Steve Gadd
Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945[1]) is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1984.[2] Gadd's performances on Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"(1976) and "Late in the Evening", Herbie Mann's "Hi-jack"(1975)[3] and Steely Dan's "Aja"(1977) are examples of his style. He has worked with other popular musicians from many genres including Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Chick Corea, Chuck Mangione, Eric Clapton and Michel Petrucciani.
For other people named Steve Gadd, see Steve Gadd (disambiguation).
Steve Gadd
Early life[edit]
Gadd grew up in Irondequoit, 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 met Walt Disney and appeared on The Mickey Mouse Club, where he played the drums and did a tap dancing routine.[4] Gadd graduated from Eastridge High School, then attended the Eastman School of Music, graduating in 1968.[5] He was then drafted into the United States Army, where he served the next three years playing drums in the United States Army Field Band stationed at Ft. Meade, MD.[6]
Influences[edit]
Gadd's influences included Buddy Rich, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, and the "less is more" style of Rick Marotta.[12]
Equipment[edit]
Gadd endorses and uses Yamaha 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 has Vic 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 is 15+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 top 3⁄4 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 of Remo 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 to Allmusic, Gadd has been credited with playing surdo, kalimba, timpani, tambourine, congas, Grand Cassa, bongos, timbales, snare drum, cymbals and palmas in addition to a drum kit.[26]