Born in San Jose, California, Joe has been playing the drums since the age of five. He was first taught at home by his older brother, Gino, then later by the late great Karl “Animal” Carter. Joe later became active playing in school bands at the Alum Rock School District. He received a scholarship to attend the Stanford Jazz workshop and then became a member of The Alum Rock Jazz band (1987-88). He then won The Ed Villigran Award for most outstanding musician. Joe has also had the honor of studying with such greats as Louie Bellson, Joe Porcaro, Freddie Grubber, John Ramsay, Lewis Nash, Kenwood Denard, Mike Mangini, Chad Wackerman, and many others!
Joe also received a scholarship to attend the prestigious, Berklee College of Music which he graduated in1998, with a Bachelors in Performance, Magna Cum Laude. Since then Joe has toured and recorded with such greats as Jazz vocalist, Robin McKelle, Boston Blues-Diva, Toni Lynn Washington, Hip-Hop extraordinaire Kofy Brown, Guitar virtuoso, Hristo Vitchev, and Samoan Reggae Artist, Geno and The Blue Island Band.
Throughout the years’ Joe has appeared in some of the most prestigious music venues all around the world, including the Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey, CA), Yoshi’s Jazz Club (Oakland, CA), Kuumbwa Jazz Center (Santa Cruz, CA), Leader Bank Pavilion (Boston, MA), San Jose Jazz Summer Fest (San Jose, CA), Leopold Museum (Vienna, Austria), Center For Performing Arts (San Jose, CA), Okazaki Jazz Festival (Okazaki, Japan), Far Out Jazz Club (Yokohama, Japan), Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (New Brunswick, Canada), Herbst Theater (San Francisco, CA), Montgomery Theater (San Jose, CA), House of Blues (Boston, MA), Moods Jazz Club (Zurich, Switzerland), Flavors of Jazz Concert Series (San Jose, CA), Flint Center (Cupertino, CA), Mama Kin (San Jose, CA), and many more!
Joe is also a composer and bandleader. He has two all original Jazz-Fusion CD’s out under the band name, Joe DeRose and Amici. The two recordings out are titled “Sounds for the Soul” and “Peace Streets”, which was on the ballot for a Grammy for “Best Instrumental Jazz”.
“Joe DeRose and Amici take old-school Fusion and move it into the next millennium with “Peace Streets”. Joe DeRose swings like a beast, a lyrical drummer with the intensity of a Billy Cobham and the deft touch of a Max Roach. The harmonious synergy captured here is mind-blowing. I grew up on Fusion, and this is better. Joe DeRose and Amici get it right. This is as close to perfect as one can get!”
—Brent Black, Critical Jazz
Since then, Joe has moved back to San Jose. One of his accomplishments that he is proud of is playing his debut drum clinic at San Jose Pro Drum opening for Drum legend, Tommy Aldridge.
Education is also one of Joe’s passions as well as performing and composing. Joe is an acclaimed educational drum author as well. Joe’s educational book titled, “16th note possibilities” is available digitally on Hudson Music and is also available in hardcopy form in the store. Along with gifted authors Matt Diggs and Charles Posner, Joe is writing a revolutionary instructional book specifically aimed for drummers of all ages and special children.
At this time, Joe was featured on The Sabian SEN Educator Spotlight, interviewed by the late great Dom Famularo, which can be viewed on YouTube. This interview was a special moment in Joe’s career and life that he would like to share with you! R.I.P. Dom.
Joe is honored to announce that Vater Percussion, the World’s leading drum stick manufacturer, is producing Joe’s very own signature stick, Joe DeRose’s, “The Pocket”, available in the store. Joe has been a loyal endorser of Vater products for 26 years and dedicates these signature sticks in loving memory of his teacher and mentor, Karl “Animal” Carter.
Joe has been proudly educating and mentoring privately for over 25 years now and has currently has lived out his dream and opened his very own music school, DeRose School of Music and Life!
“A wonderful talent and a wonderful friend!”
—Louie Bellson, Drum legend
Joe, Louie Bellson, and Nick DeRose Sr.