 1985 |
"No Amps Allowed" |
Howard Alden & Jack Lesberg |
Chiaroscuro |
| 1986 |
"Swing Street" |
Howard Alden |
Concord Jazz |
| 1988 |
"Swinging Into Prominence" |
Howard Alden |
Famous Door |
| 1988 |
"Plays the Music of Harry Reser" |
Howard Alden |
Stomp Off |
| 1989 |
"The Howard Alden Trio Plus Special Guests Ken Peplowski & Warren Vache" |
Howard Alden |
Concord Jazz |
| 1989 |
"The ABQ Salutes Buck Clayton" |
Howard Alden & Dan Barrett |
Concord Jazz |
| 1990 |
"Snowy Morning Blues" w/ Monty Alexander |
Howard Alden |
Concord Jazz |
| 1991 |
"13 Strings" w/ George Van Eps |
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 |
Concord Jazz |
| 1996 |
"Take Your Pick" |
Howard Alden |
Concord Jazz |
| 2001 |
"The Jazz KENnection" |
Kenny Davern & Ken Peplowski |
Arbors Records |
| 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 |
Concord Jazz |
| 2004 |
"Live In '95" |
Howard Alden & Dan Barrett |
Concord Jazz |
| 2005 |
"Everything I Love" |
Howard Alden & Dave Cliff |
Zephyr Records |
| 2006 |
"Howard Alden's UK 4 Live at Lewes" |
Howard Alden |
Woolf Notes |
| 2006 |
"Maurice Hines: To Nat King Cole With Love" |
Maurice Hines |
Arbors Records |
| 2006-05-08 |
"Dialogues"
|
w/ Kenny Davern
|
Arbors Records |
| 2007 |
"Howard Alden and Ken Peplowski's Pow-Wow" |
Howard Alden and Ken Peplowski |
Arbors Records |
| 2010 |
"I Remember Django" |
Howard Alden - featuring Anat Cohen & Warren Vaché |
Arbors Records |
References [edit]
External links [edit]
