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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZGADD, Steve(b '45, Rochester, NY) Drummer. Studied at Eastman in Rochester, playing in clubs evenings (had sat in with Dizzy Gillespie at eleven); served in US Army, played with big band in Rochester, formed trio and went to NYC '72, soon the ultimate session drummer, solos transcribed and published. His contribution to rock and pop was class and finesse, his linear style spreading out the sounds of the kit. Recorded with Chick Corea, Al Di Meola, Carla Bley, George Benson, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Paul Simon, David Sanborn, countless more. With keyboardist Richard Tee, Cornell Dupree on guitar, three others in Stuff, jazz/R&B group with LPs on WB (sold well in Japan but not at home); had worked with bassist Eddie Gomez in Corea's groups, and with these three plus Ronnie Cuber on reeds formed the Gadd Gang (down beat headline: 'not just the same old Stuff'), a more friendly group in which everybody soloed: eponymous album '87 prod. in NYC by Kiyoshi Itoh, with material by Bob Dylan ('Watching The River Flow'), Winton Felder, ballads by Gomez and Tee (who also sings), remake of rock'n'roll classic 'Honky Tonk' (Bill Doggett), etc. Also Gaddabout '86 on Projazz with Tee, Cuber, four others. |