The legendary Steve Gadd

Dr Drums said:
You would probably want to hit me after hearing this, but I can't seem to find something SO speacial about this guy. overrated imo.
Yes he's very original, and yes he's a real groovemaster, but i can't seem to like him that much.
I have a feeling that ill be convinced otherwise after this thread.
Give some opinions and thought about him, I wanna see if i'm really the only one to think like that.

http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Steve_Gadd.html

Well, the other musicians and producers seem to think there's something very special about him. They all want him on their records. That's why he's been the top session drummer in the world for about 30 years.
 
Well Henry the second ,i dont like Gadd that much either,he is a good all around player,but so is a whole lot of drummers,i think his best thing is that latin beat thing he does?.Ive heard his playing and its good basic playing,i mean i would love to play that basic stuff like that :) but i dont consider him a legend or anything.............
 
Listen to "Nite Sprite" in the Leprechaun album of Chick Corea. Vinnie played it in the ADAA Tribute to Gadd DVD as well, but Gadd was the original.
 
mediocrefunkybeat said:
Have you ever heard Aja? That's NOT basic.
Yep,listened to Aja and in the end something starts to happen,the song in itself is really boring,nice guitars though.Good basic drumming,i mean in the world of Great players,not my world ,heheh.
 
Gadd was famous for his originality I think. He did open the drummers mind by his linear things in the 70s and 80s.
But it doesnt mean that he can play everything.
And it is really stupid to say that he can play everything but he just doesnt like it so he does not show off. This situation is anti-human-common-sense. If he can play virgil or marco things, he must have spent that amount of hours practicing these stuffs, this dedication of effort require a high level of self favor toward the thing being practiced. U cant imagine he wasted his time practicing what he dislikes and just hide these skills forever.


in the weckl-gadd-colaiuta drum off, yes, since this is only a "drum-off", not a musicality contest, i agree gadd is OFF. the least complexity and speed wise.

I would never say gadd sucks, he doesnt. He is an outstanding musician. But just please, do not everywhere everytime defend him as a superman. He can NOT do everything.

The boundaries of drumming has been pushed generation by generation. see the history, how is the complexity of drumming has reached in comparison to 1930?
Do NOT take modern-speedy-multilayered-oddtimed-monsters' effort as nonsense. They are heroes, no matter how gadd has been. Gadd is lengendary, but he doesnt rule everyone!
 
But then bring to Sound: There it lays....... .To bring this all to live, that it sounds really "gaddish" and then also putting in the right places - not so easy at all - well, let's say for me...

Bernhard


well well well, I have been playing drums for quite a long time.....and unfortunately for me, I just heard about Steve Gadd.....within the last year......where have I been??? In la la land I think.....all I can say is I heard about him and decided to check him out......now first let me say I love sooooooooooooooo many drummers out there for so many reasons................BUT NONE of them like Gadd......my body actually reacted to his playing like no other drummer made it feel.......and I cant explain why...............but it was like I fell in love with Steve instantly and could not get enough of him......

Steve is not just playing the drums.....watch him, listen....he is in the music so much...THATS what we are all missing when it comes to what Gadd does that is so different...........

If I could sit in and jam side by side with ANY drummer in the world....for me it would be STEVE GADD for sure.....and some day that IS going to happen.......and I will take with me a piece of Steve that I will cherish forever.
 
I appreciate his work with Franck Sinatra on his beautiful record " L.A is My Lady", but I don't really find mr Gadd to be such an AMAZING drummer, don't get me wrong, he's a great drummerbut I don't find him to be so amazing.


take care,
 
Last edited:
Between everything I heard by the so-called best drummers Gadd is the only one that has something very special and fascinating without being demonstrative. His sound and original rythms are really inspiring and full of energy.
But I think there's too much things about him going on like Gadd honoring day and so, it's something I personnaly don't give a damn in the world of music.
 
Last edited:
I think he has great chops. Not Vinnie or Tony chops maybe, but great chops. I bet you makes a ton more money than Minneman does, doing that Clapton gig. He also has a very innovative approach, chops wise.
His groove is undeniably impressive, more than anyone's.... he lays it down with absolute conviction.
 
Placeboman said:
he is a good all around player, but so is a whole lot of drummers,

and:

I've heard his playing and its good basic playing... but i dont consider him a legend or anything.............


Quote of the year.....what ignorance!!!!!!!!

Bernhard
 
Last edited:
Bernhard said:
Quote of the year.....what ignorance

Bernhard

Personally I'm dismayed. How can people watch that Gadd/Colaiuta/Weckl piece and not be impressed by him? I thought he was the best guy on there, musically. Vinnie had more fire and Weckl had a lot more chops, but in terms of just huge solid groove Gadd has it absolutely nailed in a way that neither of the others could touch. I watched that video with a guitarist friend and he yawned his way through Weckl, looked mildly interested at some of Vinnie and thought Gadd was excellent and wanted me to learn to play that marching lick with the blasts of kick drum underneath.

