A fellow I work with used to take lessons from Joe and he always had the highest praise for him.

He told me one time, Joe scheduled a bunch of guys at the same time, and when they all got to his house, he took them all to see Buddy Rich at a local club, then introduced them all to Buddy. Now thats a classy guy.

55WFL / Retrosonic: Someone told me many years ago that an individual shouldn't be judged on what he's accomplished in his life but rather on the effect he's had on the lives of others. Actually, it sounds like Mr. Morello passes with flying colors on both counts!

I drove Joe to a few gigs, and that is how I met Bernard Purdie. All kinds of people came to see him play, like Henry Adler and Danny Gottlieb. It didn't make a difference who you were, though--if you approached Joe after a set he would talk to you for a while. He was the greatest.

Dan