- Jeff Porcaro (1954-1992) co-founded Toto and played on hundreds of albums, from Steely Dan to Michael Jackson, including Pink Floyd and Dire Straits.
- His half-time shuffle on "Rosanna," a mix of Bernard Purdie, John Bonham, and Bo Diddley, remains one of the most studied grooves by drummers.
- With Toto IV, he won six Grammy Awards in 1983, including Record of the Year for "Rosanna," and he co-wrote "Africa," the group's only number 1 hit in the United States.
- His playing is recognized by the placement: a breathing tempo, barely touched ghost notes, and a clear sound, carried by the Paiste cymbals he played from 1982 onward.
Put "Rosanna" by Toto, "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs, "Mother" by Pink Floyd, and a track from Thriller on the same playlist. Four worlds, one pair of hands behind the drums: those of Jeff Porcaro. The Toto drummer spent less than twenty years in the studio, and that time was enough for him to lay down his groove on a good part of American pop and rock, from the late 70s to the early 90s.
AllMusic considers him probably the most respected rock studio drummer of that period. His signature is heard in a breathing tempo, a snare drum that whispers between hits, a shuffle that thousands of drummers have dissected since. How did a kid from the San Fernando Valley get there?
A percussionist's son in the San Fernando Valley
Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro was born on April 1, 1954, in Hartford, Connecticut. His father, Joe Porcaro, was a studio percussionist in Los Angeles and a renowned teacher: he gave his eldest son his first lessons. The family settled in the San Fernando Valley, and Jeff sat behind an acoustic drum kit at seven years old. Then came lessons with Bob Zimmitti, then Richie Lepore.
At home, music was a family affair. His two younger brothers, Steve on keyboards and Mike on bass, would later join Toto. Jeff didn’t wait for a diploma: at 17, he left high school in his final year to tour with Sonny & Cher, all the way to Las Vegas.
His role models at the time were Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon, two session drummers who played for the song before playing for themselves. That lesson never left him: serve the song, always, even if it means disappearing behind it.
Steely Dan and Boz Scaggs, the studio school at twenty
In 1974, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen called him for Pretzel Logic. He played on "Night by Night" and shared "Parker’s Band" with Jim Gordon, two drummers on the same take. Steely Dan had a reputation as a perfectionist duo, capable of redoing a take until every hit landed perfectly, and young Porcaro held up.
The following year, he handled almost all of Katy Lied, the album that made him known in the United States. He was 21, and Los Angeles producers began to remember his name.
In 1976, Boz Scaggs’ Silk Degrees came out. "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" got radio play, and in the studio crossed paths Jeff Porcaro, keyboardist David Paich, co-writer of those two tracks, and bassist David Hungate. They then hit the road with Scaggs. That core wouldn’t take long to form its own band.
Toto, the studio musicians’ band that took it all
Toto was born in 1977 around Jeff Porcaro, his brother Steve, and two childhood friends, Steve Lukather and David Paich. The first album came out in 1978. Between the group’s records, Toto’s drummer kept his session work and continued recording for others, at a pace that’s impressive.
The peak came with Toto IV, released in March 1982. "Rosanna" stayed five weeks at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Africa," which Jeff co-wrote with Paich, became the group’s first and only number 1 in the United States. At the 1983 Grammy Awards, the album took home six trophies, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for "Rosanna."
On "Africa," the father was involved: Joe Porcaro played percussion and marimba, alongside Lenny Castro on congas. Jeff himself is credited with drums and percussion on all of Toto IV.
The Rosanna shuffle, a groove in three ingredients
A shuffle divides each beat into three (we’re talking ternary playing) and keeps only the first and third parts, hence this swinging bounce. The half-time moves the backbeat, the snare hit usually on beats 2 and 4, to beat 3: the song seems to move half as fast, without actually slowing down.
Porcaro mixes three sources. The Purdie shuffle, which Bernard Purdie plays on Steely Dan’s "Home at Last." John Bonham’s groove on Led Zeppelin’s "Fool in the Rain." And the Bo Diddley beat, slipped into the bass drum. Between the main hits, he scatters ghost notes, hits so light on the snare you feel them more than hear them. Shortly after the track’s success, he detailed it all in a Star Licks instructional video, since reissued on DVD.
