The legendary Steve Gadd

Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

And that's why I think the whole "feel/technique" battle is so silly. They are two totally different things.

And yet so inter-related.....and thing about Vinnie is that he really knows the context he's in...take the Tom Scott CD "Flashpoint" - Get a Grip is a smoking fusion 3/4 tune and the rest of the disc is fairly straight ahead 2 & 4. And this can be said of Gadd as well....just because you have the chops doesn't mean you play a drum solo everytime you sit down to play a song!




Mike

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Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

Uhh...Rascul?


Yea, umm...there's an error with that "50 Ways" YouTube video. Just to let you know. It won't play.
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

Hmm... Works fine for me, but I've edited it
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

CHECK OUT THIS INTERVIEW with Anthony Jackson to get a feel for why Steve Gadd is on another level, apart from Vinnie or Dave or Jo Jo or whomever else you want to parade out. All great drummers, but as has been the case for as long as I can remember there are chops, and there are musical voices. And if you think Steve doesn't have chops, show me how your roll sounds nearly as good as his. It sounds like slowly tearing a sheet of paper.

I get it, I'm from Rochester, you can get Gadded out. You can say dang Steve enough drop fills, enough with the paradiddle hat snare fill, enough Crazy Army. Don't let that blind you to the fact that the man is brilliant.
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

Hmm... Works fine for me, but I've edited it

Ahh...now THAT'S better! Thanks Rascul.


It's a shame though, that Gadd isn't shown much. what...5 seconds at the start, and about 12 seconds at the end.
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

Some people say that he is like ringo, a grandfather of drumming and I can accept that, and if he was an inovator then even more so.

But I would argue that his desighn has'nt withstood the test of time.
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

Chick Corea once referred to Steve Gadd as "The finest musician I've ever played with."
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Well...Maybe Miles, Elvin, Roy, Jack, and Tony might be a tad higher on the flagpole hmm??...Chick might have been a little high....
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

Some people say that he is like ringo, a grandfather of drumming and I can accept that, and if he was an inovator then even more so.

But I would argue that his desighn has'nt withstood the test of time.

No way brother Animal. His playing is way past foundational. You guys really need to listen to him some more, you're missing one of the greatest voices on the instrument.

Keep in mind that whatever gig he is playing on any given day, it's likely the best damn gig available that day.
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

I first noticed Gadd's playing on a Steely Dan album. I was trying to play along with the tune and I wasn't getting it! I can't remember which Dan tune that it was now. I said to myself, "Who's that drummer!" After that I always listened to anything that Gadd played on that I could find!
He never had a bad hair day!
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

I love how armchair quarterbacks sit around and critique the greats. Gadd has made a living every day of his life by playing the drums. How many of you can say that? He's played with the greatest musicians known. How many of you can say that? He attended two of the finest music university's in the world. How many of you can say that? The man is a total professional. How many of you can say that?
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

Keep in mind that whatever gig he is playing on any given day, it's likely the best damn gig available that day.

bigd said:
I love how armchair quarterbacks sit around and critique the greats. Gadd has made a living every day of his life by playing the drums. How many of you can say that? He's played with the greatest musicians known. How many of you can say that? He attended two of the finest music university's in the world. How many of you can say that? The man is a total professional. How many of you can say that?

Please guys...! I understand the importance and also the musical genius of Steve Gadd, and I don't want to take away from him, but I think the points in this thread are already made, and in comments like this from you Spreggy there is clearly a fan of Gadd's speaking, which not everybody necessarily is at the same amount. I mean how can you say the venue Gadd is playing at will be the best gig available that day??

And bigd, please let's not start another you-only-are-allowed-to-critique-someone-if-you-play-as-well argument! That's totally annoying, and irrelevant to a certain degree.
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

Please guys...! I understand the importance and also the musical genius of Steve Gadd, and I don't want to take away from him, but I think the points in this thread are already made, and in comments like this from you Spreggy there is clearly a fan of Gadd's speaking, which not everybody necessarily is at the same amount. I mean how can you say the venue Gadd is playing at will be the best gig available that day??

And bigd, please let's not start another you-only-are-allowed-to-critique-someone-if-you-play-as-well argument! That's totally annoying, and irrelevant to a certain degree.

+1

must type 20 or more
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

In that video of the drum battle, it seemed to me that Gadd annihilated the other two. Admittedly I don't know a lot about the kind of thing they're doing, but I could actually hear a "groove" to his, as opposed to just showing how quickly he can hit the various toms and cymbals.

It's sorta like the difference between a guitar solo that's all huge sweeping arpeggios and one that has a solid melody you can feel. The thing with haphazard showing off of chops is that it's non-specific. As impressive as it is, it's cut-and-paste. I'd argue it takes a lot more deep feeling of music to construct the kind of thing Gadd does.
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

drummers don't have to be playing blazing speed double kicks or having kits that circle and spin in the air or twirl sticks all night long to be good.

ever listen to "Aja"??
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

I agree, the solos Dave and Vinnie deliver at this performance were not necessarily their most inspired work :).

True, nor did they mean it to be.

The event had a circuslike quality to it and from what I could tell the guys were just having fun providing some acrobatic razzatmatazz to give the audience thrills and spills and oohs and ahhs. They succeeded in this brilliantly and it was great entertainment. I'm sure they had a ball with the opportunity to stretch out and go crazy - to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Once finished with the show no doubt they went went on their merry ways playing music again.
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

What amazes me the most is how tight these old school recordings were in a analog world. Now that's true skill. Steve will always be a legend, I am fortunate to have lived and learned in his era.
 
Re: So, what is it with Steve Gadd

Here's my vote for Gadd in that particular video. His playing was much more musical to my ears than Vinnie and Dave.
 
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