Joe Morello

RickyG

Junior Member
There seems to be very little mention of the great Joe Morello in the discussions. In the Favorite Drummer thread I don't think I saw his name once. I'm wondering why. His solo with Dave Brubeck at Carnegie Hall is one for the ages. His playing is always very melodic and his chops are huge.
 
I've not long been playing myself and discovered Joe Morello through this site, what a drummer! Anyone who hasn't seen the video clip of his solo that starts off without sticks please look it up now. Does anyone know where I can find more footage of him or recommended discography?
Cheers
 
RickyG said:
There seems to be very little mention of the great Joe Morello in the discussions. In the Favorite Drummer thread I don't think I saw his name once. I'm wondering why. His solo with Dave Brubeck at Carnegie Hall is one for the ages. His playing is always very melodic and his chops are huge.

I think he's awesome, and I'm sorry I left him off my list.

About five years ago it was my major aspiration to make it to New York and study drums with him. I had a plan - part one was to be coming to New Zealand, playing some noisy rock gigs, sleeping in buses and getting all of that stuff out of my system for a while. Then I was going to go to New York and study jazz, and I was going to do what it took to get on Joe's books as a student.

Somehow I got stuck in NZ though. I acquired some really good musician friends I didn't want to leave behind, I moved in with a girl... Ran out of money... that sort of thing.

I'd still love to do it, but given the fact that I just discovered my primary spending account (not my business one) has $0.58 in it I think it's kind of unlikely :)
 
He still teaches in New Jersey, I believe. He advertises in the classifieds in MD. Can you imagine getting lessons from the great Joe Morello.

BTW, IMHO, his best drum solo (if not the best drum solo ever recorded) is on a tune called "Far More Drums" on an album called "Time Further Out" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. The Drummerworld video clip of Joe Morello is a live version of part of that solo. Amazing drum solo. Amazing recorded drum sound too, loud and wide open.
 
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Kudos to you, 'Far More Drums' is an excellent piece of work. I think I'll put it on now. I'd forgotten I had this album on my computer. That ride cymbal sends shivers down my spine; I used to (and still do to some extent) model my tom sound on his. What a truly great inspiration and a great guy. He deserves far more recognition.
 
Morello is a legend. Unbelievable, beautiful player. A great blend of technique, feel and passion. One the greatest.

TOMANO
 
Henry II said:
He still teaches in New Jersey, I believe. He advertises in the classifieds in MD. Can you imagine getting lessons from the great Joe Morello.


I have studied on and off with Joe for years. I live in Virginia now so it'a a little difficult to make it up there.

Let me tell you a little about Joe. I came to him as a teenager, not knowing much about technique. He was always kind and made me feel at home. Most people would feel a bit scared just playing for him, but he puts you at ease. He would say things like, anyone can do this - it just takes practice. He would say the difference between us was that he's been doing it longer. Comments like that show how humble a man he is and how kind he is to those coming up. The last few lessons I had he asked if I got my money's worth saying, "I hope you got something out of it." Of course I did.

I keep telling my students that the reason I could do back to back Vegas syle shows on cruise ships or teach straight through the day is that Joe showed me technique that works with my body not against it. Well, I could go on forever, but there are so many pros who have egos and attitudes. I wanted to let everyone know that Joe is not only a pro as a musician, but also as a human being. Thanks Joe.

Jeff
 
lowender said:
I've not long been playing myself and discovered Joe Morello through this site, what a drummer! Anyone who hasn't seen the video clip of his solo that starts off without sticks please look it up now. Does anyone know where I can find more footage of him or recommended discography?
Cheers
Grab Brubeck's "Take Five"
 
Morello's great. Definatly one of my favourite drummers. His technique is outstanding , just hearing play proves and i especially love the solo for take five and castillian drums, but all his other stuff is just as good!
 
Cool! At last I have found Joe Morello's thread! He's definitely one of the greatest drummers in history, and one of the most silent heroes of jazz music in the same time. I mean... what would be Take Five without his perfect rhythm, and then a solo which could be played only by a real genius. Or Unsquare Dance... Morello should be a real example for all jazz drummers, because he is a virtuoso not thanks to some ultra-fast ultra-loud solos. He's great because of his subtle, groovy, and damn melodic playing!

I was always fascinated by his playing. Few days ago, after 3,5 years of playing drums I recorded my Take 5 solo. http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9222 It's really hard to catch Morello's sophisticated, and subtle sound, but I'm pretty proud of this recording.
 
^^ GREAT job! amazing!

if i may ask, i think my drum teacher taught me the groove wrong, i play it with the snare hits and ghosts on the 2, the and after the three, and a ghost on the five.
 
stumprrp said:
^^ GREAT job! amazing!

if i may ask, i think my drum teacher taught me the groove wrong, i play it with the snare hits and ghosts on the 2, the and after the three, and a ghost on the five.

Thanks! I didn't play it exactly the way Joe did. As far as I remember, originally the snares were (big letters): one two AND three AND FOUR five AND (single or double stroke;)) with accents on 'AND three', and 'FOUR'. Hope it helps ;)
 
Isn't the "Castillian Drums" beat just perfect!!! Cheeeeesus, Morello's dynamics are just ideal!

To stumprrp: No problem :)
 
There are so many things that I love about his drumming. Melodic solos as someone else has said, his amazing left hand, the sound of his drums. It is really hard to pin down one thing that he does that keeps me coming back to listen and watch, because there are so many things that he does that are incredible. But I am always floored by his smoothness, and almost effortless flow of playing. He is truely one of the greats of our time, and I would be honored to meet him.
 
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