JOE MORELLO: The Great Drum Solo 

Did you ever read the story about Vinnie Colauita eating sushi during his audition with Frank Zappa?

​@@ralph0149Where can I find it? I'd love to read it.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u-3vfVmy6FI.html

There's an anecdote with a video clip of Joe Morello dropping his stick during a solo. He picks the stick up off the floor and continues without any break in the rhythm; and it appears that that dropping and picking up of the stick is rhythmically significant to the solo that he's playing! He even screws up with perfect time. It's hysterical!

I noticed that when I saw the quartet playing live, in the UK, in the nineteen sixtes. Amazing.

WOW 👍

Wow! Do you still play?

@@garbagepailkids81 ~ Time for a cup ! ☕️ 😚👌

Good on you!!😃

JIS, what a performance.. Comments? Not needed.

Like no other my friend, incredible.

The same for is left hand, and right foot

you need 11 drums and sixteen 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 Cymbal x 16 👍

LMAO!! @@drumtwo4seven

Some how I calculated 14snare drums 🎉

I agree, but also kinda feel like this is a stupid point to make. Big drumset players ain't shitting on Joe Morello, they just prefer their own setup. It's such a dumb argument, like smaller keyboard players don't dismiss grand piano players, there's literally nowhere else in music where this kind of prejudice exists. All that matters is how good the music they create is, whether it takes one drum or a hundred.

@@seaburyneucollins688 I wasn't crapping on the big set players. My statement was meant for the up and coming youngsters who are interested in beating the skins and letting them know that they don't have to have a monster set to sound good.

I was 14 and saw him play Far More Drums at Carnegie Hall

How's that modest? No sticks, one stick, two sticks, expression, rudiments, technique and then flair; it sounds like he was trying to encapsulate the entirety of drumming within one solo! I mean, he achieved all that, but in no way would I consider those to be modest aims!

@@seaburyneucollins688 : modest, for sure, with expressive and explosive drumming with his hands nd sticks. Understated (not egotistical like rock 'n roll drummers) and spectacular simultaneously. Nuance, nuance, nuance.

I saw him at Carnegie Hall play 15 minutes solo on Far More Drums

Great!

Overweight Accountants at that. He should have shed those pounds doing all that cardio.

Actually banks, offices copied their style of dress from Jazz musicians. Look it up!

Mi maestro de conservatorio en Cuba con esos complicados métodos de percusión, después de su maestro Jorge Lawrence Stone ( Stick Control/Acent and rebonds ….) junto a Buddy Rich; Jim Chaplin and many more. Nunca les conocí, pero si quieres ser grande “ on the drums “ como lo hace un cubano, es obligatorio adorar a estos dioses. ¡ hermanos del drum ! Si no empezáis por los primeros 72 ejercicios del Stick Control todo empieza mal . ¡ vamos genios , tocar el drum es algo que se va con nosotros al más allá . Un saludo a todos los percusionistas y en particular a todos los bateristas de rock . ❤️❤️❤️

I can see where Bun E. Carlos with Cheap Trick got his inspiration from 😉

Best days no computers, cell phones. I bet they all had fountain pens in their pockets.

_Buddy Rich has entered the chat_

_Roy Haynes has entered the chat_

@@hotice8885 sorry nobody can beat Morello's left hand, not even Buddy

@@robertoricci3393You are absolutely correct

No question.

I didn’t know that! As a drummer I’m glad he did!

​@@zachoneill6570He had been to a concert given by a Japanese? Violin prodigy. He thought he would never be as good as that kid, so he decided Drums was for him. Lucky us!

Economy of motion

All great drummers, jazz drummers more technical

Brilliant drumming 😅

He would've left the above mentioned 'Rock' drummers in his wake. Simply no comparison.

When people talk about the greatest drummers in history he is often left out, unfortunately. He's not even on the top 100 lists of Rolling Stone or Drumeo. I rank him in the top three with Ginger Baker and Buddy Rich.

Agreed! Everytime I watch this, I am just ‘floored!’ Incredible drum solo! Looks physically and technically taxing! So satisfying to watch and listen, though!

Indeed.

Of the highest level!

OMG is right! Why didn’t I ever hear him before this?

@@clu4u Could be you're like me, heard him a million times but not on a solo.

Well, definitely qualifies for the Top Ten at least. So many others.

Look up Buddy Rich. He was the best by a mile.

Buddy was great, seen him a million times. Joe was every bit the drummer he or Louie Belson were.@@Kezza1919

I bought Time Out on LP when you were zero.

Great that you are enjoying him now! When people talk about the greatest drummers in history he is often left out, unfortunately. He's not even on the top 100 lists of Rolling Stone or Drumeo. I rank him in the top three with Ginger Baker and Buddy Rich.

Interesting, as a young lad I was able to join my parents and watch this on TV way back and was one of those "This is jazz" moments for me.

!That right there let you know Moon knew what he was talking about.

Me Too Read the same article

Yeah really!!!!

Even if Keith Moon said that, Morello was the perfect drummer... One of the most talented drummer of all times and a great teacher as well.

This guy is great!....I also use my "hands" when soloing!

The most famous one is Moby Dick..... Which I am now convinced is a straight up rip off of this solo.... Zeppelin steals again.

