He then began playing professionally around Los Angeles in groups ranging from traditional to mainstream to modern jazz. On Barney Kessel's recommendation guitarist Jimmy Wyble took over the duty of developing Howard's technique. In 1977 he studied with Howard Roberts for one year at the Guitar Institute of Technology where he was then invited to teach for the next couple of years while gigging in the Los Angeles area. Other experience included playing in the pit bands for the Broadway shows running in LA. In 1979, Red Norvo, Howard and Bassist Steve Novosel played a four-month engagement in Atlantic City. This proved to be a great experience for the young guitarist who then returned to LA to freelance.

After moving to New York City in 1982, Alden's skills, both as soloist and accompanist, were quickly recognised and sought after for appearances and recordings with such artists as Ruby Braff, Joe Williams, Warren Vaché and Woody Herman.

Howard Alden has been a Concord Jazz recording artist since the late '80s where his prolific recorded output as leader, co-leader, and versatile sideman, has captured an artist of consistency, astonishing virtuosity and originality.

One of many highlights in Howard Alden's fruitful association with Concord Jazz came in 1991 when, at the urging of the late Concord President, Carl Jefferson, Alden recorded with one of his all-time heroes, seven-string guitar master George Van Eps on the album "Thirteen Strings".

Howard played a Gibson 175 guitar from around 1958 until his association with Howard Roberts in 1978 when he began playing Gibson's Howard Roberts Model guitar. As a result of his association with - and inspiration from - George Van Eps, he has been playing Benedetto seven-string guitars since 1992. The seven-string guitar imparts a greater range and harmonic richness to Alden's already colourful tonal palette. This is evidenced on three remarkable follow-up albums with Van Eps, "Hand-Crafted Swing", "Seven & Seven" and "Keepin' Time", his critically acclaimed duo recording with saxophonist/clarinettist Ken Peplowski "Concord Duo Series, Volume Three", and his remarkable performance with The Concord Jazz Guitar Collective.

Howard Alden was voted "Best Emerging Talent - Guitar" in the first annual JazzTimes critics' poll, 1990, and "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" in the 1992, 1993, and 1995 Down Beat Critics' poll.

As jazz critic Wayne Thompson writes simply, in Jazzscene, "If there are better young jazz guitar players in America than Howard Alden, I have yet to hear them." Howard Alden's growing base of loyal fans couldn't agree more.