"A Night To Remember"

[peter c]

http://www.thediametrixletter.com/achildrecalled.mp3

There were many nights
to come at clubs like
Mikell's and the Bottom
Line, with bands like
The John Tropea Band,
Stuff, Tom Scott etc.

But school was coming
and I had decided to
go ahead to Berklee...

He was always the nic-
est guy, saying the nice-
est things about every-
one. He worshipped Tony
and Elvin. He said so
much that resonated.
They were simple but
profound thoughts.

His career changed, as
well as his personal
life, later that year.

When it did, it was very
hard to get back to see
him. Today, it's virt-
ually impossible.

I have a note, with a
token taped to it and
it says:


Steve, 24 July 2001

You wouldn?t remember me if you saw me but
25 years ago, on a certain weeknight, at a
NYC club named Broady?s, what was still
really young boy, arrived early and waited
to see you there. When you walked in, I
stood up to meet a person who I was not
sure was the Steve Gadd that I had gone
there to see. I asked you if you were
Steve Gadd and you said, ?Yes. Hey, I?m
really late. Could you help me set up my
drums?? I did, of course. Now, while that?s
not that special or particular memorable,
this might be something;

During the set-up, I asked you who your
favorite drummers were and when you said
Tony, I told that I had just finished
studying with him for 6 months and you
were really blown away. You said, ?Tony
is the mother of the mother-f-----s!?
Of course, you were right to say that.
Besides offering you $500 for your hi-hats
(you said, no), the only real thing that
could possibly stand out to you now is this:


(The token was taped there)

Someday, I hope to give this
to him and tell him all that
has happened in my life and
to thank him for being the
greatest influence in my
drum and music career.

In retrospect, musically, it
was a mistake to leave NYC,
just as he said. He was right.

At the same time, had I not
gone to Boston, I would not
be the same person that I
am today and I would not
trade that for anything.

[img]cool.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 13, 2003 10:52 PM: Message edited by: peter c ]</font>

[XNavyDrummer]

Thanks Peter!!!!!

[Clintuplet]

Thanks Peter. Very nice.

[drumaddict]

Nice story Peter. It was like a movie running through my head. Steve's feel and groove are so powerful. In high school I was hooked on the "Friends" album and Leprachaun as well and still listen to them from time to time. "Nite Sprite" changed my drumming direction from that point on.

[drum4fun]

Thanks Peter for making my day! What a great story! Please keep them coming.

[jarrep]

That's the best story I ever heard!!! I remember times, listening to Coreas Friends and My Spanish Heart milion times over and over..
[img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

[five eight]

Did you take private lessons from Gadd, Pete, like you did with Tony, or was he teaching you from the stage? What was the big life change you were speaking of: fame with Paul Simon, marrying Carol? Was it those long days wearing on him, or drugs? That first night at Smuckers you MAY NOT have been allowed backstage at first because of a scenario not unlike:

Bouncer: Some kid out there wants in, Steve. Said something about a subway token.
Gadd: Wow! I forgot all about him.
Bouncer: You want I should let him in?
Gadd: Tell him I'll be out in a minute. Okay?
Bouncer: Okay.
Gadd: Cornell, would you mind lighting your pipe?
DuPree: It's smokey enough back here already, man.
Gadd: True, I just don't want to set a bad example for that young drummer.
DuPree: Sure thing, Steve. Give me my lighter back, Eric.
Gale: Chris has it, man.
Parker: Do not! Richard stuck it in his pocket.
Tee: Boy, don't make me hurt my hand again!

Just a thought, Pete, probably nothing even remotely resembling that occurred. But a dirty mind IS a terrible thing to waste. [img]wink.gif[/img]
__________________________________________________ ___
Q: This is your brain, this is your brain on drugs. Any questions?
A: Can I have some strips of bacon with those eggs, man?

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 14, 2003 09:00 AM: Message edited by: Five Eight ]</font>

[peter c]

I know that anything could
have happened down there. I
am a little more resolved about
that NOW, however, more than
at the time.

When you're young, it's more
all or nothing.

