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Joe Morello from the Dave Brubeck quartet dies at 82

by alaaron | March 14, 2011 at 04:18 am

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Joe Morello, a jazz drummer whose elegant, economical playing in the Dave Brubeck Quartet sounded natural and effortless even in unusual time signatures, died on Saturday at his home in Irvington, N.J. He was 82.

With the quartet he played on some of the best-selling jazz records of all time, including Take Five.

His family said he died at home in New Jersey on Saturday.

They did not not state a cause of death.

Brubeck said the loss of his friend came as a "complete shock".

"Many people consider the rhythm section of Eugene Wright and Joe Morello in my quartet as being one of the most consistent, swinging rhythm sections in jazz," Brubeck said.

"Drummers worldwide remember Joe as one of the greatest drummers we have known."

In the late 50s and early 60s Morello paved the way for the group's experiments in unusual rhythms, on the groundbreaking Time series of albums.

Time Out became the first jazz album to sell more than one million copies.

Morello played with many leading jazz musicians and first came became known for his work as p