The legendary Steve Gadd

Hi everyone,

lurked here for a little while. Finally was able to put aside some minutes to read this whole thread tonight and thought I'd post.

I think Gadd is a great drummer/musician -but that's all been said by others here better than I could put it. So ...yeah ...what you guys said. Like him or not, it seems silly to dispute his skill, influence, and contributions to the artform we all love.

The thing I'm surprised no one has mentioned (very sorry if someone did and I just missed this) is that, I think, in line with all that creativity and all those innovative parts, one of Gadd's most important contributions has been his approach to not just the drumset, but the drumset + the microphones.

He was one of the first to realize and deliberatly take advantage of the fact that a well mixed, close-mic'd drumset will make things like that "chick" with the left foot cut through even rock guitars, letting him add a whole new level of dynamics to his playing and take a fresh approach the drumset -opening up a whole world of possible patterns that didn't work before because they woudln't really be completely audible. That, more or less, changed the way people use a drumset to create music. I mean, there were probably others that helped this cause too, but that's one of his biggest contributions, IMO. His often unpopular approach to tuning (I tend to favor a more 'open' sound myself) is also a very microphone conscious one and speaks towards his approach to the drumset viewed in the context of microphones.

so...yeah. He's a pretty significant fella. I'd venture to throw the word genius on the table.

P.S. Bernhard, this is a really, really great website. You're doing a great thing here -I've met young drummers who didn't know the name Steve Gadd ...not to mention the likes of Papa Joe and other greats who aren't on mainstream media every 2 seconds. I'll bet there are a lot of young players out there who've really had their eyes opened here! I think you're making a real contribution to Music!
 
thanks Auger for the flowers - thank you so much.

As for Steve Gadd and micing and strange sound of drums: Yes, I fully agree, this is really the point.

Unbelievable this year at PASIC: I sat on his drums and tried out - and some other drumsets too from great players like Billy Kilson or John Blackwell or Virgil Donati.
Just unbelievable, how all sets sounded so well and Steve's Set sounded really crappy! then he started to regulate with the techs - the Snare - and it became even more crappier. Then he was happy and no wonder: at the clinic everything sounded PERFECT!!! It's really the micing. Or take his Award-celebration DVD: The rehearsal Sound and the performance Sound - what a big difference...


Bernhard
 
I have to admit that I hadn't given the subject much consideration. Thanks Auger for bringing it up, and thanks Bernhard for backing it up with the personal information.
 
In November 2005 was released "Chick Corea and Three Quartets Band" DVD, Region 1.
This DVD were recorded at the Blue Note jazz club in New York City.
The lineup is marvelous:

Chick Corea - piano
Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone
Eddie Gomez - double bass
Steve Gadd - drums

Also on ebay Italy - www.ebay.it is available Steps Ahead DVD "Live at the Mt.Fuji Jazz Festival 2004".
It is unofficial DVD.
I can not say much about the sound quality. That is important. I think the sound quality will be bad.
Someone has this DVD?
The lineup is:

Mike Mainieri - vibraphone
Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone
Mike Stern - guitar
Adam Holzman - keyboards
Darryl Jones - bass
Steve Gadd - drums
 
Dogbreath and Bernhard,

Glad I had something to contribute!

That's really something that you got to play Steve Gadd's drumset, Bernhard! It's fun to hear about that sort of 'inside' perspective! I think I'd have been a little nervous! :)
 
thanks Auger

No it was not a big thing and no time to get nervous - I didn't really play for the master. Just we all stand around - i had a media badge - taking pictures and joking and while Steve changed some cymbals i asked for permission to sit down and he laughed. So some taps here and some taps there - like a tech......

But then he really worked on the Snare, some screwing up and some down - for me it seemed: no special system - for some minutes sure - then he had to stop, because they openened the doors for the audience.

Bernhard
 
Also on ebay Italy - [url said:
www.ebay.it[/url] is available Steps Ahead DVD "Live at the Mt.Fuji Jazz Festival 2004".
It is unofficial DVD.
I can not say much about the sound quality. That is important. I think the sound quality will be bad.
Someone has this DVD?
The lineup is:

Mike Mainieri - vibraphone
Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone
Mike Stern - guitar
Adam Holzman - keyboards
Darryl Jones - bass
Steve Gadd - drums

i do have a dvd from this gig...coming from a dvb-s tv capture..very nice
video and sound quality...
do a search in emule for: Steps Ahead - 2004 Fuji Jazz Festival - a nice xvid rip
in perfect quality...



regards
 
something brand new from gadd....
http://www.sunlightsquare.co.uk/

you can listen to 4 tracks from the brand new cd and you can watch some quicktime videos
from the recording session...

