Ted Howe

Biography

Ted Howe is a jazz pianist, arranger, composer, producer, and educator born in Boston, Massachusetts. His love of jazz was sparked early by his Uncle Oly, who introduced him to the music and the albums of Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, George Shearing, Dave Brubeck, and Bill Evans. In his teens he began formal piano studies with Harry Smith, one of the founding figures of the Berklee College of Music, and he advanced so rapidly that he became a Berklee faculty member himself — teaching piano arranging, theory, and improvisation — before the age of 24. A two-year stint as a pianist in the U.S. Army preceded a long-running gig at Boston's Surf Supper Club, where he rose to bandleader and accompanied major touring acts of the era.

Howe eventually relocated to Atlanta, where he joined the faculty of Georgia State University and helped develop its first jazz education program, while continuing to perform, compose, and produce. His arranging sensibility was deeply shaped by a year-long telephone mentorship with the late Herb Pomeroy — Berklee's celebrated trumpet player, arranger, and educator — who would debrief Howe on Sunday evenings after rehearsing the MIT Jazz Band. As a Summit Records recording artist, Howe built a catalog that includes the critically praised Pinnacle (Ted Howe Jazz Orchestra), the Duke Ellington tribute Ellington, the jazz trio reimagining Elton Exposed (featuring bassist John Patitucci and drummer Joe LaBarbera), and Love Song, which pairs jazz standards by Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, and James Van Heusen with original compositions co-written with lyricist and executive producer Rebekah Miller.

Now based in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, Howe continues to record, produce, and tour with his two signature live shows — "An Evening of Duke Ellington" and "Shaken Not Stirred" — and remains active as a teacher and collaborator. His students have included jazz vocalist Lizz Wright, pianist Sam Yahel, and Grammy-winning producer Matt Serletic, reflecting a pedagogical legacy that spans multiple generations of jazz and popular music. He is primarily associated with the smooth jazz and post-bop piano trio tradition, though his arranging work ventures into third-stream and art-pop territory.

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Fun Facts

• Howe became a professor at Berklee College of Music before the age of 24 — at the same institution where he had only recently been a student.
• His album Elton Exposed reimagines Elton John's pop catalog as jazz piano trio music, featuring two jazz heavyweights: bassist John Patitucci and drummer Joe LaBarbera.
• Herb Pomeroy mentored Howe almost entirely over the telephone — calling him most Sunday evenings after returning from MIT Jazz Band rehearsals, a routine that lasted over a year.
• Howe's Ellington tribute album had a lengthy stay on the JazzWeek radio airplay chart, demonstrating the staying power of his interpretive approach to the classic repertoire.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Harry Smith - Howe's first piano teacher in Boston; one of the legendary founders of Berklee College of Music [1960s]
• Herb Pomeroy - Berklee trumpet player, arranger, and educator; mentored Howe via weekly telephone sessions for over a year on arranging [1970s–1980s]

Key Collaborators

• Neal Starkey - Longtime bassist and collaborator; featured on the Ellington tribute album (Ellington)
• Jerry Fields - Longtime drummer and collaborator; featured on the Ellington tribute album (Ellington)
• John Patitucci - Bassist on the jazz trio album Elton Exposed (Elton Exposed)
• Joe LaBarbera - Drummer on the jazz trio album Elton Exposed (Elton Exposed)
• Rebekah Miller - Lyricist and executive producer; co-wrote original songs for Love Song album (Love Song)
• Flying Lotus - Reported current collaborator; electronic musician, producer, and composer [2010s–2020s]

Artists Influenced

• Lizz Wright - Jazz vocalist; studied with Howe
• Sam Yahel - Jazz pianist; studied with Howe
• Matt Serletic - Grammy Award-winning music producer; studied with Howe

External Links

• Spotify