Born in Newport Beach, California on October 17th, 1958, guitarist Howard Alden was self-taught until he had lessons at 16 with... wait for it... Jimmy Wyble (guitarists will understand the point). He was introduced to Howard Roberts and attended his G.I.T. workshops in 1977-8 with Herb Ellis, Joe Pass, et al. By 1979 he took on a season in Atlantic City with Red Norvo, whom he still refers to as the true catalyst for his ascension to a higher level. New York beckoned and he went - playing with Joe Bushkin, Dick Hyman and other traditional masters, eventually establishing the Alden-Barrett Quintet in 1985. He continued to gig and record (for Concord Jazz) with Ruby Braff, Kenny Davern and Jack Lesberg. On the advice of Concord founder Carl Jefferson, he called seven-string guitar maestro George Van Eps and the two rehearsed and performed together, eventually collaborating on four albums. By 1991, Alden had transitioned to seven-string guitar. Since then his career has led him around the world and broadened his repertoire to a scope that few contemporaries can match. In 2021, Music Radar called Howard Alden "...one of the greatest jazz guitarists working today."