I'd like to thank Mike Clark via the Facebook for this one today:
One regular reader of my blog recently wrote me, wondering what Joe Ascione is up to these days (if you'll recall, I posted some clips of Joe's brush playing awhile ago). Honestly, I have no idea what he's up to these days but from the above clip you can see that he's a ridiculous drummer.
Check out that INSANE left hand!!! How does he make it look so effortless? Buddy who???
I took some lessons with Joe back in 2004 while I was spending some time in New York City. His teaching studio was literally in the basement of the Ed Sullivan Theatre (!) below Late Night with David Letterman. He was very astute in his observations of my playing and made some small, but very important observations about my technique that, to this day, have had a great impact on how I play.
Joe Ascione was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2000.
ReplyDeleteHe talks about his life with MS here: http://www.drumsoloartist.com/Site/Drummers3/Joe_Ascione.html
In the comments to this video it says: "Joe Ascione has now been completely disabled by MS and can't even hold a drumstick and he's confined to a wheelchair."
Thanks for the update Michael. This is really sad news : (
ReplyDeleteHi, is there any other news of Joe? I went to high school with him and he was an EXCELLENT player then!
ReplyDeleteNews that Joe passed today... Can anyone confirm? So heartbreaking
ReplyDeleteYes, sadly Joe passed on March 11th. For anyone in the Long Island area who'd like to pay their respects, here are the funeral details for Monday March 14th:
DeleteFuneral Arrangements
9 AM at Giove Funeral Home,
1000 Middle Country Rd, Selden, NY 11784
11 AM Mass at St Margaret's Church
81 College Rd, Selden, NY 11784
1 PM at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery
3442 NY-112, Coram, NY 11727
Joe played for us many times over the years, especially in the early starting days of SBS.
He was an astonishing musician.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phil Stern
The Sidney Bechet Society
www.sidneybechet.org
philstern5@aol.com
516-209-1437
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joe's talent and personality will be missed. He was a great percussionist.
ReplyDeleteJoe passed away Friday March 11. Wake and funeral Monday March 14
ReplyDelete