line up is:

BASS - Will Lee -
DRUMS - Steve Gadd -
VOCALS: JOY MALCOLM (Moby, Incognito)
SHARLENE HECTOR (Basement Jaxx), Z-STAR (Slow Train)

gadd in chill out mood...great...
here four teasers...taken from the webpage..Brick Lane 3 minutes long - nice showcase of paradiddle variations...
Summer Night 1minute...
Mr Reeve 1minute...
Dubomatic 1minute...
on http://www.moderndrummer.com/critique.php
you can read a 9star critique...


cheers
 
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On another note, what ever happened to the unofficial Steve Gadd website that Stan Mulder ran for years (Bernhard even had a link for it on the Gadd page). That was the most informative website for a single drummer.
It seems that Stan shut the website down about a month after the Official Steve Gadd website opened up (which was not too long ago).
I remember reading on his website that it was news to him that an official Gadd website opened up. In my opinion this was a slap in the face to him. Here he was, the first person to run a Steve Gadd website for the last 7-8 years and showed great loyalty, only to find out that an official Gadd website opened up.
If they wanted an official site who better to run it then Stan? in my opinion i believe Stan should of been given that honor, especially for all the hard work he had put into that website for all those years.......... i guess i cant blame him for shutting it down..... no respect i tell you... no respect.
 
i was shocked to see that steve was singing a jazz song while playing on the vic firth pasic clips. thats crazy, where was a band? surely he deserves one. not that he doesn't have a lovely voice.
 
Steve Gadd singing Bye Bye Blackbird is special. I think the purpose is, to show nice brushplaying and filling the gaps between the lines. It's just nice without a band.

Stan Mulder: very good and helpful friend. Just disappeared. Wrote some mails, but all adresses are dead. Just hope, it has nothing to do with the hurricaine....same time same place.

Yes, he was shocked, when the new Steve Gadd Site came up - but he had to take that into consideration earlier or later. Steve Kiener is also a nice guy and a family friend of Steve Gadd and finally they put up also a link to Stans Site.

Just wondering also, what happened.....

....Stan, if you read this....please: [email protected]

Bernhard
 
In additon to being the most in demand session drummer of all time (check out the SG discography here: http://www.drstevegadd.com/discography.htm), Steve Gadd is also the most imitated drummer of all time, maybe with the exception of Buddy Rich. Further, Steve Gadd has had more influence on the art of drumming than any other drummer, ever, maybe with the exception of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa.

Frankly, anyone who doesn't recongnize the genius of Steve Gadd is either just not listening, or is not able to hear.

PS: My favorite SG groove is from Chuck E's in love by Rickie Lee Jones. That groove will pull your heart right out of your chest.
 
Henry II said:
In additon to being the most in demand session drummer of all time (check out the SG discography here: http://www.drstevegadd.com/discography.htm), Steve Gadd is also the most imitated drummer of all time, maybe with the exception of Buddy Rich. Further, Steve Gadd has had more influence on the art of drumming than any other drummer, ever, maybe with the exception of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa.

Frankly, anyone who doesn't recongnize the genius of Steve Gadd is either just not listening, or is not able to hear.
I think it was Akira Jimbo that stated how big an influence Gadd is in Japan. A great number of drummers emulate and try to sound like Gadd. Jimbo does a variation of a Gadd riff on one of his dvd's. Neil Peart does a Gadd riff he learned from his "Burning for Buddy" sessions with Gadd.

I have read Jazz and fusion is much more popular in Japan than other parts of the world.
 
of all the drummers on this site gadd stood out for me. he is imitated, yet still unique, and tasteful, yet impressive. he is the drummer i would most like to be.
 
What are some of Steve Gadds best CDs? I just ran into some of money and I really want to pick up some of his work.
 
franklinj said:
What are some of Steve Gadds best CDs? I just ran into some of money and I really want to pick up some of his work.

3 Must have cd's (in no particular order) with great musicianship throughtout, with some of the best grooves and solos ive heard from Gadd (and ive heard ALOT)

-"smokin in the pit" by Steps Ahead
-"Jun Fukamachi- and the New York all stars
-"The Leprechaun" by Chick Corea
 
iv only ever seen videos of steve gadd on drummerworld, but he has control and technique that make me wonder why im even drumming at all. he is amazing, i'll have to listen to all the songs everyone's talking about
 
gadd is one of my fav drummers. hes got chops and technique. i saw him with clapton on the crossroads guitar festival, and i just loved the way he played. i have seen him else where, but i liked him most on the guitar festival. check it out if you havent already
 
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