Joe Morello, drummer for the Dave Brubeck Quartet back in the day, passed away yesterday at the age of 82. Thanks for putting up with all the odd time signatures, Joe.
He was a Springfield, Massachusetts native, along with Dr. Suess, Creighton Abrams, Donald Naismith, Milton Bradley, Kurt Russell, Timothy Leary, Taj Mahal, Eddie Shore, John Brown, Billy Curtis the Munchkin, and a pretty girl I know.
11 Responses
Timothy Leary? Far out!
Nice chops on the skins.
wm
I liked everything about that quartet except Dave Brubeck – who (at least in my mind) never played a solo that bore repeated listening . (Heresy, I know). But Joe Morello and Paul Desmond? Fantastic.
Oh man, those guys….
I met Joe Morello in San Antonio in 1964, when the DBQ played a concert at Trinity University. Magic….Morello's solos are the perfect example of playing music on the drums.
FWIW, far from "putting up" with those off-center time signatures, there's pretty good evidence that Morello was the inspiration for them in the DBQ, due to his interest in time.
Q. What's the difference between a drummer and a percussionist?
A. Joe Morello.
Requiescat In Pace.
Thanks for posting that – I have never seen a video of them playing – only listened to recordings. I like how Dave would push down a key, hold it down, then switch fingers on that same depressed key. Excellent.
Paul Desmond – holy schnike! Man, what a clean sound. Awesome playing.
And Joe Morello – what can I say – what an awesome drummer. Nice solo on this tape – very nice indeed.
I've been decidedly neutral on "misterarthur."
I'm not anymore.
I saw DBQ live at Monterey couple lifetimes ago, and it took a couple of tubes of superglue to put my skull back together after.
I respect your right to express your opinion, but dude, DAVE BRUBECK? C'mon. Jefferson was just a loudmouth poli-sci under-grad, too, right?
Speaking of Timothy Leary… the chemist Owlsley Stanley has departed, too.
http://www.synthstuff.com/mt/archives/individual/2011/03/rip_owsley_stanley_.html
Mr. Glendale, didn't mean to offend you. Just my opinion. Anyway, from today's (Monday, March 14) New York Times obituary of Mr. Morello.
"After the quartet disbanded Mr. Morello primarily worked as a drum clinician and teacher. His students included Jerry Granelli and Danny Gottlieb, both notable jazz drummers, and Max Weinberg, the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen and the former bandleader for “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”
But Mr. Morello yearned for the bandstand. “I’m tired of saying to some student, ‘This is a stick.’ ” he told The New York Times in 1973. “I want to get out and play again.”
Politest. Tongue-in-cheek. Flamewar. Evar.
I had the distinct honor of playing during the 1980's in a big band that toured with Morello throughout Texas. He was giving clinics. The finest Percussionist I have ever heard!
Don't forget Geo Irving, Edward Bellamy, and my Mom. She went to high school with Tim Leary. :o)
Was the saxophonist emphysemic?
What a shitty job on 'The Riff'. Lost yer breath? Bad jorb….
Jazz was music for people Who Got Stuff Done.
We (figuratively, not you) don't get anything done anymore, like the Space Program, or 'Defense' or y'know, 'making shit?'
So much for that.
–Gray