Howard Roberts
Howard Roberts | |
---|---|
Birth name | Howard Mancel Roberts |
Born | Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | October 2, 1929
Died | June 28, 1992 Seattle, Washington, U.S. | (aged 62)
Genres | Jazz, rock, country |
Occupation(s) | Session musician, educator |
Instrument | Guitar |
Years active | 1950s–1992 |
Howard Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator, and session musician.[1]
Biography
Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and began playing guitar at the age of 8. By the time he was 15 he was playing professionally locally.[2][2]
In 1950, he moved to Los Angeles, California.[2] With the assistance of Jack Marshall, he began working with musicians, arrangers and songwriters including Neal Hefti, Henry Mancini, Bobby Troup, Chico Hamilton, George Van Eps, and Barney Kessel. Around 1956, Bobby Troup signed him to Verve Records as a solo artist. At that time he decided to concentrate on recording, both as a solo artist and a Wrecking Crew session musician, a direction he would continue until the early 1970s.
Roberts played rhythm and lead guitar, bass guitar, and mandolin. He was known for his heavy use of the Gibson L-5 guitar in the studio and for television and movie projects, including lead guitar on the theme from The Twilight Zone as well as acoustic and electric guitar on I Love Lucy, The Munsters, Bonanza, The Brady Bunch, Gilligan's Island, Green Acres, Get Smart, Batman, Beverly Hillbillies, Andy Griffith, Peter Gunn, Lost in Space, Dragnet, Wild Wild West, Mission: Impossible, The Odd Couple, Dick Van Dyke, I Dream of Jeannie, and the theme for the film Bullitt.
Roberts recorded with Georgie Auld, Peggy Lee, Eddie Cochran Jody Reynolds, Shelley Fabares, Dean Martin, the Monkees, Roy Clark, Chet Atkins, and the Electric Prunes.
In 1961, Roberts designed a signature guitar which was produced by Epiphone. The guitar was a modified Gibson ES-175 (Epiphone is owned by Gibson and during this period Epiphone guitars were manufactured in the same factory as Gibson guitars in Kalamazoo, Michigan), with a round sound hole and a single pickup. A redesigned version was later produced by Gibson.[3]
In 1963, Roberts recorded Color Him Funky and H.R. Is a Dirty Guitar Player, his first two albums after signing with Capitol. Produced by Jack Marshall, they both feature the same quartet with Roberts (guitar), Chuck Berghofer (bass), Earl Palmer (drums) and Paul Bryant alternating with Burkley Kendrix on organ.[4] He recorded ten albums with Capitol before signing with ABC Records/Impulse! Records.
As a member of the Wrecking Crew, Roberts was a part of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, playing guitar on some of the most famous songs in pop music history.
From the late 1960s, Roberts began to focus on teaching rather than recording. He traveled around the country giving guitar seminars, and wrote several instructional books. For some years he also wrote an acclaimed column called "Jazz Improvisation" for Guitar Player magazine. Roberts developed accelerated learning concepts and techniques, which led to the founding of Playback Music Publishing and the Guitar Institute of Technology. In 1977, he co-founded the Musicians Institute (MI) in Hollywood.
Roberts died of prostate cancer in Seattle, Washington, on June 28, 1992.[5]
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Howard Roberts among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[6]
Awards and honors
In 2007, Howard Roberts and others members of the Wrecking Crew were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.
Guitars
Howard Roberts' main instrument was a Gibson ES-150. Howard Roberts worked with Epiphone and Gibson to create several signature guitars. In 1962, Howard Roberts endorsed Epiphone and later the Epiphone Howard Roberts model was introduced. It was a 16" wide hollow body guitar with a Gibson humbucker bridge pickup and an oval sound hole in the center of body. In 1969 the model was rebranded as a Gibson. In 1970, Gibson introduced the Howard Roberts Fusion model, an electric semi-hollow guitar. The model evolved into Howard Roberts Fusion II in 1988 and Howard Roberts Fusion III in 1991. Both models are now discontinued.
