Legendary Jazz drummer Joe Morello dies at 82 in Irvington home

IRVINGTON  — Legendary jazz drummer Joe Morello, whose virtuosity and command of odd time signatures made him an integral part of the Dave Brubeck Quartet on such classic recordings as "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo a la Turk," has died at age 82.

AP FILE PHOTO

In this Jan. 5, 1966 file photo, drummer Joe Morello, a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, performs at a jazz festival in Boston.

Family members said Morello died Saturday at his home in northern New Jersey. A cause of death was not immediately available.
Brubeck said the loss of his friend "came as a complete shock to me."

"Many people consider the rhythm section of (bassist) Eugene Wright and Joe Morello in my quartet as being one of the most consistent, swinging rhythm sections in jazz," Brubeck said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. "Drummers worldwide remember Joe as one of the greatest drummers we have known."

Morello's decision to join Brubeck's quartet in 1956 paved the way for the leader's experiments in unusual rhythms on a series of groundbreaking "Time" albums in the late '50s and early '60s that earned popular and critical acclaim.

"Joe was a pioneer in odd time signatures and a vital part of the "Time" series the Quartet made at Columbia Records," said Brubeck. "His drum solo on 'Take Five' is still being heard around the world."
Brubeck got the inspiration for "Take Five" after hearing Morello playing a 5/4 beat while warming up backstage before a concert with alto saxophonist Paul Desmond.

The pianist asked Desmond to write a melody in 5/4 time for a tune that would feature a Morello drum solo. Brubeck suggested combining two themes that Desmond wrote to create "Take Five," which became a surprise Top 40 hit on jukeboxes and one of the best-known jazz recordings.

Raised in Springfield, Mass., with impaired vision from birth, Morello initially studied the violin before becoming a drummer in his teen years.

He eventually made his way to New York City, where he played with many leading jazz musicians over the years, and first came to prominence for his work as part of pianist Marian McPartland's Hickory House Trio in the early '50s.

Complete on: http://www.northjersey.com/news/essex/031311_Legendary_Jazz_drummer_Joe_Morello_dies_at_82.html

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