The Biography of Joe Morello with Steve Fidyk

Joe Morello was one of the most innovative and masterful drummers of the last century, but did you know he was playing Violin with the Boston Symphony at age 9? Learn about how the iconic "Take 5" Drummer made the switch to drums and became the legend we know today.
Steve Fidyk is a legendary drummer and educator in his own right, and he was lucky enough to study with Joe and have a very close relationship with him as a student and a friend.
Joe began his music life as a virtuosic violinist who became discouraged at 15 after not feeling that he could surpass the sound of one of his heros - so he began studying drums with Joe Sefcik and George Lawrence Stone..and then the rest his history. Steve does a wonderful job of very thoroughly taking us through Joe's entire life including the hardships of being legally blind and pursuing a musical career.
Steve Fidyk is a composer, author, educator, and a phenomenal drummer. He is a wealth of information and a very nice guy who is extremely well prepared for this deep dive into Joe's life. His passion for sharing the story of his friend, Joe Morello, makes this a special episode.
Here is Steve's website: stevefidyk.com/
Be sure to check out Steve Fidyks latest album, "Battle Lines" which is streaming everywhere, but for information on how to purchase Steve's latest recorded effort, please visit www.bluecanteenmusic.com
A portion of each sale is donated to Warrior Beat, an organization that helps Veterans that suffer from
PTS and Anxiety. For more information, please visit www.warriorbeat.org
Here are some links to Joe related content that Steve generously sent me:
1. Joe Morello DVD that breaks down the approach we discussed in detail:
www.lessonsquad.com/items/299...
2. Tribute homage of mine that I did for Modern Drummer:
staging.moderndrummer.com/2011...
3. "The Great Drum Solo" that I referenced of Joe with DBQ:
• Video
4. Joe on the Conan O'Brien Show performing Take 5:
• Joe Morello on Conan O...
5. "Burning for Buddy" video performing with the Buddy Rich Band:
• joe morello
6. We discussed his brush work with Marian McPartland. Here's a video for Hudson Music where he talks about approach:
• Video
7. Take 5 with DBQ 60's:
• Take 5 - Joe Morello's...
8. At the Playboy Mansion with DBQ performing Take 5 (slower tempo):
• Joe Morello: Take 5 Dr...
9. The Take 5 Cymbal documentary/Greg Caputo/Memphis Drum Shop:
• Joe Morello - The "Tak...
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[@gillianshaw9403]

Thanks so much for the interview. As a fledgling drummer, Joe was my hero. Still is . One thing puzzled me: Steve said Joe only practiced on a pad. No doubt latterly he did. But I remember Joe saying that he recommended practicing for about an hour on the pad & then moving to the kit "to experiment & perform." He also said the pad was like a punch bag for a boxer---a place where you develop technique pure & simple. But working on the kit is more like several rounds "with a sparring partner." And obviously both are necessary if you're serious about the craft! But again, thanks for the interview. Such a joy to watch as I ate supper last night in covid-bound Britain! (Thanks too for Don Familaro's revelation about the influence of Moeller, Stone & Gladstone on the very young Buddy Rich! As Morello himself said "No one comes out of the womb playing like that"!) Cheers!

[@allenlumeyer2428]

Thank you for this. As a Joe Morello fan for 60+ years, I was thoroughly enthralled.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thank you Allen!

[@fredjohnston4340]

What a great podcast Steve. You are so well spoken and relatable.

[@stevenobrien595]

This is excellent. Spot on with the stories and description of Joe. I studied with him from 1998 to 2004. Life qnd career changing. Thank you. Steve Obrien

[@rineric3214]

Thank you so much for this biography! Joe Morello is the musician who drew me into music. I had ignored it on purpose till I heard his drum solo "Loops" on the Jazz Impressions Of The USA album. I ran home from school everyday to listen to that solo four or ten times. I could not stand melody and harmony. I would race to prevent the first few chords of the next song from being audible to me. Al Jackson and Booker T pulled me out of that single fascination into the world of pure groove and melody with harmony. But, that didn't stop me from following Joe Morello as he developed into the Take Five legend he became. I watched that solo on the Ed Sullivan Show and to me that was the triumph of all-time. The only thing that ever stood up to the Beatle Barrage. But, then he became the Teacher who ALWAYS said "you can do it".

[@allenlumeyer2428]

Mine was "Calcutta Blues" on Jazz Impressions of Eurasia.

[@rineric3214]

@@allenlumeyer2428 Thanks for the tip. Haven't heard that one.

[@bacobill]

This is fantastic thank you.. I have a poster size photo of the 'single cymbal kit' next to me.. That is a 20" bass drum having only 8 lugs rather than the 10 on a 22".. I believe the album cover from the Carnegie Hall concert shows both options in separate photos.. Also having been a huge follower of Ginger Baker for decades I finally found the holy grail of 'Toad' and what inspired it.. 'Castilian Drums' has it all in there.. still blows my mind (also from the Carnegie Hall concert).. I doubt that Ginger would say so but give it a listen and wait for it.. EVERYTHING is passed on.. that's the beauty of drumming and why after almost sixty years I still hold the art in very high esteem.. What else is there really?

[@dasglasperlenspiel10]

Thanks, Bart, for this great show!

[@mikeford3859]

I studied with Arman Santarelli, who studied with Joe Morello. Together they wrote a book. Rudimental, jazz, 1967. I studied this book with Armand. Today I’m 75 and my hands still work very well.

[@joescott1363]

Outstanding interview.

[@briankeith7463]

Excellent podcast as usual!!

[@jngarr]

This was great. For me, Joe Morello was better than Rich! Rich had superhuman chops but Joe had chops AND musicality in his drumming. Thanks!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Joe Morello definitely had a very special something to his playing. Truly a legend

[@steveknopp8360]

I studied with joe 86-87 and joe would sometimes say,"if you can play your lesson with no mistakes, the lesson is free. Noone got a free lesson, lol

[@MrRCOTE]

Ha ha ha..... the 5 o'clock lesson became the 7 o'clock. Steve Fidyk becomes Freddy Gruber...lol.

[@Marathonracer]

Gene Krupa never studied with George Lawrence Stone, He studied with Roy Knapp and Sanford Moeller. I have no idea where Steve got that from. It blew my mind when Steve said Krupa much later studied with Joe Morello. I never knew that, although he said he was always studying and studied tympani with Saul Goodman..

[@MrRCOTE]

Ed McMahon was not in the Air Force but he was in the Marine Corps. I think he retired as a Colonel.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Yes you're right! Pilot in the Marines, I will make a note of that in the show description. Thanks for telling me :)

[@JunkerOnDrums]

I disagree that Joe Morello was the first to play a non-showoff solo. Max Roach for example Morello played a completely different melodic style than Buddy Rich - the latter, however, is still to this day among the 10 greatest big band drummers. Thanks for the Joe Morello podcast - amazing drummer :D

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thank you for listening! That is a good point. They are very different, but I see similarities with Joe and Max with the melodic solos.

[@michaeldelugo3915]

Ed McMahon was a LtCol. in the United States Marine Corps , NOT the Air Force .....

[@toddlittle9095]

this is great but that's complete nonsense on the point of the odd size cymbals. Avedis Zildjian offered odd size cymbals from day one in 1929.

[@alanharoldson9903]

If Joe Morello was influential, why are the drum solos that came after "Take Five" so terrible? Drummers trying to show how loud they can be, nothing like the "Take Five" solo.