Joe Porcaro


Joseph Thomas Porcaro was an American jazz drummer.

Biography

Porcaro recorded with Natalie Cole, Don Ellis, Stan Getz, Freddie Hubbard, Gladys Knight, Madonna, The Monkees, Gerry Mulligan, Pink Floyd, Howard Roberts, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, and Sarah Vaughan. He performed film scores with James Newton Howard, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Danny Elfman, John Frizzell and his son Steve Porcaro. With educator and drummer Ralph Humphrey, he was one of the founders of the Los Angeles Music Academy in Pasadena, California, which is now called the Los Angeles College of Music.
His three sons were in the rock band Toto: drummer Jeff ; bassist Mike ; and keyboardist Steve, who still is a session musician and programmer. Joe contributed additional percussion to every Toto album from Turn Back through Kingdom of Desire. He also has a daughter, Joleen Porcaro Duddy, whose children, Chase and Paige Duddy, formed the electronic duo XYLO.
Porcaro led a group with Emil Richards, a native of Hartford who played vibraphone and collected percussion instruments from around the world.
He died, aged 90, on July 6, 2020.

Discography

As leader

With Rosemary Clooney
With Lalo Schifrin
With Toto
With others