Joe Morello

Joseph A. "Joe" Morello ( born July 17, 1928 in Springfield, Massachusetts, † March 12, 2011 in New Jersey) was an American jazz drummer.

Life and work

The visually impaired from birth, Morello initially studied the violin at age six, with whom he also made it nine years into a solo performance in Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. At 15, he moved to the drums, which he ( who was impressed by the new techniques of his disciple so that he the next textbook dedicated to him ) with George Lawrence Stone and Billy Gladstone of Radio City Music Hall learned. Morello was after collaboration with the Glen Gray Ribbon (1950 ), guitarist Johnny Smith (1952) and the Stan Kenton band (1952 ) regular band member of the Marian McPartland Trio ( 1953-1956 ). From 1957 to 1967 he formed together with Dave Brubeck (piano ), Paul Desmond (alto saxophone) and Gene Wright ( bass), probably the most famous lineup of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Brubeck gave him space for extended solos. Good examples are Castilian Drums, Take Five, Far More Drums, Watusi Drums and Dance Unsquare. The recordings of the famous concert on February 22, 1963 in Carnegie Hall in Castilian Drums offer a particularly broad Morello solo.

After the separation of Brubeck Morello, who was considered a very precise drummer published, also plates with his Joe Morello Quartet, the outside of him Greg Kogan ( piano ), Ralph Lalama (saxophone and flute) and Gary Mazzaroppi ( bass) belonged: Going Places ( dmp records 1993) and Morello Standard Time ( dmp records 1994). Morello interpreted old jazz standards (Sweet Georgia Brown Take Five ), but also touched on recent film music ( Mission Impossible ). In addition to his work as a musician Morello also acted as a drum teacher.