Howard Alden is a formidable guitarist with an international reputation, visiting California this winter for a number of dates with violinist Kit Eakle, well known as an historian of the violin in jazz.

Alden and Eakle are embarking on a run of quartet dates around the Bay Area exploring the music of Thelonious Monk and Django Reinhardt. Here, they’ll strip it down to duo and solo work.

Alden notes, “the chance to play this music in a duo format is very special to me and will create an entirely different vibe from the quartet shows. I love the duo format, it creates an intimate and unique atmosphere with every different personality, whether with another guitarist or one horn like my meetings with Warren Vaché, Anat Cohen, Ken Peplowski and others over the years.”

Howard Alden and Warren Vache

We’re delighted that Howard Alden has developed an affinity for the Bird & Beckett audience and that he’ll be making a stop here for your listening pleasure!

About Howard Alden:  The seven-string guitar master comes from California, inspired by Armstrong, Basie and Goodman, and guitarists Barney Kessel, Django Reinhardt and George Van Eps. In 1979 Alden moved east with vibraphone legend Red Norvo. In New York, Alden’s skills were quickly sought out by a glittering array of jazz stars, including Joe WIlliams, Dizzy Gillespie and Woody Herman, as well as pop/rock icons Steve Miller and Jay Geils. Alden’s playing for Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” sparked a world-wide Gypsy Jazz revival. In 2009, DOWNBEAT Magazine named Howard “a Modern Maestro,” one of the 75 Greatest Guitarists of all time.

Says Kit Eakle: “Thelonious Sphere Monk made a huge impression on me as a youth. I listened intently to his music after being introduced to him by an art student of my father’s who left his jazz record collection at our house in 1961, including ‘Solo Monk,’ and ’Monk Alone in San Francisco.’ I wore out the grooves. Django Reinhardt’s music was a familiar Sunday morning childhood memory. Phil Elwood started off his Sunday morning Jazz program on KPFA with Django’s ‘Montmartre’ and his voice cut in over Django’s raised 5th (E in Ab) intro to his solo. These two outside voices, following their own path, showed me the importance of finding one’s own personal voice.”