Joe Morello
Encyclopedia
Joseph Albert Morello was a jazz
drummer
best known for his 12½-year stint with The Dave Brubeck Quartet
. He was frequently noted for playing in the unusual time signature
s employed by that group in such pieces as "Take Five
" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk
". Popular for its work on college campuses during the 1950s, Brubeck’s group reached new heights with Morello. In June 1959, Morello participated in a recording session with the quartet — completed by the alto saxophonist Paul Desmond and the bassist Eugene Wright — that yielded “Kathy’s Waltz” and “Three to Get Ready,” both of which intermingled 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures.
, playing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto
, and again three years later.
At the age of 15 Morello met the violinist Jascha Heifetz
and decided that he would never be able to equal Heifetz's "sound", so switched to drumming, first studying with a show drummer named Joe Sefcik and then George Lawrence Stone
, author of the noted drum textbook Stick Control for the Snare Drummer. Stone was so impressed with Morello's ideas that he incorporated them into his next book, Accents & Rebounds, which is dedicated to Morello. Later, Morello studied with Radio City Music Hall
percussionist Billy Gladstone
.
After moving to New York City, Morello worked with numerous notable jazz musicians including Johnny Smith
, Tal Farlow
, Stan Kenton
, Phil Woods
, Sal Salvador
, Marian McPartland
, Jay McShann
, Art Pepper
, Howard McGhee
, and others. After a period playing in McPartland's trio, Morello declined invitations to join both Benny Goodman
and Tommy Dorsey
's bands, favoring a temporary two-month tour with the Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1955; Morello remained with Brubeck for well over a decade, only departing in 1968. Morello later became an in-demand clinician, teacher and bandleader whose former students include Danny Gottlieb
, Max Weinberg
, Phish drummer Jon Fishman, Gary Feldman, Patrick Wante, Jerry Granelli, Glenn Johnson
and Rich Galichon
.
Morello appeared in many Brubeck performances and contributed to over 60 albums with Brubeck. On "Take Five
", he plays an imaginative drum solo maintaining the 5/4 time signature throughout. Another example of soloing in odd time signatures can be heard on "Unsquare Dance
", in which he solos using only sticks without drums in 7/4 time. At the end of the track, he can be heard laughing about the "trick" ending. He also features on "Blue Rondo à la Turk
", "Strange Meadow Lark", and "Pick-Up Sticks
".
During his career, Morello appeared on over 120 albums, 60 of which were with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. He authored several drum books, including Master Studies, published by Modern Drummer Publications
, and also made instructional videos. Morello was the recipient of many awards, including Playboy
magazine's best drummer award for seven years in a row, and Down Beat
magazine's best drummer award five years in a row. He was elected to the Modern Drummer
magazine Hall of Fame in 1988, the Percussive Arts Society
Hall of Fame in 1993, and was the recipient of Hudson Music's first TIP (Teacher Integration Program) Lifetime Achievement award in June, 2010.
Joe Morello died on March 12, 2011, at his home in Irvington, New Jersey
. He was 82 years old. His death was announced on his website, although no cause of death was given.
With Dave Brubeck
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
best known for his 12½-year stint with The Dave Brubeck Quartet
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
The Dave Brubeck Quartet is an American jazz quartet, founded in 1951 by Dave Brubeck and originally featuring Paul Desmond on saxophone and Brubeck on piano...
. He was frequently noted for playing in the unusual time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
s employed by that group in such pieces as "Take Five
Take Five
"Take Five" is a jazz piece written by Paul Desmond and performed by The Dave Brubeck Quartet on their 1959 album Time Out. Recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studios in New York City on June 25, July 1, and August 18, 1959, this piece became one of the group's best-known records, famous for its...
" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk
Blue Rondo à la Turk
"Blue Rondo à la Turk" is a jazz standard composition by Dave Brubeck. It appeared on the album Time Out in 1959. It is written in 9/8 and swing 4/4.-History:Brubeck heard the unusual "1-2/1-2/1-2/1-2-3" rhythm performed by Turkish musicians on the street...
". Popular for its work on college campuses during the 1950s, Brubeck’s group reached new heights with Morello. In June 1959, Morello participated in a recording session with the quartet — completed by the alto saxophonist Paul Desmond and the bassist Eugene Wright — that yielded “Kathy’s Waltz” and “Three to Get Ready,” both of which intermingled 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures.
Biography
Morello suffered from partial vision from birth, and devoted himself to indoor activities. At six years old he began studying the violin, going on to feature three years later as soloist with the Boston Symphony OrchestraBoston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
, playing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto
Violin Concerto (Mendelssohn)
Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 is his last large orchestral work. It forms an important part of the violin repertoire and is one of the most popular and most frequently performed violin concertos of all time...
, and again three years later.
