FEATURE:
The Lockdown Playlist
PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Figen
Jeff Porcaro's Best Beats
___________
NO stranger to a birthday Lockdown Playlist…
I am featuring a musician that many people might not be aware of. One of my favourite drummers, Jeff Porcaro, sadly died in 1992. As today (1st April) would have been his sixty-seventh birthday, I wanted to include some of his best performances on record. In terms of bonding with the drums, Porcaro started early:
“Jeffrey Thomas “Jeff” Porcaro was the first-born to jazz drumming great Joe Porcaro, and the eldest brother to Toto’s bassist Mike Porcaro and pianist Steve Porcaro. Jeff Porcaro was born to a family with strong bounds to music and percussion. His grandfather was a snare drummer in an Italian symphonic band – a type of band that used to march in the street – and his uncle, Emil Richards, played with a local orchestra in Connecticut.
Jeff Porcaro began playing seriously with seven years of age, having Joe Porcaro as his teacher. In fact, his brothers were being taught how to play drums by Joe Porcaro at the exact same time as Jeff Porcaro. The three Porcaro boys went with Joe Porcaro to the drum shop he taught at on the weekends, to get their drum lessons. Joe Porcaro would give them drum lessons whenever he found some free time from his regular students. Joe Porcaro taught Jeff Porcaro how to play drums until he was eleven years old. Interestingly enough, Jeff Porcaro was not the best drummer among the Porcaros.
“My brother Mike was much better on the drums than I was, who switched to bass and Steve took up piano prior to our move to California.” – Interview to Modern Drummer Magazine, February 1983 Issue.
It is amazing to think of all the terrific artists Porcaro has worked with through the years. I can guarantee that, at some point, you have heard his drumming work!
“Besides his work with Toto, he was also a highly sought session musician. Porcaro collaborated with many of the biggest names in music, including George Benson, Tommy Bolin, Larry Carlton, Eric Carmen, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Christopher Cross, Miles Davis, Dire Straits, Donald Fagen, Stan Getz, David Gilmour, James Newton Howard, Al Jarreau, Elton John, Leo Sayer, Greg Lake, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul McCartney, Michael McDonald, Bee Gees, Sérgio Mendes, Jim Messina, Pink Floyd, Lee Ritenour, Diana Ross, Boz Scaggs, Seals and Crofts, Bruce Springsteen, Steely Dan, Barbra Streisand, Richard Marx, Don Henley, David Foster, Donna Summer, Frankie Valli and Joe Walsh. Porcaro contributed drums to four tracks on Michael Jackson's Thriller and also played on the Dangerous album hit "Heal the World". He also played on 10cc's ...Meanwhile (1992). On the 1993 10cc Alive album, recorded after his death, the band dedicated "The Night That the Stars Didn't Show" to him”.
To give a nod to the prolific and exceptional drummer, this Lockdown Playlist features some great Jeff Porcaro beats. Whilst he might not have been the most original drummer, I think that he is one of the most skilful and memorable. As it is his birthday, I wanted to bring together a selection of songs that shows the great man…
IN his element.