Tap dancing with little brother Eddie 1953

Young Steve in 1954

Receives his first drumset from his grandfather and really  starts "studying" at Levi's Music with Elmer Frolig in 1952.

At age nine makes first appearance on The Mickey Mouse Club tap dancing and playing drum solo.

Continues studies with William and Stanley Street and eventually John Beck in 1959.

Begins hitting the clubs with his Dad, leading
to meeting his hero Gene Krupa and also getting the chance to sit in with Dizzy Gillespie and others at an extremely young age

1961, Steve meets the great bandleader
Count Basie at Birdland in New York City.

Steve Gadd: 11.15.1968

Steve Gadd performing with Elliott Randall, Tony Levin and Paul Fleisher playing a Concert at East Hampton College in NY-Summer of 1973. Steve, Tony, Paul & Elliott appear on Elliott Randall Archives Volume One

Photo by Lauren Draper



Plays Montreux Jazz Fest with The Chuck Mangione Quartet
and records the Alive album with the superb solo on St. Thomas. Moves to New York and begins studio career par excellence.
Early 70's lot's of CTI recordings and then onto Paul Simon,
Chick Corea's Leprechaun and the now infamous Nite Sprite.

From there on Herbie Mann, George Benson, David Sanborn,
The Brecker Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Al DiMeola, Stanley Clarke,
Bob James and the list goes on and on.

In 1975, Steve was also playing drums on Saturday Night Live besides his hectic shedule on both the East and West Coast.

Stuff: Gale, Gadd, Parker, Tee, Edwards, and Dupree 1977

1976 the group Stuff was formed what began to be known as New York's finest rhythm section recorded constantly and toured with Joe Cocker among others.

JAN 1,1977: at the Bottom Line in NYC...
STUFF - featuring: Gordon Edwards, Cornell Dupree, Steve Gadd, Chris Parker, Richard Tee, Eric Gale
Also appearing GERRI GRIFFINS

APRIL 29 - MAY 1, 1977: at the Bottom Line in NYC...
STUFF featuring: Gordon Edwards, Cornell Dupree, Steve Gadd, Chris Parker, Richard Tee, Eric Gale
also appearing: RON DOUGLAS

1977's Steely Dan's Aja was truly a breathtaking performance solidly putting Steve's musicality all over the map. Besides all this work Steve was in demand in Japan and began his relationship with Yamaha drums and his influence was truly worldwide.

Read Steve Khan's notes about playing with Steve Gadd
on Tightrope in 1977 here- http://www.jazzitalia.net/lezioni/stevekhan/sk_tightrope_eng.asp

Steve Gadd 1978

Steve Khan's Columbia recording band, circa 1979-80.

Don Grolnick, Steve Khan, Steve Gadd, Will Lee, and Michael Brecker

Tom Scott, BJ, Steve Gadd & Ralph MacDonald at rehearsal for
All Around the Town-- Carnegie Hall concert 1981
*Photo from Bob James' MySpace

Steve's career was literally in overdrive, doing Paul Simon's One
Trick Pony movie and then Grover Washington's excellent Live
At The Tower Theatre video. Recordings with Weather Report,
Paul McCartney, The Bee Gee's, Manhattan Transfer, Al Jarreau
and Rickie Lee Jones continued at a staggering rate.

By 1981, Steve had recorded over 25 gold records artists who had sold over half a million copies. 1982 found Steve recording his first solo effort in Japan, Gadd-About for the King label. Also that year
was the Simon and Garfunkel's Concert In Central Park.1983
with Rob Wallis and Paul Siegel, Steve makes the first instructional drum video, Up Close a must in any drummers library.

April 3rd, 1989 at the Westbury Music Fair. The first annual Buddy Rich Memorial Concert.

The Gadd Gang was next with friends Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale,
Cornell Dupree, Eddie Gomez and musical brother Richard Tee. Recordings with Frank Sinatra, Dave Grusin, Michael McDonald, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour and many more continue his
demanding studio career.

Eihiko & Gadd 1984: Past president of Yamaha drum factory

Steve returns back to his home of Rochester, N.Y. in 1988.
Steve evens stretches out and produces two recordings for
Japanese vocalist Kimiko Itoh.

Chuck Mangione, Duke and Steve Gadd 1985

Steve Gadd 1982 by Rick Malkin

Steve Gadd in Bern, Switzerland, 1988 by Herb Snitzer.

Paul Simon
Rhythm Of The Saints


Michel Petrucciani band 1997


Michel Petrucciani Trio In Japan 1999


Steve Gadd 1998

Stuff reunion 1990s


DAVID GARFIELD AND FRIENDS Tribute To Jeff Porcaro

NAMM SHOW '98-YAMAHA Dinner & Concert 1.30, Century Plaza Hotel

David Benoit, Larry Carlton, Steve Gadd,
Nathan East, Tom Scott, & David Paich

Steve Gadd at Real World in 2000
Photo by Tony Levin

2000...Peter Gabriel, James Taylor,
Eric Clapton & B.B. King are just a couple of artists who called upon
Steve to start the new millennium.

James Taylor
October Road

August 30th, 2004 Japan Steps Ahead reunion.
Typhoon-like weather. Mike Stern, Darryl Jones, Mike Brecker, Mike Mainieri

August 30th, 2004 Japan Steps Ahead reunion

August 30th, 2004 Japan Steps Ahead reunion

November 24, 2002 Drummers collective:
Robby Ameen, Steve, Horacio Hernandez

"It was The Tropea Band's Japan Blue Notes Tour January 7th
thru 29th, 2004. We Played all Five in 3 weeks that January."
-John Tropea

"Check out the photo of Steve Gadd and I backstage in August at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival. Steve was performing with the awesome band, Steps Ahead. A truly fantastic show! Live, Outdoors, in a full blown Typhoon." -Robbie Dupree

Steve Gadd & Luis Conte on tour with James Taylor 2005
Photo by Alex Solca

Steve Gadd at PASIC November 5th, 2005
Photo by Rick Malkin

Steve Gadd played at The PASIC 2005 November 2-5 in Columbus, Ohio.








*Special thanks to Bryan Stone for these spectacular photos!

Steve plays on Chick Corea's 2006 release The Ultimate Adventure

April 2006-

Steve Gadd, one of the
world’s most respected and talented drummers, was the headliner at the Spring Humber Music Jazz Concert on Wednesday, April 19 at 8:00 pm in The Auditorium, Lakeshore Campus, School of Creative & Performing Arts,
Humber Institute
of Technology
and Advanced Learning.

In 2006, he tours with
Paul Simon, James Taylor,
and does
Mission From Gadd III.