Discography
As leader
- Mr. Roberts Plays Guitar (1956/1957) Norgran MGN-1106; Verve MGV-8192 [reissued on Verve UMV-2673 (Japanese import) in 1981; CD reissue: Fresh Sound 478 in 2008] (note: included on this CD are 5 bonus tracks from a January 1957 session for Intro Records featuring Red Norvo, Gerald Wiggins, Howard Roberts, Ben Tucker, and Joe Morello; this material was originally released as part of 'Collections' (Intro LP-608) along with 5 tracks recorded by Art Pepper)
- Good Pickin's (1959) Verve MGV-8305 [CD reissue: Verve B0005931-02 in 2006]
- Velvet Groove (1966) Verve MGV-8662 -compilation of 1956/1957/1959 material
- The Movin' Man (1966) Verve/MGM VSP-29 -compilation of 1957/1959 material
- This Is Howard Roberts...Color Him Funky (1963) Capitol ST-1887 [CD reissue: Guitarchives 40016 in 1997; Euphoria Jazz 190 in 2002]
- H. R. Is a Dirty Guitar Player (1963) Capitol ST-1961 [reissued on Pausa PR-9056 in 1986; CD reissue: Guitarchives 40016 in 1997; Euphoria Jazz 190 in 2002]
- Something's Cookin' (1965) Capitol ST-2214 [CD reissue: Euphoria Jazz 184 in 2001]
- Goodies (1965) Capitol ST-2400 [CD reissue: Euphoria Jazz 184 in 2001]
- Whatever's Fair! (1966) Capitol ST-2478 [CD reissue: Euphoria Jazz 185 in 2001]
- All-Time Great Instrumental Hits (1966) Capitol ST-2609 [CD reissue: Euphoria Jazz 185 in 2001]
- Jaunty-Jolly! (1967) Capitol ST-2716 [CD reissue: Euphoria Jazz 186 in 2001]
- Guilty!! (1967) Capitol ST-2824 [CD reissue: Euphoria Jazz 186 in 2001]
- Out of Sight (But 'in' Sound) (1968) Capitol ST-2901
- Spinning Wheel (1970) Capitol ST-336 [CD reissue: Vivid 4540399056340 issued as a Limited Edition "Mini-LP Sleeve Design" (Japanese import) in 2015]
- Antelope Freeway (1971) Impulse! AS-9207 [CD reissue: Impulse-UMe 602527809557 in 2011]
- Equinox Express Elevator (1972 [rel. 1975]) Impulse! AS-9299 [CD reissue: Impulse-UMe 602527809557 in 2011]
- Sounds (1974) Capitol ST-11247
- The Real Howard Roberts (1977) Concord Jazz CJ-53 [CD reissue: Concord CCD-4053 in 1994]
- Turning to Spring (1979) Discovery DS-812
- The Magic Band: Live at Donte's [rec. July 1968] (1995) V.S.O.P. 94
- The Magic Band II [rec. May 1968] (1998) V.S.O.P. 102
As sideman
With David Axelrod
- Release of an Oath (1968) released under the Electric Prunes
- Song of Innocence (1968)
- Songs of Experience (1969)
With June Christy
- Something Cool (Capitol Records, 1954)
With Buddy Collette
- Everybody's Buddy (Challenge, 1957)
- Jazz Loves Paris (Specialty, 1958)
With Nancy Sinatra
- Sugar (Reprise Records, 1966)
With Chico Hamilton
- Chico Hamilton Trio (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
With John Lee Hooker
- Free Beer and Chicken (ABC Records, 1974)
With Milt Jackson
- Memphis Jackson (Impulse!, 1969)
With Diane Schuur
- Deedles (GRP, 1984)
With Plas Johnson
- This Must Be the Plas (Capitol, 1959)
With Hank Jones
- Just for Fun (Galaxy, 1977)
With Bette Midler
- Broken Blossom (Atlantic Records, 1977)
With John Klemmer
- Constant Throb (Impulse!, 1971)
With Rosemary Clooney
- Rosie Swings Softly (Verve Records, 1960)
With Charles Kynard
- Where It's At! (Pacific Jazz, 1963)
With Peggy Lee
- Things Are Swingin' (Capitol Records, 1959)
- Blues Cross Country (Capitol Records, 1962)
- In the Name of Love (Capitol Records, 1964)
With Herbie Mann
- The Magic Flute of Herbie Mann (Verve, 1957)
With Thelonious Monk
- Monk's Blues (Columbia, 1968)
With Frank Morgan
