Steve Gadd: session drumming canon, decoded
Steve Gadd is the most-recorded session drummer of his generation. Yamaha Steve Gadd signature kit, Vic Firth Steve Gadd signature stick, the defining 70s session drum vocabulary that shaped Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, Chick Corea, and countless others.
Session canon · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
Steve Gadd (born Stephen Kendall Gadd, April 9, 1945, Rochester, New York) is the most-recorded session drummer of his generation. Yamaha Steve Gadd Signature Kit, Vic Firth Steve Gadd Signature drumstick (model SSG), Remo Coated Ambassador snare batter (the canonical 70s session voice). Defining 70s session drum vocabulary across Steely Dan's Aja (1977) and Gaucho (1980), Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years (1975), Chick Corea, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, and thousands of other records. The '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' drum part (Paul Simon, 1975) is one of the most-studied session drum performances in popular music. Modern Drummer Hall of Fame (1984).
At a glance
Role
Also known as
Active
Affiliations
- Session canon (1970s–present): Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Chick Corea, Frank Sinatra, countless others
- Stuff (jazz-fusion supergroup, 1976–1985)
- L'Image (jazz-fusion side project)
- Yamaha Drums (Steve Gadd signature kit endorsement)
- Vic Firth (Steve Gadd signature drumstick)
- Modern Drummer Hall of Fame (1984)
- Rolling Stone, ranked top 10 on the 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time (2016)
Notable credits
- Steely Dan, Aja (1977)
- Steely Dan, Gaucho (1980)
- Paul Simon, Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)
- Paul Simon, Graceland (1986, contributing tracks)
- Chick Corea, Three Quartets (1981)
- Eric Clapton, Pilgrim (1998) + extensive touring catalog
- James Taylor, multiple records
- Plus thousands of session credits across the 1970s–2020s
Who Steve Gadd is
Stephen Kendall Gadd, born April 9, 1945, in Rochester, New York, has been the most-recorded session drummer of his generation since the mid-1970s. Across Steely Dan's Aja (1977) and Gaucho (1980), Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years (1975) through Graceland (1986) and beyond, Chick Corea's Three Quartets (1981), Eric Clapton's Pilgrim (1998) and extensive touring catalog, James Taylor's multiple records, and thousands of other sessions, his drum vocabulary defines what 70s session drumming sounded like.
He grew up in drum and bugle corps in Rochester, attending the Eastman School of Music. After Army service in the late 1960s he moved to New York City and quickly became one of the city's most-booked session drummers; by the mid-1970s he was the studio drummer for the LA + NYC pop / jazz / fusion scene. He led Stuff (1976-1985), the jazz-fusion supergroup with Cornell Dupree + Eric Gale + Richard Tee + Gordon Edwards.
Modern Drummer Hall of Fame (1984). Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time (2016) ranked him in the top 10.
Style signatures
Three things across his session catalog you can identify as Gadd's:
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Linear hand-foot patterns. Kick, snare, and hi-hat alternate in linear sequence rather than vertical stacks. The technique is foundational to fusion drumming and Gadd's biggest pedagogical contribution to subsequent session drummers (Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl).
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Parade-influenced snare ostinatos. His drum and bugle corps background shows up in left-hand snare patterns (the '50 Ways' part is canonical). The technique adds melodic / rhythmic interest that conventional rock backbeats can't.
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Service-of-the-song discipline. Gadd's solos are rare; his fills are economical. The 'less is more' session drumming philosophy is largely his legacy.
Related
The catalog. Steely Dan's Aja (1977) and Gaucho (1980), Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years (1975) and Graceland (1986), Chick Corea's Three Quartets (1981), Eric Clapton's Pilgrim (1998), James Taylor's multiple records. Plus Stuff (1976-1985) and L'Image jazz-fusion catalogs.
Drumheads in the session-canon lane. Remo Coated Ambassador (Gadd's snare batter, the canonical 70s session snare voice).
Drummer hub. Drummers index.
Sticks Steve plays
Documented signature relationships.