DWF 2008 - Joel Rosenblatt
Joel Rosenblatt, perhaps a choice not everyone understood, was brilliant. A particularly nice guy who flawlessly delivered his own playing on the Tama set prepared for him. That he once studied with Dave Weckl was sometimes clearly audible—or are we hearing bits of Joel in Weckl’s playing? According to Joel... the latter.
Only after high school, on his way to Bridgeport University, did Rosenblatt hang up the trumpet for good and choose drumming. He left his studies after a few years, determined to go professional. A tour with Blues Brothers guitarist Matt "Guitar" Murphy gave him a great start. He then recorded a few albums and toured with the Pure Prairie League. During this period, he earned much respect—both as a musician and as a person. His talents shone through at the right moments, and his ambition didn’t go unnoticed. Rosenblatt studied extensively, played with countless musicians, and also taught.
That he was Dave Weckl’s roommate at the time is still audible in his playing—just as elements of Rosenblatt can be found in Weckl’s music. It's hardly surprising, then, that both drummers played for quite some time with Latin jazz master Michel Camilo. "If I had gotten a cent for every note I played with Camilo," Joel later said of the inimitable piano virtuoso, "I’d be rich now."
After Camilo, numerous top acts followed, including Spyro Gyra, saxophonist Bill Evans, and guitarist Steve Kahn. He also wrote songs—many of which were performed by those very same artists—and conducted clinics.
Rosenblatt is in many ways a drummer's dream: a versatile musician who feels at home in countless styles, and an incredibly musical drummer. Let him amaze you during his masterclass at the fifth Drumworld Festival. For €20, you and 24 other drummers will get two hours of insight from a musician with endless stories to share about what we all love: drumming.
Photography: Arjan Aelmans & Arthur van Uden
