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Born on October 2, 1929, in Phoenix, Arizona, Howard Roberts was a jazz guitarist and educator best known for his work as a session musician. Playing guitar since the age of 8 years old, Howard Roberts moved to Los Angeles, California in 1950 and immediately began working with writers, arrangers, and musicians such as Henry Mancini, Chico Hamilton, Neal Hefti, Barney Kessel and others. His early 1950s session work included albums with Bobby Troup and his wife Julie London. Signing to Verve Records as a solo artist, Howard Roberts recorded two albums for the label in the late 1950s – Mr. Roberts Plays Guitar (1957) and Good Pickin’s (1959) – while also participating in sessions for Buddy Collette, Peggy Lee, Herbie Mann, Shorty Rogers, Pete Rugolo, Bud Shank, and Larry Williams. In the 1960s, he became associated with the session musicians who became known as the Wrecking Crew. He was known as a guitarist but could also play bass guitar and mandolin. Some of his session work also included theme music for TV series including I Love Lucy, Peter Gunn, The Munsters, Green Acres, Dragnet, Wild Wild West, I Dream of Jeannie, Gilligan’s Island, Bonanza, Lost in Space, and many others. Signing with Capitol Records, he released a series of albums throughout the 1960s including Something’s Cookin’ (1964), Whatever’s Fair! (1966), Jaunty-Jolly! (1967) and Spinning Wheel (1969). As a member of the Wrecking Crew, Howard Roberts appeared on many of the biggest pop singles and albums of all time including many of Phil Spector’s productions and albums by the Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Nancy Sinatra, Harry Nilsson, Dean Martin, the Electric Prunes, and many more. By the end of the ‘60s, he turned his attention away from recording and concentrated on teaching. Apart from giving guitar seminars, he also wrote instructional books, penned a column for Guitar Player magazine, and developed learning concepts and techniques. Howard Roberts died on June 28, 1992, at the age of 62.
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