Howard Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guita… Read Full Bio ↴Howard Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator and session musician.

Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and began playing guitar at the age of 8. By the time he was 15 he was playing professionally locally.
In 1950 he moved to Los Angeles. There, with the assistance of Jack Marshall, he began playing with musicians including Bobby Troup, Chico Hamilton and Barney Kessel. In about 1956, Bobby Troup signed him to Verve Records as a solo artist. Around that time he decided to concentrate on recording, both as a solo artist and session musician, a direction he would continue until the early 1970s.
Roberts played rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass and mandolin, in the studio and for television and movie projects, including lead guitar on the theme from The Twilight Zone, as well as the classic guitar themes in The Munsters, Bonanza, The Brady Bunch, Green Acres, Get Smart, Batman, Beverly Hillbillies, Andy Griffith, Peter Gunn, Johnny Quest, Gidget, Mannix, Lost in Space, Dragnet, Wild Wild West, Mission Impossible, The Odd Couple, and rhythm guitar on the theme from I Dream of Jeannie.
Artists Roberts backed include Georgie Auld, Peggy Lee (Fever), Eddie Cochran (Sittin In The Balcony), Bobby Day (Rockin Robin), Jody Reynolds (Endless Sleep), Shelley Fabares (Johnny Angel), Dean Martin (Houston), The Monkees, Roy Clark, Chet Atkins, and The Electric Prunes.
In 1961, Roberts designed a signature guitar which was originally produced by Epiphone. The guitar was a modified Gibson ES-175 (Epiphone is owned by Gibson and during this period Epiphone guitars were manufactured in the same factory as Gibson guitars in Kalamazoo, Michigan), with a round sound hole and a single pickup. A redesigned version was later produced by Gibson. The Howard Roberts signature was borne by two other models made by Gibson: the Howard Roberts Custom and the Howard Roberts Fusion III.
In 1963, Roberts recorded Color Him Funky and H.R. Is A Dirty Guitar Player, his first two albums after signing with Capitol. Produced by Jack Marshall, they both feature the same quartet with Roberts (guitar), Chuck Berghofer (bass), Earl Palmer (drums) and Paul Bryant alternating with Burkley Kendrix on organ. Both albums were released on a single CD under the title Dirty & Funky on Randy Bachman's label Guitarchives in 1998. In all, he recorded nine albums with Capitol before signing with ABC Records/Impulse! Records.
From the late 1960s, Roberts began to focus on teaching rather than recording. He traveled around the country giving guitar seminars, and wrote several instructional books. For some years he also wrote an acclaimed column called "Jazz Improvisation" for Guitar Player magazine. Roberts developed accelerated learning concepts and techniques, which led to the founding of Playback Music Publishing and the Guitar Institute of Technology. As a co-founder of GIT, now known as the Musicians Institute, Roberts' philosophy remains an integral part of the curriculum.
Roberts died of prostate cancer in Seattle, Washington on June 28, 1992. His wife Patty, also active in musical education, continued in this field after his death.
Howard inspired the opening of Roberts Music Institute in Seattle, Washington, which is currently owned by his son, Jay Roberts.

06. Look To Love
Howard Roberts Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The look of love
Is in your eyes
A look your smile can't
disguise

The look of love
Is saying so much more than
Just words could every say

And what my heart has heard
Well it takes my breath away

[Chorus]
I can hardly wait to hold you
Feel my arms around you
How long I have waited
Waited just to love you
Now that I have found you

You've got the look of love
It's on your face
A look that time can't erase
Baby be mine, tonight

Let this be just the start of
So many nights like this
Let's take a lovers vow
And seal it with a kiss

[Chorus]

Don't ever go
Don't ever go
I love you so
The look of love

Let this be just the start of
So many nights like this
Let's take a lover's vow
And baby we'll seal it with a kiss

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

Howard Roberts's song "Look of Love" is a love song that explores the intense feeling of love and the profound emotional connection between two people. The song describes the look of love in the eyes of the person he loves, which is more expressive than words that could ever describe. He is overwhelmed by the powerful emotions in his heart upon seeing her, and it takes his breath away. He cannot wait to embrace her and share intimate moments with her, as he has waited for so long to love her. The chorus reflects a sense of adoration and desire, as he declares his love and begs her not to leave him. The song concludes with a vow to seal their love with a kiss.

Line by Line Meaning

The look of love
The expression of affection

Is in your eyes
It's demonstrated in the way you gaze at me

A look your smile can't disguise
Your smile reveals what your eyes convey

Is saying so much more than Just words could every say
It conveys a lot of emotions that can't be expressed in words

And what my heart has heardWell it takes my breath away
My heart is touched by what your eyes are saying and it's overwhelming

I can hardly wait to hold you
I'm eager to embrace you

Feel my arms around you
Experience the warmth of my hug

How long I have waited
I've been yearning for this moment for so long

Waited just to love you
I've been anticipating the chance to love you

Now that I have found you
Now that I have finally met you

You've got the look of love
You radiate love effortlessly