There is a lot of character to Stamford. There are also a lot of characters in Stamford, and Joe Corsello is certainly one of them. As a former drummer and the son of a former clarinet virtuoso, it was an honor to spend some time with a drumming legend and one of the last remaining musicians to have played with the legendary Benny Goodman (Goodman lived on Rock Rimmon Road in North Stamford from the 1950s until his death in 1986).
Now 78 years old, Joe has lived a life doing what he loves the most – playing the drums. Born and raised in Stamford, Joe was influenced from a very early age by his father, who was a line guitarist for Sammy Kaye, the famous bandleader whose tag line, "Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye", became one of the most famous of the Big Band Era. From an early age, Joe kept rhythm on anything he could get his hands on, and at the age of five, his father bought him his first set of drums.
Corsello attended Rippowan High School in the early ‘60’s and credits the school’s band director, Anthony Truglia, with providing him with the inspiration and encouragement to pursue a life in music. During this time, one of Joe’s closest friends was Jackie Robinson, Jr., son of the legendary ballplayer and civil rights activist, Jackie Robinson.
Following his playing days, Robinson moved to Stamford where he raised his family. Joe recalls spending countless days and nights in the Robinson’s den, playing games with Jackie Jr., his sister and his parents. “Back then, to me, Jackie Robinson was just Jackie Jr’s father. At the time, I didn’t realize I was in the presence of one of the most iconic figures in sports and American history.” During that time, Joe was asked to be the house drummer in the band that performed in the Robinson’s backyard each year for the NAACP College Scholarship Program that Jackie and Rachel Robinson were a big part of. As a teenager, Joe had the unique and distinct honor of playing with some of the most important jazz musicians of the era, including Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald.
After graduating from Rippowan, Corsello attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston and studied under drumming legend Alan Dawson. However, Joe quickly found himself playing in Boston night clubs almost every night until 4:00am and his grades suffered. He dropped out of Berklee after a year and a half and joining the U. S. Army and played in the First Army Field Band, stationed in Staten Island.
Following his stint in the Army, Joe’s career really took off when he started playing with the Glenn Miller Band. That led to years traveling around the world with the famous jazz singer, songwriter and actress Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman, Tony Bennett and one of the great jazz saxophonists of all time, Sonny Rollins.
“I had a euphoric feeling playing with Peggy Lee. She was such an amazing talent. That’s when I thought for the first time that I had made it,” said Corsello, reflecting on his 6-decade career as a jazz and swing drummer. “There was a night when I was on a riser, looking around at a packed house playing with Sonny Rollins, when I felt goosebumps.”
In the mid ‘70’s, Joe formed a jazz/rock fusion band called New York Mary, which released two albums on Arista Records for the great Clive Davis. They frequently played at The Bottom Line in NY’s Greenwich Village, and opened for the likes of Stevie Wonder, the B52’s, Hot Tuna and Patti Smith.
In 1980, at the urge of Stamford’s police chief, Victor Cizanckas, Joe joined the Stamford Police Department, where he would spend 22 years serving our community, including several as a homicide detective. In 2021, lifelong Stamford resident Joe
Corsello threw his hat in the ring and ran for Mayor of Stamford.
Today, Joe does everything he can to give back to the city he is so proud of. His jazz trio plays around Stamford at places like Ferguson Library, nursing homes and senior living residences. He says that “Stamford is such a great place to live” and he is so
excited to have raised his four sons here (Evan is an EVP with the First Bank of Greenwich; Dan and Joey are members of the Stamford Fire Department; and Matthew is an EMT and Ambulance dispatcher). Joe and his wife of two years Debbie are also the proud grandparents of seven grandchildren.
Joe Corsello is a Stamford treasure. He has been all over the world keeping the beat for some of jazz music’s legends, but he has always come home to the city he loves and has done so much for.
“I didn’t realize I was in the presence of one of the most iconic figures in sports and American history.”
“I had a euphoric feeling playing with Peggy Lee. She was such an amazing talent. That’s when I thought for the first time that I had made it.”