@@francus7227 Admittedly, Joe Morello was a huge inspiration for Bonham and he incorporated and developed that style into his rock and roll drumming. Copied? No. Transformed and pioneered into a totally different genre, absolutely. Bonham's 15 minute Moby Dick and Neil Peart's 15 minute drum solo each showcase the very best of what a drummer can achieve. Jazz drummers like Morello and Bellson paved the way and are no less talented in any way, they are the true pioneers of drumming as we know it today. Everything that is, has fed off of something that has been, such is the way of life!

@grandeur9581 Well... You make very good points. Plant said,"We change the ending. We changed the beginning. And, we changed the middle. Is it still the same song?" Legally? Yes. To the fan? Not really.

@@francus7227 that's what art is all about. Nothing is invented without inspiration.

​@@francus7227 So which song was Plant referring to? I t sure sounds like a lot of hype to me.

Agreed, he really was something special both musically and technically, also incredibly humble

​@@musicmusic6595 Les vrais génies sont humbles, ils savent qu'ils ont reçu ce don à la naissance et aiment en faire profiter les autres, cela ne coûte rien et fait plaisir tout le monde.

Unsquare dance😂😂😂❤❤❤ amen

Then you would agree....The Song Remains the Same version of Moby Dick... is a note for note copy of this.... Zeppelin steals again.

​@francus7227 I've always thought that bonzo stood on the shoulders of Joe but never heard anyone else say so. Castilian Drums tells the story of Bonzos education. You know the saying: amateurs borrow. Professionals steal

@tomalexander3932 Unless it's really over the tops stealing of art.... All "borrowing " is cool with me. Like Robert said.... "We changed the beginning. We changed the end. We changed the middle. Is it still the same song?" Leagally? Yes. To my ear..... No. I just like calling Zeppelin out. In actually.... They were an unbelievable talent.

that's not true joe public haven't got a clue but mix in the jazz clubs in england he's there with art blakey / papa jo jones who's rhythm was unreal

What do you mean? If you knew nothing about him before, doesn't mean that he didn't get the appreciation he deserved from those who had something to say about it.

As usual, there is no greatest. It depends on who you ask. People should always state in my opinion etc.

Don't feel bad for Gene Wright :-)

Joe never stepped on Genes toes, (from what I've seen of various uploads) there was always subtle verbal dialogue between them ahead of whatever happened, you can see Gene around 1.20 giving Joe the green light, such a beautiful chemistry between them

Beg Pardon but it was Louie (Louis) Belson! Also,...no respect for max Roach or Philly Joe Jones??

@@marcob.7801 Point well taken. The list of Greats is long, no disrespect. The six I mentioned were my greatest influences.

I had the pleasure of seeing Joe Morello in concert with the University of Maryland Jazz assemble back in 1971.

Lucky person!@@user-rz1uf2qc1j

I'm here after reading he was one of Charlie Watts' favorites. :)

The bare hand playing definitely rubbed off on Bonham! Huge standout in Bonham's "Moby Dick" solo was the bare hands part.

​@@GamingDrummer89I can hear Joe's use of the bass drum in most things Bonham does.

The hands. Yes first thing I thought of was Bonham at rah 1970 moby dick. Joe kills it

Please stop comparing Bonham with Morello. There is no basis for comparison. I’ve heard Moby Dick, it is impressive but no rock drummer could do what Joe Morello could do…not Bonzo, not Baker, not Copeland, not Pert.

True but they admitted it..John Bonham has cited Joe Morello as a big influence

double bass ,not cello

And sonically deeper- Joe loved the deep tones from the larger drums.

Anyone can play loudly but few in the world had Joe's precision and accuracy. His sense of the timing, pace and beat was sheer perfection. I saw/heard him 'Live' on three occasions starting in 1959 when I was just 13. Brubeck Quartet here in England - the concert ended with a 12 minute drum solo from Joe. Standing ovation was incredible and the audience were cruel enough to shout for more! Dave said "You are being a bit cruel - Joe gave his all, just then"

I was there also. Seems he played about an half hour solo with at least 5 standing ovations during. Thanks for the memories. John t Humphreys of the Dillarfs

I agree with you that Buddy Rich was better known, but I believe that Joe Morello was a better drummer

Love JM's drumming but Buddy Rich freak hands and all THE GOAT!

Bonzo van Led Zepplin drummer van de Cream…?

I went to a clinic Joe put on when I was 16 in ‘67…a kid asked Joe if he could play the drum part from “Wipe Out”-and Joe said “You mean…” and then played it one-handed. No one could move sticks faster than Morello-notice what he does with his left hand in some of the fastest patterns, moving the stick with individual fingers with minimal wrist action. Brubeck’s group specialized in unique time signatures, and Joe created amazing rhythms within them. Yeah, Rich was the bigger star, but Joe was the best drummer on the planet.

I love Cruppa and Rich because you have to respect all of the great drummers.

He certainly comes a close second

Ils sont de la même école, très bons tous les deux avec chacun sa touche. Mais un régal d'avoir des as comme ça !

Buddy Rich ain't shit next to Morello. Technique, maybe. Imagination, nope. Building awkward polyrhythms, Rich doesn't even enter into the equation. Even he admitted Morello was his equal. Rich played big band, Morello small unit progressive jazz. Big band is about being a clock. This stuff takes a wildly more imaginative approach. Listen to more small-unit stuff, especially Brubeck on Jazz 625. Oh, and by the way, Rich wasn't legally blind.

Buddy was good at driving a band. But as a soloist he was just a show-off. There are many drummers who were much more melodic and creative musically.

@@jonl1034 he wasn't even exceptional at that.