Dino Danelli, the drummer who brought jazz virtuosity to the Rascals’ rock ‘n’ roll sound, died Thursday, Dec. 15, in New York, according to a Facebook post and confirmed by bandmates.
He was 78 years old.
“It is with a broken heart that I have to tell you about the passing of Dino Danelli,” Rascals guitarist Gene Cornish said on social media. “He was my brother and the greatest drummer I’ve ever seen. I am devastated at the moment.
“Rest in peace Dino. I love you, brother.”
Danelli was a Jersey City native who picked up a few gigs before linking up with Felix Cavaliere, Eddie Brigati and Gene Cornish to form the Young Rascals. The band Garfield made its debut at Garfield’s Choo Choo club.
Their many hits, including “Good Lovin'”, “Groovin'”, “People Got to Be Free”, “A Beautiful Morning” and “How Can I Be Sure”, expanded the scope of the era’s rock-pop sound with elements. the use of soul, jazz and complex arrangements and instrumentation.
E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt saw the band at the former Keyport Roller Drome in 1965. Bruce Springsteen was also in the audience.
“They were amazing. They were absolutely amazing, and it was one of the most inspiring performances of my life,” Van Zandt told the Asbury Park Press in 2013. “It stayed with us, half rock, half soul, so we’re very much about our roots. them.”
Danelli’s drumming was integral to the band’s success. Until he came on the scene, rock drummers weren’t the coolest guys in the room. Dannelly changed that with an attitude more akin to the jazz bop cats of New York, where he learned his trade.
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Onstage with the Rascals, he brought his maniacal jazz songs that helped define the band’s unique rock sound, and his stick twirls also helped define the Rascals’ look.
The group’s original activities until 1972. After that, various incarnations were formed for the tour. Danelli formed his own band, Bulldog, and later joined Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul.
Over the decades, all four members rarely appeared on stage together, the notable exception being the group’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Van Zandt did the honors that night. In 2013, all four reunited to star in Broadway’s The Rascals. in the play “Once Upon a Dream”.
The multimedia show was produced by Van Zandt and his wife, Maureen Van Zandt.
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There was also a follow-up tour, but the group did not last in its original form. Cavaliere and Cornish are currently on the road as Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals.
There will be no formal funeral for Danelli, said Joe Russo, who is managing Danelli’s affairs.
“Thank you for supporting his various endeavors throughout his career,” Russo Danelli said on his Facebook page. “You all made it possible for him to live out his dream of being a musician and artist.”
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and opportunity for the USA Today Network in New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected]
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