[Dixielandjazz] Joe Morello R.I.P.

[Ken Mathieson]

Hi Folks,

I'm sorry to hear of Joe's passing: he was always a tasteful, swinging and accomplished player. The only time I ever saw him playing live was about 40 years ago, when he toured UK doing drum clinics for (I think) Ludwig Drums. He appeared in Glasgow in the Woodside Halls before a packed room of about 150 or so drummers from all over Scotland. He came over as a shy individual until he sat behind the kit, then it was punchy swinging time, great technique and imagination. He was working alone, so it was drum solos and discussions, which must have been pretty hard going for a shy guy.

The abiding memory of that evening wasn't just Joe's skill and taste, it was also the interval entertainment while Joe was off getting a cup of tea or perhaps something stronger. While he was gone, the drums corps from the Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band under Drum-Major Alex Duthart played various drum salutes and drum corps exercises. They were then the World Champion Pipe Band Drum Corps and Alex was acknowledged as the leading solo exponent in the field. They gave a staggering display of fiendlishly difficult and ultra-precise pipe band drumming, which swings like mad in its own way. In the middle of it, Joe came on-stage carrying his cup of whatever it was and stood open-mouthed. He said later he'd never heard anything like that before.

Years later, a Scottish drummer pal, Andy White (who had come up through the pipe bands, gone to London as a session player and had played on the first Beatles LP when Ringo Starr couldn't cut it) married an American lady and emigrated to USA. He got a job teaching pipe band side drumming in a famous drum school in NJ and the guy in the next studio was Joe Morello teaching jazz kit. Andy and Joe became firm friends and traded lessons with each other, so Joe became a hot-shot pipe band drummer although I suspect he may never have played with an actual pipe band.

Cheers,

Ken Mathieson
www.classicjazzorchestra.org.uk