Steve Gadd’s biography, net worth, fact, career, awards and life story

Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the most well-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1984. Gadd’s performances on Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”, “Late in the Evening”, and Steely Dan’s “Aja” are examples of his style. He has worked with popular musicians from many genres including Simon & Garfunkel, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Eric Clapton, Kate Bush, Joe Cocker, Grover Washington Jr., Chick Corea, Lee Ritenour, Paul Desmond, Chet Baker, Al Di Meola, Kenny Loggins, Michel Petrucciani and Toshiki Kadomatsu.

Career

Gadd grew up in Irondequoit, New York and graduated from Eastridge High School, then the Eastman School of Music in 1968. His influences included Buddy Rich, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, and the “less is more” style of Rick Marotta.

In 1968, Gadd made his first studio recording on Gap Mangione’s album Diana in the Autumn Wind. In 1981, he played drums and percussion for Simon and Garfunkel’s Concert in Central Park. Gadd recorded and toured with Eric Clapton in 1994/1996 and again from 1997 to 2004. 1997 also saw him on a world tour in a trio with the French jazz great Michel Petrucciani and his long-time band colleague, bassist Anthony Jackson (captured on the Trio in Tokyo CD and Live in Stuttgart DVD/VHS). He also continued his long-time collaboration with artist Paul Simon, joining him in concert on numerous occasions, often alongside Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira. Gadd played on the blues album Riding with the King along with B. B. King, Eric Clapton and Jimmie Vaughan and a few others. In 2009, Gadd returned to Clapton’s band to play 11 nights at the Royal Albert Hall and was part of Clapton’s touring band throughout May 2009. Also in 2009, Gadd reunited with his band from 1973, “L’Image”, featuring Mike Mainieri, Warren Bernhardt, David Spinozza and Tony Levin. The group performed at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, toured Japan, and released the album L’Image 2.0.

Gadd toured in 2014 with James Taylor. Since 2014, Gadd has played in a soul-jazz trio with Danish musicians Michael Blicher and Dan Hemmer.

Gadd has worked with Chet Baker, Tony Banks, Jon Bon Jovi, Bee Gees, Edie Brickell, Kate Bush, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Chick Corea, Jim Croce, Pino Daniele, Paul Desmond, Eddie Gómez, Bob James, Al Jarreau, Manhattan Jazz Quintet, The Manhattan Transfer, Paul McCartney, Michael McDonald, Michel Petrucciani, David Sanborn, Carly Simon, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Steps Ahead, Stuff, James Taylor, Richard Tee, and Michal Urbaniak.

Equipment

Gadd endorses and uses Yamaha drums, pedals and hardware, Zildjian cymbals, Remo drumheads, Latin Percussion, Earthworks microphones, Vic Firth sticks and brushes and Beato bags.

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 12″x8″, 13″x9″, 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.

Gadd has also used a Yamaha Club Custom drum kit in a blue swirl finish.

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 ⁄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 inches (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.

He also has an LP Steve Gadd signature cowbell, modelled on the LP Mambo cowbell that he has used since the 1970s.

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.

Awards and honors

• Honorary Doctor of Music degree, Berklee College of Music, 2005
• Grammy Award nomination, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, Way Back Home, 2017
• Grammy Award, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, Steve Gadd Band, 2019

Discography

As leader

• Gaddabout (Electric Bird, 1984)
• The Boys from Rochester with Chuck Mangione (Feels So Good, 1989)
• Together Forever with Chuck Mangione (Gates Music, 1994)
• Trio in Tokyo with Michel Petrucciani (Dreyfus, 1999)
• Steps/Smokin’ in the Pit (NYC, 1999)
• Super Trio with Chick Corea, Christian McBride (Mad Hatter, 2006)
• Live at Voce (BFM, 2010)
• Gadditude (BFM, 2013)
• Blicher Hemmer Gadd (C-Nut, 2014)
• 70 Strong (BFM, 2015)
• Way Back Home (BFM, 2016)
• Chinese Butterfly with Chick Corea (Stretch, 2017)
• Steve Gadd Band (BFM, 2018)

With Manhattan Jazz Quintet

• Autumn Leaves (Paddle Wheel, 1985)
• Live at Pit Inn (Paddle Wheel, 1986)
• The Sidewinder (Paddle Wheel, 1986)
• My Funny Valentine (Paddle Wheel, 1986)
• Live at Pit Inn Vol. 2 (Paddle Wheel, 1986)
• My Favorite Things: Live in Tokyo (Paddle Wheel, 1987)

Discography