Howard Mancel Roberts was born on October 2, 1929, in Phoenix, Arizona. A self-proclaimed "desert rat," he began playing the guitar at an early age. Howard received his first instrument, a Gibson Kalamazoo acoustic costing about $18.00, when he was 9 years old. He began sitting in with local jazz musicians when only 11, and turned pro by the time he was 15 ; working then with the likes of Art Farmer and Pete Jolly. Roberts studied guitar with Horace Hatchett during this period and was introduced to the styles and techniques of players like Django Rheinhardt, George Van Eps and Barney Kessell. His training with Hatchett was supplemented with guitar playing and learning insights from Howard Haitmeyer. He also studied the Schillinger system of composition, a mathematical approach to music, with Fabian Andre when he was 17.
In 1950, Howard made a fortuitous move to Los Angeles. He lived a vagabond life, subsisting on chocolate chip cookies, sleeping in cars, and jamming in after-hours clubs before meeting arranger-guitarist Jack Marshall at the Hague through Barney Kessell. Howard consequently met, proved himself and worked with L.A.'s best musicians including Bobby Troup (who wrote "Route 66") and Chico Hamilton. On the basis of his considerable abilities, he was rapidly drawn into the inner circle of the L.A. music scene receiving rewarding work in the recording studios, TV, on tours and as Director of Guitar Curriculum for Westkake College of Music (the first accredited vocational music school in the U.S.). He divided his efforts as jazz artist, touring and studio musician and educator in the fifties. His contract with Verve Records produced several fine Roberts jazz guitar albums including the early bop guitar classics Mr. Roberts Plays Guitar, Movin' Man and the adventurous Velvet Groove.
Source : https://www.riffinteractive.com/lesson?dir=wolfmarshall/history-of-the-electric-guitar/howardroberts1
Howard Roberts
Mr. Roberts Plays Guitar
(UMV 2673)
Tracks
1 I Hear a Rhapsody (Baker, Fragos, Gasparre) 4:39
2 The Innocents (Montrose) 4:43
3 Ah Moore (Cohn) 2:41
4 (Back Home Again in) Indiana (Hanley, MacDonald) 4:25
5 Serenata Burlesca (Marshall) 3:09
6 Indian Summer (Dubin, Herbert) 2:28
7 Jillzie (Roberts) 7:16
8 My Shining Hour (Arlen, Mercer) 2:19
9 Polka Dots and Moonbeams (Burke, Van Heusen) 3:43
10 An Orchid for Miss Sterling (Friedhoffer) 3:30
*
Personnel
[# 3, 5, 6 & 10]
Howard Roberts - g
Red Mitchell - b
Alvin Stoller - dr
String quartet & quintet
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California ; October 22, 1956
[# 2 & 8]
Herb Geller, Don Davidson, Harry Klee, Bob Cooper - rds
Pete Jolly - p
Howard Roberts - g
Bob Bertaux - b
Alvin Stoller - dr
String section
Recorded same place as above ; November 9, 1956
[# 1, 4, 7 & 9]
Bob Cooper - ts [out # 9]
Howard Roberts - g
Pete Jolly - p
Bob Bertaux - b
Bobby White - dr
Recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood ; January 17, 1957