Anecdotes about Howard Roberts

If you have some personal stories or anecdotes about Howard Roberts send them to me and I will place them here.

• Johnpaul Hoppe of Vallejo, CA, jph1208@yahoo.com

  HR and Wes Montgomery

  In general it's about the feelings that HR and Wes felt about making pop/"commercial" records! The first is based on a story that Howard shared with me. He told me about going to see Wes play at a jazz club in LA, and while on one of the breaks HR and Wes had a smoke/drink. Wes told Howard that he LOVED his playing, and because of some of HR's "commercial" records, he felt it was OK to do the same! Wes stated he liked most of his Riverside recordings, but was traveling a lot and wanted to make better money for his family. HR told me, Wes also stated, he felt he could not really do much studio work, because he could not really read music. HR said he understood, and stated both of their pop records got their names out to the general public in a large way and both of them getting fan mail and had young kids (rock guitar players) interested in jazz and learning more about music in general!

  HR and Jack Marshall and his "commercial" recordings

  Howard told me stories about Jack Marshall, what a nice guy he was and what a musical talent he was too (the producer of some of those LPs). HR felt he REALLY played about 10 % jazz on those records! But maybe getting people interested in learning/liking guitar music was the start of idea of doing the teaching thing for Howard!

  HR and George Benson

  The second story is about HR at the summer NAMM music show in Chicago, late 70's . Was at the trade show as a salesman for Rothchild Musical Instruments, had already known HR for years having booked him two times at OSU in Columbus, Ohio! And then when working/learning about the record business in LA ! Anyway went to the trade show, got tickets for some of my friends, so we could see each other. I had talked to Howard already, so we could meet up. Don't know the details but Howard and Gibson Guitars were not getting along! My guess is money! But Howard showed up at the Ibanez booth, and started playing and within minutes George Benson showed up! They started playing together, HR was just playing rhythm for George . . . but then George said "Take it" Howard was HOT. Benson's jaw hit the floor and after a while stopped playing and was just watching HR. People were shocked . . . HR just playing SO GREAT! It was magic! My dear friend, Mike McGannon was there! So he can tell you the story too! I had met George before, even played with him at a music store in Detroit. He also talked about HR and Wes kicking the door open wide for a GUITARIST to making BIG MONEY! LOL!

  On Guitars

  I got to know the wild, crazy and VERY talented HR on a business and personal level pretty well. We talked about guitar designs many times over the years. HR's likes and ideas about guitar designs changed over the years. But a few things seemed to stay true. He liked a smaller body, like the Gibson ES-175 (which he played, sold to Jim Hall) BUT wanted the longer fret scale of 25.5! Guess he never really played the first Epiphone HR guitars very much. Used it a little, but did not like the smaller Johnny Smith pick up. He had an older Gibson arch top with a oval sound hole at one time, and liked the idea because it put the output of sound near your ear as the player! He got an older Gibson guitar from Herb Ellis, the BLACK monster and had many changes done to it, scale length, the upper cutaway, pickups, etc., over time! He liked the sound of the P-90, but added a humbucking PU in the bridge position. When Gibson came out with the new HR custom, oval sound hole model, HR played it awhile, but he had a 1/2 " wood soundpost put inside under the bridge. And again HR started fussing with pickups etc. So, when the first Fusion models came out, he did the same! My friends Bill & Pat Bartolini made him a VERY special bridge up with six outputs, one per string! He liked the size of the guitar but not the weight. He was doing a lot less recording dates and mainly lesson gigs, and playing a few gigs VERY LOUD! I NEVER saw him play the later Fusion models. So the fusion model III, I don't really know anything about them at all,

  On a Prospective Recording

  Howard wanted to do mainly JAZZ stuff! BUT we had been talking about doing the tune Maxine by Donald Fagen (from Steely Dan), it was on his solo '82 LP Nightfly, we already had a friend of mine do a chart. HR wanted to use Ernie Watts on sax. We both liked Larry Carlton and Michael Brecker playing on the tune, but he wanted to have more room/space for solos, etc. He had heard stuff by the Police on the radio, said his kids liked them. And one of his ideas was doing a solo guitar version of Sting's Fields of Gold song backed with a cello & upright bass! Had been working on the title idea & cover photos! With all the ideas and planning this would have been a GREAT project but then Howard said maybe we need to wait a while, I am not feeling good! another song HR wanted to do in some form was the Bad and the Beautiful by David Raksin (the writer of Laura, etc.). Don't think HR played on any of these movie sound tracks, think before his time, but he just liked Raksin's writing! I could not find sheet music or score, and one night Eddie Duran told my friend Paul Robinson, I think I have that!

• Jay Smith, jps3065@yahoo.com

  HR and Barney Kessel

  I had the opportunity to attend a week long seminar in the Sierra Mountains, conducted by Barney Kessel. BK was a true GENTLEMAN, but possesed great humor and could be brutally honest. BK mentioned Howard several times thru the week Always with praise and respect. He also singled out Playback Press for publishing excellent study materials.

  HR and Playback Press

  Forward to 1992......I saw an ad in GP Magazine about Playback Books being available again. I call the number a nd Howard answers the phone. We talked for 15-20 minutes about guitar and guitarists. Everytime I brought up the subject of payment for the books, he changed the subject back to guitar. I finally had to insist on discussing payment, and he said "Oh I don't know, don't worry about it, somebody will call You back about all that stuff." He mentioned a guitarist by the name of Dave Monday (not sure on the spelling). What a great Guy.

  Also, hello to John Paul Hoppe...He had the best guitar shop on the planet!

• Barry Worrell, min7th@cox.net

  In the 1960s I work at an electronics place in N. W. Washington, D.C. Our department sold home audio components, and among many artists, we used Howard's "Color Him Funky" as one of our favorite demonstration albums. When Howard came to town, he was playing in a little jazz club, and through some contacts I found out where he was staying. I wanted to invite him to drop in our store so we could meet him.

  I called his hotel and asked the desk clerk if I could speak with him. He said he was probably still asleep, but he was scheduled for a wake-up call and my phone call would serve the purpose. When Howard answered the phone I could tell that I woke him. I told him who I was and where I worked and that we used his "Funky" album for demos. I don't remember too much of the conversation, but Howard was very cordial and said "Groovy" when I mentioned playing his album for demos.

  Howard said he had some radio things to do, and if he had time he would come in the next day. He never showed. I even forfeited my half day off and stayed in case he did. I was a bit disappointed, but I did go see him at the club and he was awesome. Something I wouldn't have missed.