At the age of 15 Morello met the violinist Jascha Heifetz
Jascha Heifetz
Jascha Heifetz was a violinist, born in Vilnius, then Russian Empire, now Lithuania. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time.- Early life :...
and decided that he would never be able to equal Heifetz's "sound", so switched to drumming, first studying with a show drummer named Joe Sefcik and then George Lawrence Stone
George Lawrence Stone
George Lawrence Stone was an influential American drummer and author.He wrote the books Stick Control for the Snare Drummer and Accents and Rebounds for the Snare Drummer . Among his students were Joe Morello, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton, and Vic Firth.-Biography:George Lawrence Stone was born in...
, author of the noted drum textbook Stick Control for the Snare Drummer. Stone was so impressed with Morello's ideas that he incorporated them into his next book, Accents & Rebounds, which is dedicated to Morello. Later, Morello studied with Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
percussionist Billy Gladstone
Billy Gladstone
Billy Gladstone , born William Goldstein, was a Romanian-born New York drummer, percussionist, drum builder, inventor, and drum teacher who performed in New York theaters, including the Capitol Theatre and most famously Radio City Music Hall in the 1930s and 1940s.He was perhaps most famous in his...
.
After moving to New York City, Morello worked with numerous notable jazz musicians including Johnny Smith
Johnny Smith
Johnny Smith is an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist.-Early years:...
, Tal Farlow
Tal Farlow
Talmage Holt Farlow was an American jazz guitarist. Nicknamed the "Octopus", Farlow's extremely large hands spread over the fretboard as if they were tentacles. He is considered one of the all-time great jazz guitarists. Michael G...
, Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
, Phil Woods
Phil Woods
Philip Wells Woods is an American jazz bebop alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader and composer.-Biography:...
, Sal Salvador
Sal Salvador
Sal Salvador was a bebop jazz guitarist and a prominent music educator.He was born in Monson, Massachusetts and began his professional career in New York City. He eventually moved to Stamford, Connecticut. He taught guitar at the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, Connecticut as well as at...
, Marian McPartland
Marian McPartland
Margaret Marian McPartland, OBE is an English-born jazz pianist, composer, writer, and the host of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on National Public Radio, NPR.-Early life:...
, Jay McShann
Jay McShann
Jay McShann was an American Grammy Award-nominated jump blues, mainstream jazz, and swing bandleader, pianist and singer....
, Art Pepper
Art Pepper
Art Pepper , born Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr., was an American alto saxophonist and clarinetist.About Pepper, Scott Yanow of All Music stated, "In the 1950s he was one of the few altoists that was able to develop his own sound despite the dominant influence of Charlie Parker" and: "When Art Pepper...
, Howard McGhee
Howard McGhee
Howard McGhee was one of the very first bebop jazz trumpeters, together with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for lightning-fast fingers and very high notes...
, and others. After a period playing in McPartland's trio, Morello declined invitations to join both Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
and Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
's bands, favoring a temporary two-month tour with the Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1955; Morello remained with Brubeck for well over a decade, only departing in 1968. Morello later became an in-demand clinician, teacher and bandleader whose former students include Danny Gottlieb
Danny Gottlieb
Danny Gottlieb is a freelance drummer who has performed as part of the Pat Metheny Group and Mahavishnu Orchestra. He is also a member of the University of North Florida jazz faculty, where he teaches as a fulltime Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies.- Biography :Danny graduated from the...
, Max Weinberg
Max Weinberg
Max Weinberg is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and as the bandleader for Conan O'Brien on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.Weinberg grew up in suburban New Jersey...
, Phish drummer Jon Fishman, Gary Feldman, Patrick Wante, Jerry Granelli, Glenn Johnson
Glenn Johnson (drummer)
Glenn Johnson is a rock drummer and composer, most famous for being the drummer of Leisure Class from its inception. He has also played with Ron Anderson and Stefan Zenuik in a group called Maxim Bass.-Partial Discography:...
and Rich Galichon
Rich Galichon
Rich Galichon is an independent studio drummer based in New York. Galichon formally trained at the Downs School of Music. While studying there, Galichon emerged as a three-time gold medalist in the Long Island Drum Teachers Association...
.
Morello appeared in many Brubeck performances and contributed to over 60 albums with Brubeck. On "Take Five
Take Five
"Take Five" is a jazz piece written by Paul Desmond and performed by The Dave Brubeck Quartet on their 1959 album Time Out. Recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studios in New York City on June 25, July 1, and August 18, 1959, this piece became one of the group's best-known records, famous for its...
", he plays an imaginative drum solo maintaining the 5/4 time signature throughout. Another example of soloing in odd time signatures can be heard on "Unsquare Dance
Unsquare Dance
"Unsquare Dance" is an iconic musical piece written by the American jazz composer Dave Brubeck in 1961.Written in 7/8 time, the piece is a typical example of Brubeck's exploration of time signatures. According to Brubeck, it was written during a single trip from his home to the recording studio,...
