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Steve Gadd was born in Rochester, NY, April 9, 1945. His uncle, a drummer in the
U.S. Army Band at West Point, encouraged him to take drum lessons at the age of seven;
by the time Steve was 11 he had sat in with Dizzy Gillespie. In addition to studying and
playing the drums he also studied tap dancing. Through primary and secondary school he
and his brother tap-danced at small clubs, many of which he played with local musicians
and touring bands that passed through. He studied privately with Bill and Stanley Street;
and later with John Beck.
After graduating from high school Steve went to New York City where
he attended The Manhattan School of Music for two years. Steve transferred to the Eastman
School of Music back home in Rochester. He studied classical music at Eastman
during the day, focusing on timpani, marimba and xylophone, and 'legit' snare drum
techniques. and played in the college wind ensemble and symphony. At night the 'other' Steve Gadd
played the local clubs of Rochester with Chick Corea, Chuck and Gap Mangione, Joe Romano
and Frank Pullara.
Not exactly a marching gig!!! |
Steve stayed in Rochester after finishing at Eastman to play with Chuck Mangione. In [the late] 1960's, he enlisted for three years into the U.S.Army Field Band where he was a soloist with the concert band and one of two drummers in the Studio Band, a 25 piece jazz-rock band. Immediately after the army Steve returned to Rochester where he worked with a big band.
In 1972 Steve Gadd formed a trio with Tony Levin and Mike Holmes, and headed to New York City with it. Although the trio was not successful he quickly became one of the most sought after studio musicians in town often working 3 different sessions in a day!!!.
Steve, a musician who "doesn't believe in labels," has recorded with artists of all styles and genres, among them Paul Simon, Carly Simon, Phoebe Snow, Steely Dan, Ashford and Simpson, Aretha Franklin, Judy Collins, Bette Midler, James Brown, Joe Cocker, Nancy Wilson, Bob James, Stevie Wonder, Barbara Striesand, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, and George Benson, among MANY others
Until the late 1970's, he remained almost exclusively a session player. Occasionally would tour briefly with Chick Corea's first Return to Forever, Paul Simon, Al DiMeola's Electric Rendezvous Band. By the end of the 1970's Gadd was the most in-demand and probably the most imitated drummer in the world. In Japan transcriptions of his solos were on sale, and all the leading Japanese drummers were sounding like him.
Chick Corea commented, "Every drummer wants to play like Gadd because he plays perfect... He has brought orchestral and compositional thinking to the drum kit while at the same time having a great imagination and a great ability to swing."
Steve credits the playing of jazz greats Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, among others, as influences of his approach to the drums.
In 1976 he became a member of the group Stuff with Gordon Edwards, Richard Tee, Eric Gale, Cornell Dupree, and Chris Parker, while continuing his heavy schedule of studio work. This was also the nucleus of his band The Gadd Gang.
In recent years Steve is busier than ever working on the road with Eric Clapton, and Paul Simon to name a couple.
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