To work on the Rosanna shuffle, start with the right hand alone on the hi-hat, playing triplets but only the first and third notes. Then add the snare on 3, then the bass drum, and only at the end the ghost notes, as low as possible. Slowly at the metronome first: the groove comes from regularity, speed comes later.
The Porcaro sound, from Paiste 2002 to Signature
Jeff Porcaro became a Paiste artist in April 1982, the year of Toto IV. The Swiss brand kept his setup from that time: a 14-inch 2002 Heavy hi-hat, two 19-inch 2002 crashes and one 21-inch crash, a 22-inch 2002 ride, and a 20-inch china. The 2002 bronze, a copper-tin alloy called CuSn8, has been part of rock since its early days: bright, direct, designed to cut through guitars.
The current version of this hi-hat uses the CuSn8 alloy and is handmade in Switzerland. Its range is described as medium to loud, with a quick attack and piercing frequencies that keep the groove clear in a dense mix.
For a shuffle played with the right hand, each eighth note stands out clearly, and the medium-strong accents mark the openings effortlessly, both live and in the studio.
Pros
- Quick attack and very clear in the mix
- Handmade in Switzerland
- Top and bottom cymbals available separately
Cons
- Medium to loud range, adjustable for a very soft playing style
Regarding drums, Porcaro moved from Gretsch to Yamaha, then to Pearl. He also has his signature stick with Regal Tip. But it’s the hi-hat that identifies him the fastest: the right hand carrying the shuffle is where all the Porcaro sound happens.
In 1990, he switched to the Paiste Signature series. His last setup included a 13-inch hi-hat, a 16-inch Signature Fast Crash, an 18-inch Full Crash, a 20-inch Signature Full Ride, a 10-inch splash, a thin china, and a 20-inch flat ride. These are hand-forged cymbals, sensitive to the slightest stick nuance.
The 18-inch Signature Full Crash is handmade in Switzerland from a patented Signature bronze developed for this series. Paiste gives it a full, clear, and colorful sound that lets the snare and toms breathe instead of covering them.
It plays well at all volumes: a soft hit reveals a fine texture, a strong hit delivers a clear projection without losing musicality.
Pros
- Very sensitive response to nuances
- Full and clear sound at all volumes
- Entirely handmade in Switzerland
Cons
- Price of a high-end series
To get close to the Porcaro sound, start with the hi-hat: it carries his shuffles. A 14-inch with a sharp attack, a ride that stays defined when you play it continuously, and light sticks that make ghost notes easier. The rest of the kit can wait.
Thousands of sessions, from The Wall to Thriller
While Toto filled venues, Jeff Porcaro kept stacking sessions: hundreds of albums, thousands of sessions. A few milestones to measure the scope:
- Pink Floyd, The Wall (1979): "Mother"
- Warren Zevon, Excitable Boy (1978)
- Rickie Lee Jones, her first album (1979)
- Michael Jackson, Thriller (1982): four tracks, then "Heal the World" on Dangerous
- Don Henley, The End of the Innocence (1989)
- Dire Straits, On Every Street (1991)
- Bruce Springsteen, Human Touch (1992)
What strikes you listening is the gap between these records: the restraint of "Mother," the bounce of Boz Scaggs, the precise pop of Thriller. Porcaro never tries to stand out, and that’s why they call him. Richard Marx dedicates "One Man" to him and describes him as the best drummer he ever worked with. Michael Jackson dedicates the liner notes of HIStory to him in 1995.
August 1992, a groove that stops at 38 years old
On August 5, 1992, Jeff Porcaro died in Los Angeles at 38, from a heart attack following a fainting episode in the garden of his Hidden Hills home. The exact circumstances still divide his close ones and the coroner’s report. Kingdom of Desire, released the same year, remains his last album with Toto.
On December 14, 1992, the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles hosted a tribute concert. George Harrison, Boz Scaggs, Donald Fagen, Don Henley, Eddie Van Halen, and Toto members took the stage, and the proceeds funded his three sons’ education. In 1993, Modern Drummer inducted him into its Hall of Fame.
Take "Rosanna," focus on the hi-hat and snare, and count the hits you never noticed. More than thirty years later, Jeff Porcaro’s groove still hides where you don’t look: under the song, exactly where it belongs.
