SKF NOTE: This is the fifth post on this blog from my early 1980’s interview with Joe Morello. The full back story of that interview is here. 

Joe Morello: When I say “melodic” playing I don’t mean you have to have a million tom-toms. I still use the old drumset.

Maybe I could put it better by saying I like “thematic” playing. More theme. Theme development and recapitulation.

Then again, if you start talking that way it’s gonna seem contrived — and it’s not.

If you start something (thematically on the drumset) you can sort of get into it. It just develops while you do it. There’s no mystery to it. You just do your drums. You can’t please everybody. Who cares? The world’s a big place. There’s room for everybody. The guy that tries to please everybody — that’s the secret to failure.

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