Joe La Barbera comes from a legendary musical family and played his first gigs at five years old with the family band and over a 78-year lifetime in music, has become a jazz drumming legend in his own right. His career includes high profile gigs and recordings with Woody Herman, Chuck Mangione, Bill Evans, John Scofield, Bob Brookmeyer, Kenny Wheeler, Joe Locke, Gary Foster, and vocalists Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Freda Payne and Michael Buble, among many others. He has released seven recordings as a bandleader and retired as Faculty Emeritus from the California Institute of the Arts after 28 years. Recently, Joe performed with Vince Mendoza at Herbie Hancock’s 100th Birthday of Miles Davis tribute concert at the Hollywood Bowl and recorded and completed an East Coast tour with pianist Randy Ingram and Rufus Reid for the release of Ingram’s Sound Within CD. His latest projects include the World […]

November 2026 Issue