Joe Venuto

Joseph A. "Joe" Venuto (June 20, 1929—February 14, 2019) was an American jazz musician who played vibraphone, marimba, percussion, and drums. He worked with numerous well-known musicians of the time, including Gene Krupa and His Orchestra, Hal Mooney, Gerry Mulligan, Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Eddie Sauter, and Bill Finegan.

Joe Venuto was born in the Bronx, New York City, on June 20, 1929, in an Italian immigrant family.

He received his first drum set from his grandfather at a young age. He then had lessons with the drummer Henry Adler (with whom Buddy Rich also studied.) Later he took mallet percussion lessons from Phil Kraus.

He received his master's degree in music from the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

After completing his education, Venuto became a member of the Eddie Sauter-Bill Finegan Orchestra and recorded "Doodletown Races" on RCA Victor Records in 1953. In 1955, he played marimba on their "Solo For Joe" recording. In 1956, he and Warren Hard played percussions on the orchestra's recording of "Swingcussion" with Trigger Alpert (bass), Al Block (flute), Nanette Norton (harp), Dave Hildinger (piano), and Bobby Nichols (trumpet).

In 1956, Venuto played vibraphone on Billy Byers on The Jazz Workshop (RCA Victor) alongside Milt Hinton (bass); Alan Shulman and Bernard Greenhouse (cello); Al Cohn (clarinet, saxophone); Eddie Bert (trombone); Carmen Leggio (tenor sax); Osie Johnson (drums); Moe Wechsler (piano); Urbie Green, Fred Ohms, Chauncey Welsch; Bernie Glow and Nick Travis (trumpet); and Gene Orloff (violin).

Also in 1956, Venuto played drums on Kent Harian and his Orchestra's recording of Echoes Of Joy with Hal McKusick (alto saxophone), Al Cohn (tenor saxophone), Sonny Russo (trombone), and Nick Travis (trumpet).

Around that time, he played vibraphone on Bobby Dukoff's album Off The Cuff.

In 1958, Venuto was the percussionist on Johnny Richards's album Experiments In Sound, accompanied by Jimmy Campbell (drums); Billy Byers, Jim Dahl, Jimmy Cleveland (trombone); Al Stewart, Burt Collins, Ray Copeland (trumpet); and Frank Socolow and Gene Quill (saxophone).

After Experiments In Sound, he began working with the Radio City Music Hall Symphony in New York as a musician in recording and live television studios.

Venuto formed his own group, Joe Venuto And His Quartet, with singer Sandi Blaine, guitarist Howard Collins, drummer Mousie Alexander, percussionist Warren Hard, and bassist Julie Ruggiero. In 1960, they released a swing album Sounds Different! on Everest Records.

In the following years, Venuto can be heard on saxophonist Stan Getz's album Focus (arranged by Eddie Sauter and conducted by Hershy Kay).

In his career, over the years, Venuto also worked with Kenyon Hopkins (album The Sound of New York), Rex Stewart (album Porgy and Bess Revisited), The Creed Taylor Orchestra, Irene Kral/Al Cohn Orchestra, Mary Ann McCall, Don Costa, Ruth Brown, LaVern Baker, Budd Johnson, Marion Montgomery, Shirley Scott, Solomon Burke, Gary McFarland, Jim Timmens and His Swinging Brass, Tony Mottola, Johnny Hodges, Hank Jones/Oliver Nelson, Marvin Stamm, Paul Desmond, Jay Berliner, and Lou Donaldson.

In the early 1970s, Venuto left New York City and moved to Reno, Nevada.

Between 1953 and 1975, he was involved in 104 recording sessions.

While living in Reno, Venuto married his second wife, Beverly Colgan, a harpist.

Venuto died on February 14, 2019, at age 89.