He's the kind of drummer other musicians care about. I think that means more than all the double kick and hand-crossing solos in the world ever could.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
finnhiggins...

YOU GOT THAT RIGHT............................Glad someone noticed.....the GROOVE MASTER......................
 
hes an inspiration in my opinion he always puts on a fantastic show and is an umbelieveable drummer i take my hat off to him.
 
I can understand someone not liking a certain style, but Gadd encompasses so many styles, you can't NOT consider him a legend.

I personal don't understand why Mick Jagger is a legend, but I would never deny the fact that he is a legend.
 
finnhiggins said:
Personally I'm dismayed. How can people watch that Gadd/Colaiuta/Weckl piece and not be impressed by him? I thought he was the best guy on there, musically. Vinnie had more fire and Weckl had a lot more chops, but in terms of just huge solid groove Gadd has it absolutely nailed in a way that neither of the others could touch. I watched that video with a guitarist friend and he yawned his way through Weckl, looked mildly interested at some of Vinnie and thought Gadd was excellent and wanted me to learn to play that marching lick with the blasts of kick drum underneath.

He's the kind of drummer other musicians care about. I think that means more than all the double kick and hand-crossing solos in the world ever could.
It's all relative. I don't think the idea of that whole battle was to be musical. I mean, battles are rarely musical. Now if it was a battle to see who could groove with a band the best, Gadd would rape all of them exponentially. But I mean, you can't disrespect the fact that Weckl and Vinnie are ..... flashy. It is very impressive what they can do.....but I mean, obviously a guitarist isn't gonna care how fast someone can play (even though he kind of should so that he knows what is possible within a band). I'd love to just see a battle with a backing band behind them and just hit some solid grooves with a few fills. That would be pretty funny.....because it would be no contest for Gadd. But let's get real here.....Gadd was kind of 'lagging' in that battle....for what the battle stood for at least. His style was respectable definitely.......and what he did was so solid that it still blew me away, but drum battles should show off chops, should they not? Or maybe they shouldn't.......=\ iuno.
 
MaxRoach said:
It's all relative. I don't think the idea of that whole battle was to be musical. I mean, battles are rarely musical. Now if it was a battle to see who could groove with a band the best, Gadd would rape all of them exponentially. But I mean, you can't disrespect the fact that Weckl and Vinnie are ..... flashy. It is very impressive what they can do.....but I mean, obviously a guitarist isn't gonna care how fast someone can play (even though he kind of should so that he knows what is possible within a band). I'd love to just see a battle with a backing band behind them and just hit some solid grooves with a few fills. That would be pretty funny.....because it would be no contest for Gadd. But let's get real here.....Gadd was kind of 'lagging' in that battle....for what the battle stood for at least. His style was respectable definitely.......and what he did was so solid that it still blew me away, but drum battles should show off chops, should they not? Or maybe they shouldn't.......=\ iuno.

Why? If you take it like that then you turn it into WFD all over again. I think that 3-man battle would be a lot less interesting with Gadd replaced with another chops monster. It's a really well-balanced trio:

Weckl: Smooth pristine technique
Vinnie: Fire and aggression
Gadd: Groove coming out of your eyeballs.

Put those three together and you've got the best drummer on the planet!
 
Steve Gadd

What can be said about the master that hasn't? Not much. No introduction necessary. One of the most recorded and influential drummers of all time. Even Buddy Rich praised him among drummers as "elevating the art" and having taste. That is a big thing from Buddy.

Maybe I can express how I feel watching his performances,... other than inadequate ;)

Watching Steve’s fluid pocket grooves is a very mesmerizing thing. Every note seems to serve the music, and have a life of it's own. He has more shades and details to punctuate his playing than anyone I have ever seen.

Neil Peart commented at how dead Steve’s drums sounded during a "Burning for buddy" sound check. Pin stripe heads (which many people hate) and loose tuning. Neal went on to say "But when Steve plays these things, he makes music!"

Steve’s soul is obvious as you watch his concentration and body language. It's like a Kung-fu form flowing from note to note. There just the right placement and emphasis on each component.

He is a rare cat. He is a singers drummer. He is a Musicians drummer. And he is a drummers drummer.

Listening to his playing moves you to the core. I can't even imaging having the range of skills he has from sight reading, to pocket playing and his always-in-demand musical innovation. And he has done all of this on a 6 piece kit with a few cymbals, and a lot of thought.

Go ahead...put on Paul Simons's "Late in the evening" and tell me that Steve Gadd didn't MAKE that tune work. It's all about the groove.

I hope I can see "Mission from Gadd 2."
 
Back
Top