Steve Gadd | |
|---|---|
 Gadd at Bodø Jazz Open, 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stephen Kendall Gadd |
| Born | (1945-04-09)April 9, 1945 (age 79) Irondequoit, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Drums,percussion |
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Website | drstevegadd |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1968–1971 |
| Unit | U.S. Army Field Band |
Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945[1]) is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and most highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into theModern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1984.[2] Gadd's performances onPaul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (1976) and "Late in the Evening" (1980),Herbie Mann's "Hi-jack" (1975)[3] andSteely Dan's "Aja" (1977) are examples of his style. He has worked with other popular musicians from many genres includingSimon & Garfunkel,James Taylor,Chick Corea,Chuck Mangione,Eric Clapton,Michel Petrucciani, andDavid Gilmour.
Gadd grew up inIrondequoit, New York. He started playing the drums at a very early age. At age 11, he entered the Mickey Mouse National Talent Round Up contest and was one of the winners; he won a trip to California, where he metWalt Disney and appeared onThe Mickey Mouse Club, where he played the drums and did a tap dancing routine.[4] Gadd graduated fromEastridge High School, then attended theEastman School of Music, graduating in 1968.[5] He was then drafted into theUnited States Army, where he served the next three years playing drums in theUnited States Army Field Band stationed atFt. Meade, MD.[6]
In 1968, Gadd made his first studio recording onGap Mangione's albumDiana in the Autumn Wind.[7]
In 1973, Gadd formed the short-livedjazz fusion band L'Image withMike Mainieri,Warren Bernhardt,David Spinozza andTony Levin. Also in 1973, he started playing on numerous albums for the jazz labelCTI Records, backing artists likeMilt Jackson,Chet Baker,Art Farmer,Jim Hall, andHubert Laws. Gadd played drums onthe title track ofSteely Dan's 1977 jazz-rock albumAja; the drum solo he played at the end of the song has become "the stuff of legend", according to a 2019Jazziz article, with its "explosive tom-tom runs and crisp cymbal grooves".[8] Other notable recordings from the 1970s areVan McCoy's hit "The Hustle" (1975),Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" (1975),Rickie Lee Jones' "Chuck E.'s in Love" (1979) and theChick Corea albums "The Leprechaun" (1976), "My Spanish Heart" (1976), "The Mad Hatter" (1978), and "Friends" (1978).
In 1981, he played drums and percussion forSimon and Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park.
Gadd was a member of theManhattan Jazz Quintet from its founding in 1983 until he left in 1987, replaced byDave Weckl, although he has reunited with the group several times since then. The group has only officially released its albums inJapan, and is best known there.
Gadd toured the entire year of 1991 with Paul Simon. He recorded and toured withEric Clapton in 1994/1996 and again from 1997 to 2004. 1997 also saw him on a world tour in a trio with the French jazz greatMichel Petrucciani and his long-time band colleague, bassistAnthony Jackson (captured on theTrio in Tokyo live album). Gadd played on the blues albumRiding with the King along with B. B. King, Eric Clapton,Jimmie Vaughan and a few others. In 2009, Gadd returned to Clapton's band to play 11 nights at theRoyal Albert Hall and was part of Clapton's touring band throughout May 2009. Also in 2009, Gadd reunited with L'Image, and the group performed at theIridium Jazz Club in New York City, toured Japan and Europe, and released the albumL'Image 2.0.
Gadd has toured for many years withJames Taylor.[9] Since 2014, Gadd has played in a soul-jazz trio Blicher Hemmer Gadd with four-time Danish Grammy winner Michael Blicher (saxophone) and Dan Hemmer (Hammond organ). Blicher Hemmer Gadd has released four albums.[10]
Gadd has written a book about the rudiments of drumming entitledGaddiments,[11] which was released onHudson Music in 2021.
Gadd's influences includedBuddy Rich,Elvin Jones,Tony Williams, and the "less is more" style ofRick Marotta.[12]
Gadd endorses and usesYamaha drums, pedals and hardware,[13][14]Zildjian cymbals,[14][15]Remo drumheads,[14][16]Latin Percussion,[14][17]Earthworks microphones,[14][18]Vic Firth sticks and brushes[14][19] and Beato bags.[20]
Gadd uses the Steve Gadd Commemorative kit, which Yamaha made for the 30th anniversary of his collaboration with the company. The kit consists of a 22"×14" maple bass drum and 10"x7.5", 12"x8", 14"x12" and 16"x14" birch tom toms. He uses his 14"x5.5" Yamaha Steve Gadd signature steel snare drum with wood hoops, which also comes in birch and maple versions, and he has started to endorse the newer Yamaha Recording Custom series.[21]
Gadd has also used a Yamaha Club Custom drum kit in a blue swirl finish.[22]
Gadd also hasVic Firth sticks with his signature on them. The drumsticks are very light and thin, black in color, and have normal "wood color" on the tips. There is also an identical model with nylon tips. The stick is slightly shorter than the American Classic 5A, and features a barrel tip for improved recording sound. It is15+3⁄4 in (40.0 cm) long and the diameter is .550 in (1.40 cm). In addition to having his own signature stick, he has his own signature brushes. These brushes are intended to solve the problem of wire brushes snagging on new coated drumheads by slightly angling the wires in the top3⁄4 inch (1.9 cm) of the playing end. The wires glide across the head, allowing a smoother sweep and a velvet swish sound.
Gadd uses a variety ofRemo heads: a Coated Powerstroke 3 on the batter side of the snare with a Hazy Diplomat on the resonant side of the snare, Clear Pinstripes or Coated Ambassadors on the batter sides of toms, and Clear Ambassadors for the resonant sides. He is using a Coated Powerstroke 3 both on his snare and kick drum.[20][23][24]
He also has an LP Steve Gadd signature cowbell, modelled on the LP Mambo cowbell that he has used since the 1970s.[25]
According toAllmusic, Gadd has been credited with playingsurdo,kalimba,timpani,tambourine,congas,bass drum,bongos,timbales,snare drum,cymbals and palmas in addition to a drum kit.[26]
With Manhattan Jazz Quintet
WithAnders Wihk
With Blicher Hemmer Gadd
