Tom Ardolino, musicologist and drummer EXTRAORDINAIRE from NRBQ passed away yesterday after an extended illness.
He was one of the most baddass, incredible trap drummers I ever had the pleasure to see and hear in person, and a darn nice fellow as well.
He hit SO hard and in such a unique way (watch this vintage live clip to see what I mean) he would not just break the drum heads and cymbals, but actually DENT the metal rims and bend the cymbal STANDS.
Think about that for a minute.
He was also a champion of the world of amateur “Song Poems,” and greatly responsible for discovering, preserving and promoting their legacy for the ages.
The world is a much less cool place without him in it.
Just like in those crappy movies where two people somehow magically switch bodies for awhile, I’d give just about anything to have switched with Tommy Ardolino, even just for long enough to play a couple of shows with one of the greatest and most versatile rock/jazz/R&B/C&W/avant-garde/soul groups to ever grace a stage - NRBQ’s lineup featured in the clip above.
Tonight I’ll raise a glass in his memory, as I’m sure many will around the world in their own way.
His music and his smile made an awful lot of people happy, and at the end of the day, that’s about the most one can ever hope for.
