04/02/2026
This cat was, in my humble-but-correct opinion, THE most musical drummer I ever heard or saw!
Joe Morello: The Man Who Made Time His Own
July 17, 1928 – March 12, 2011
Joe Morello was born July 17, 1928, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He grew up with severely limited eyesight, but music filled his world completely. As a child, he performed violin with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He later switched to drums and never looked back. Morello became one of the greatest jazz drummers who ever lived.
A live Gene Krupa performance changed everything for young Joe. He dropped the violin and picked up drumsticks immediately. He studied under the legendary teacher George Lawrence Stone in Boston. By his teens, Joe was the best drummer in all of New England. He moved to New York City in 1952 and got to work fast.
In New York, Morello played alongside pianist Marian McPartland and guitarist Tal Farlow. Paul Desmond noticed him and invited him into the Dave Brubeck Quartet. On Time Out (1959), Morello delivered the unforgettable "Take Five" drum solo. That solo made history — it became the best-selling jazz single ever recorded. He also played on Time Further Out (1961), pushing jazz into bold new rhythmic territory.
Morello became legally blind in 1976, yet he kept teaching for decades. His students included Max Weinberg, drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. He won every major jazz drumming poll for seven straight years. He passed away on March 12, 2011, at age 82. His rhythmic genius still inspires drummers all around the world today.
