Joe LaBarbera has spent his life in jazz, first based in New York, then in LA, and has performed with Bill Evans, Tony Bennet, Chuck Mangione, and many more. He also spent 28 years on the faculty at Cal Arts teaching drumset, jazz small groups, and jazz history. His new book, Times Remembered, recounts his time with the Bill Evans Trio during the last two years of Evans’ life.
In this episode, Joe talks about:
- His motivation for writing a book about his time with Bill Evans
- The musical and personal dynamic he had with Bill during their time together
- Going from playing with Bill Evans, a very heavy jazz gig, to Tony Bennett, which he doesn’t consider to be a jazz gig
- The overarching concept he drew from Bill – commitment
- How he viewed his role as a mentor to many different types of students during his 28 years at Cal Arts