", in which he solos using only sticks without drums in 7/4 time. At the end of the track, he can be heard laughing about the "trick" ending. He also features on "Blue Rondo à la Turk
Blue Rondo à la Turk
"Blue Rondo à la Turk" is a jazz standard composition by Dave Brubeck. It appeared on the album Time Out in 1959. It is written in 9/8 and swing 4/4.-History:Brubeck heard the unusual "1-2/1-2/1-2/1-2-3" rhythm performed by Turkish musicians on the street...
", "Strange Meadow Lark", and "Pick-Up Sticks
Time Out (album)
Time Out is a jazz album by The Dave Brubeck Quartet, released in 1959 on Columbia Records, catalogue CL 1397. Recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City, it is based upon the use of time signatures that were unusual for jazz such as 9/8 and 5/4. The album is a subtle blend of cool...
".
During his career, Morello appeared on over 120 albums, 60 of which were with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. He authored several drum books, including Master Studies, published by Modern Drummer Publications
Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer is a monthly publication targeting the interests of on drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public...
, and also made instructional videos. Morello was the recipient of many awards, including Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine's best drummer award for seven years in a row, and Down Beat
Down Beat
Down Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
magazine's best drummer award five years in a row. He was elected to the Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer is a monthly publication targeting the interests of on drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public...
magazine Hall of Fame in 1988, the Percussive Arts Society
Percussive Arts Society
The Percussive Arts Society is an international music service organization promoting percussion education, research,performance and appreciation.Established in 1961 as a non-profit, music service organization,...
Hall of Fame in 1993, and was the recipient of Hudson Music's first TIP (Teacher Integration Program) Lifetime Achievement award in June, 2010.
Joe Morello died on March 12, 2011, at his home in Irvington, New Jersey
Irvington, New Jersey
Irvington is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 53,926, a decline of 11.2% from the 60,695 residents enumerated in the 2000 Census.-Geography:...
. He was 82 years old. His death was announced on his website, although no cause of death was given.
Drum method books
- New Directions In Rhythm: Studies In 3/4 And 5/4 Time 1963
- Off the Record: A Collection of Famous Drum Solos 1966
- Rudimental Jazz: A Modern Application of Rudiments to the Drum Outfit 1967
- Master Studies: Exercises For The Development Of Control And Technique Modern Drummer Publications, Inc. 1983
- Master Studies II: More Exercises For The Development Of Control And Technique Modern Drummer Publications, Inc. 2006
- Rudimental Jazz: A Musical Application of Rudiments to the Drumset including CD, Modern Drummer Publications’; Classics Series 2010
Videography, instructional
- Joe Morello – Drum Method 1: The Natural approach to Technique (DVD) Hot Licks 2006
- Joe Morello – Drum Method 2: Around the Kit (DVD) Hot Licks 2006
- Joe Morello, Danny Gottlieb: Natural Drumming Lessons 1&2 (DVD) Mel Bay Publications, Inc. 2005
- Joe Morello, Danny Gottlieb: Natural Drumming Lessons 3&4 (DVD) Mel Bay Publications, Inc. 2006
- Joe Morello, Danny Gottlieb: Natural Drumming Lessons 5&6 (DVD) Mel Bay Publications, Inc. 2006
- The Art of Playing with Brushes (DVD) Hudson Music LLC 2007
As leader
- Joe Morello
- Its About Time
- Another Step Forward
- Going Places
- Morello Standard Time
As sideman
With Gary BurtonGary Burton
Gary Burton is an American jazz vibraphonist.A true original on the vibraphone, Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the usual two-mallets. This approach caused Burton to be heralded as an innovator and his sound and technique are widely imitated...
- New Vibe Man in TownNew Vibe Man in TownNew Vibe Man in Town is the debut album by vibraphonist Gary Burton recorded in 1961 and released on the RCA label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars stating "Vibraphonist Gary Burton's debut as a leader shows that he was a brilliant player from the start of his...
(RCA, 1961) - Who is Gary Burton?Who is Gary Burton?Who is Gary Burton? is the second album by vibraphonist Gary Burton recorded in 1962 and released on the RCA label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Ken Dryden awarded the album 4 stars stating "The talented young vibraphonist had already proven himself as a sideman and was breaking new ground as a...
(RCA, 1962)
With Dave Brubeck
- Time OutTime Out (album)Time Out is a jazz album by The Dave Brubeck Quartet, released in 1959 on Columbia Records, catalogue CL 1397. Recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City, it is based upon the use of time signatures that were unusual for jazz such as 9/8 and 5/4. The album is a subtle blend of cool...
- Time Further OutTime Further OutTime Further Out is a 1961 release by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. It features the "Classic Quartet": pianist Dave Brubeck, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, bassist Eugene Wright, and drummer Joe Morello...
- Time in Outer Space
- At Carnegie HallAt Carnegie HallAt Carnegie Hall is a jazz album by The Dave Brubeck Quartet. It was recorded at the famed Carnegie Hall in New York City on February 21, 1963. It was described by critic Richard Palmer as "arguably Dave Brubeck's greatest concert" and a "truly majestic record that should be in every serious...