- Frank Morgan (Gene Norman Presents, 1955)
With Shorty Rogers
- Chances Are It Swings (RCA Victor, 1958)
With Pete Rugolo
- Introducing Pete Rugolo (Columbia, 1954)
- Adventures in Rhythm (Columbia, 1954)
- Rugolomania (Columbia, 1955)
- New Sounds by Pete Rugolo (Harmony, 1954–1955, [rel. 1957])
- Music for Hi-Fi Bugs (EmArcy, 1956)
- Out on a Limb (EmArcy, 1956)
- Rugolo Plays Kenton (EmArcy, 1958)
- Ten Trumpets and 2 Guitars (Mercury, 1961)
- 10 Saxophones and 2 Basses (Mercury, 1961)
With Lalo Schifrin
- Gone with the Wave (Colpix, 1964)
- Cool Hand Luke (Dot, 1967)
- There's a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On (Dot, 1968)
- More Mission: Impossible (Paramount, 1968)
- Mannix (Themes from the Original Score of the Paramount Television Show) (Paramount, 1968)
- Bullitt (Warner Bros., 1968)
- Kelly's Heroes (MGM, 1970)
- Rock Requiem (Verve, 1971)
With Bud Shank
- Flute 'n Oboe (Pacific Jazz, 1957) with Bob Cooper
- Blowin' Country (World Pacific, 1959) with Bob Cooper
- Windmills of Your Mind (Pacific Jazz, 1969)
With Gábor Szabó
- Wind, Sky and Diamonds (Impulse!, 1967)
With Bobby Troup
- Bobby Troup (Capitol, 1953)
With Larry Williams
- Dizzy, Miss Lizzy (Specialty, 1958)[7]
Bibliography
- Roberts, Howard; Almeida, Laurindo; Heitmeyer, Howard; Hendrickson, Al; Kessel, Barney; Pitman, Bill; Bain, Bob; Marshall, Jack (1961). West Coast Guitar: Eight Original Solos for Guitar. New York: Leeds Music Corporation. ASIN B0080YPG16. OCLC 79391800.
- Roberts, Howard; Stewart, James (1971). The Howard Roberts Guitar Book. Cherry Lane Music. ISBN 978-0899150000.
- Roberts, Howard (1972). Howard Roberts Guitar Manual Chord Melody. Cherry Lane Music. ISBN 978-0899150024.
- Roberts, Howard; Grebb, Bob (1972). Howard Roberts Guitar Manual: Sight Reading. Playback Music Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0899150031.
- Roberts, Howard; Hagberg, Garry L. (1989). The Praxis System Guitar Compendium. Advance Music. ISBN 978-3892210191.
Notes
- ^ Yanow, Scott. "Howard Roberts Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ a b c Sallis, James. "Middle Ground: Herb Ellis, Howard Roberts, Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, Tal Farlow" Jazz Guitars: An Anthology. First ed. New York: Quill, 1984. 197-207. Print.
- ^ Marshall, Wolf, The Howard Roberts Guitar Sound, retrieved 2012-06-14
- ^ "The Howard Roberts Quartet". Guitarchives. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ Voce, Steve (2 July 1992). "Obituary: Howard Roberts". The Independent.
- ^ Rosen, Jody (25 June 2019). "Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
- ^ Larry Williams: Bad Boy The Legends of Specialty Records, Speciality Records 1989, liner notes
References
- Holder, Mitch; Roberts, Patty (2006). The Jazz Guitar Stylings of Howard Roberts. Mel Bay Publications. ISBN 978-0786674091.
External links
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- American jazz guitarists
- Mainstream jazz guitarists
- Cool jazz guitarists
- 1929 births
- 1992 deaths
- Capitol Records artists
- Impulse! Records artists
- Verve Records artists
- American jazz educators
- American session musicians
- 20th-century American guitarists
- Musicians from Phoenix, Arizona
- The Wrecking Crew (music) members
- Guitarists from Arizona
- American male guitarists
- West Coast jazz guitarists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- Male jazz musicians