[img]wink.gif[/img]

I never studied with Steve.
I just helped him set-up that
night and we became kind of
like friends. He'd listen to me
and answer questions, all of
which I found EXTREMELY
helpful and encouraging.

I think he may have felt bad
about how my lessons with
Tony went and that maybe he
was a little hard on me and
was a a little defensive of
him. I can't be sure but
Steve was critical for me,
at that time.

He changed how I looked at
everything, musically. That's
when I started JUST LISTEN-
ING TO HIM. I raked those
DiMeola albums, even playing
to them in the dormitory. I
had my drums set up in the
room! I got tons of crap
for that!

Oh, as for his life change,
during and just after this
period, his first marriage
started to suffer. We did
not talk about it but it was
clear that he was working
ALL THE TIME and saw his
family very little. While he
did not do any drugs in
front of me, I knew that
he must have been because
his level of awareness
seemed so low but again,
he was as nice to me as
you can imagine.

I always got good seats so
that I could see what he
was doing. I asked him a-
about teaching but he said
he just didn't have the time
and I'm sure that was a
wildcard answer for many
other people in his life,
at the time. I know he
looks back on this time
now with some regret but
is determined to change
that, this time around.

I think he will. His family
has become his focus and
that's good.

I'm anxiuous to read that
MD article.

[img]cool.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 14, 2003 09:52 AM: Message edited by: peter c ]</font>

[peter c]

Steve was a huge part
of the Linear revolut-
ion, laying the ground-
work for guys like Dave
Weckl and even Vinnie,
believe it or not. He
changed the way every-
one approached the kit.

I think it was Cornell,
who said something to
another drummer and I
forget who it was but
it had to do with how
well Steve played to
the music and that is
what sticks out, when
it comes to Steve. He
was and is all for the
music. Even today, you
find it hard to get the
drummer to lay his life
down for everyone else
in the band.

Steve is a walking les-
son in drumming.

Have you guys heard him
on David Grusin's "One
of a Kind"? This is one
of his best recordings,
I think. You have to
hear the tapestry that
he weaves in "Modaji"
to appreciate what I
am saying. This tune is
nirvana for drummers!
It's SO funky that it
hurts to listen to it
and yet, it's SO lyrical
and subtle! He makes you
find him in the music!

It's a woman with the
clothes on! It's subtle.
It's mysterious. It's
captivating. You don't
know that you are being
seduced until the teeth
are in your neck!

It's no mystery as to why
David feels the way he
does about Steve but he's
not the only one. Chuck
and Gap Mangione feel
the same way and so do
many other incredible
composer/players.

Steve changed the way
latin music was attempt-
ed by trap players, as
well. We ALL owe Steve
on those cowbell pat-
terns. Dave will be the
first to admit that,
having taken that out
to China and back (my
loving it every step of
the way).

[img]wink.gif[/img]

Talk about a dynamic
drummer?! There is NO
OTHER drummer as dy-
namic as Steve. He is
the consummate band-
member. His volume is
always under control.
He's always putting
everyone else before
him, musically. He
talked about listening
to what the composer
and the arranger want-
ed, running through
charts basically for
everyone else, SO
THAT THEY COULD GET
THE KICKS DOWN, be-
fore he attempted the
tougher figures.

You can hear some of
that in his videos. I
believe them to be
very practical in the
group-sense, especial-
ly. His focus is always
clear and that's good
because so should ours.

You got me started. I
can talk about him until
the cows come home. I
think he is one of the
most important drummers
in history and definitely
THE NICEST DRUMMER I
HAVE EVER KNOWN.

[img]cool.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 14, 2003 11:56 AM: Message edited by: peter c ]</font>

[peter c]

OK, you guys...

Have you ever noticed
how close to the head
Steve's sticks are, when
he's playing his more
rudimentary phrases?

The truth is that his
sticks are almost always
close to the head, un-
less he's leading out
of an 8th, 16th or 32nd
bar or into a different
section.

He talked, one night,
about doing my rudim-
ents as softly as I
could. I never heard
that before. It was
the opposite of what
Tony was having me do
and let me tell you, it
threw me for a loop!

[img]cool.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 14, 2003 01:36 PM: Message edited by: peter c ]</font>