On Monday, March 7, GIT welcomes one of its original alumni back for a special clinic. Seven-string jazz guitar master and GIT graduate Howard Alden will present an afternoon event highlighting his tasty, virtuoso technique with a focus on solo guitar performance.

Following his graduation from GIT in 1978 (where he gained the nickname "Spiderfingers"), Alden's outstanding skills and musicality earned him a position as one of the school's youngest teachers. Already dazzling on six-string guitar and banjo, Alden took up the seven-stringed instrument and soon achieved even wider recognition. After moving to New York in the mid-1980s, Alden found his reputation as a master solo performer quickly spreading, accompanied by rave reviews ("He may be the best of his generation" -Owen Cordle /JazzTimes; "The most impressive and creative member of a new generation of jazz guitarists"-George Kanzler /Newark Star Ledger).

In addition to supplying the Django-flavored fretwork for Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown, Alden's recording career includes numerous guest spots as well as solo releases. GIT students are in for a special treat.