Inside the Studio – WWGD: What Would Gadd Do?

Jim Croce, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt, George Benson, Chick Corea, Paul Simon, Joe Cocker, Al Di Meola, Steely Dan, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Dr. John, Carly Simon, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Ringo Starr, the Bee Gees, Michael McDonald, Frank Sinatra, James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, B.B. King, James Brown, Jaco Pastorius… had enough yet?

Dr. Steve Gadd is, among many things, a legend. Anyone who’s ever spent time in a studio has summoned his name over a talkback while conversing with the drummer, “Hey, on this section can you do a Gadd-type thing?” With an unmistakable groove, he makes the most complex patterns seem easy and has a touch like no other. But how did a kid from Rochester, NY end up playing on many of THE albums of the 20th century? Good question…