| James Gadson | |
| Birth Date: | 17 June 1939 |
| Birth Place: | Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 1968–present |
James Edward Gadson (born June 17, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B.[1] He is also a singer and songwriter.[2]
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Gadson played with the first line-up of Charles Wright's Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band,[3] and recorded three albums with them between 1968 and 1970. Along with other members of Wright's band, he went on to appear on many hit records, including with Dyke & the Blazers.[4] Gadson started to become well known as a drummer following the release of the album Still Bill by Bill Withers,[5] released by Sussex Records in 1972. He played on The Temptations album 1990,[6] released on the Motown label in 1973.
In 1975, he played with Freddie King on Larger Than Life[7] and went on to record with Martha Reeves, Randy Crawford, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, Albert King, Rose Royce, Elkie Brooks and many more artists.[8] In 1975, he anchored the Motown classic double platinum album City Of Angels, recorded by Billy Griffin & The Miracles.
Gadson was also the drummer on Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" in 1976 and Diana Ross's hit 1976 single Love Hangover and appeared on two tracks, "At The Mercy" and "Riding To Vanity Fair", on the 2005 Paul McCartney album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.
He has a brief appearance in the Adam Sandler 2009 movie Funny People as a member of the jam band that Sandler's character hires to play with him.
In April 2009, Gadson joined Alex Dixon, grandson of Willie Dixon, on his 2009 release titled Rising From The Bushes, in which he appeared on two tracks, "Fantasy" and Willie Dixon's famous song "Spoonful".[9]
In June 2009, Gadson joined Beck, Wilco, Feist and Jamie Lidell covering Skip Spence's Oar as part of Beck's Record Club series, with videos appearing on Beck's website beginning November 2009.[10] He has drummed on Beck's albums Sea Change, The Information and Morning Phase, as well as Jamie Lidell's 2010 album Compass. Gadson played drums, as well as hambone (slapping his legs), on the D'Angelo song "Sugah Daddy", on the Black Messiah album (2014).[11] He appeared in the 2016 video for “Mama Can’t Help You No More,” by Doyle Bramhall II.
In 2019, James Gadson, who resides in Los Angeles, was featured on Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back as his paternal niece's and nephew-in-law's restaurant, Bayou on the Vine, was renamed "Gadson's Restaurant & Jazz Club", named after him and his late brother, guitarist Thomas Maurice 'Tutty' Gadson (died 2014).[12]
James Gadson & Lou Washington
With Mindi Abair
With Arthur Adams
With Alessi Brothers
With Herb Alpert
With Corinne Bailey Rae
With Philip Bailey
With Anita Baker
With Jimmy Barnes
With Beck
With Booker T. & the M.G.'s
With Doyle Bramhall II
With Dianne Brooks
With Elkie Brooks
With Peabo Bryson and Natalie Cole
With Solomon Burke
With Jerry Butler
With Terry Callier
With G. C. Cameron
With David Castle
With Kelly Clarkson
With Jimmy Cliff
With Joe Cocker
With Adam Cohen
With Leonard Cohen
With Natalie Cole
With Nikka Costa
With Randy Crawford
With Jamie Cullum
With D'Angelo
With Lana Del Rey
With Jackie DeShannon
With Marcella Detroit
With The 5th Dimension
With Donovan
With Yvonne Elliman
With The Emotions
With Donald Fagen
With Yvonne Fair
With José Feliciano
With Aretha Franklin
With Toko Furuuchi
With Charlotte Gainsbourg
With Terry Garthwaite
With Terry Garthwaite and Toni Brown
With Marvin Gaye
With Gloria Gaynor
With Benny Golson
With Herbie Hancock
With John Handy
With High Inergy
With Thelma Houston and Jerry Butler
With Thelma Houston
With The Hues Corporation
With Jermaine Jackson
With La Toya Jackson
With Norah Jones
With Rickie Lee Jones
With Al Johnson
With Margie Joseph
With The Keane Brothers
With Eddie Kendricks
With Albert King
With Ben E. King
With B.B. King
With Elle King
With Freddie King
With Gladys Knight
With Gladys Knight & the Pips
With Charles Kynard
With Labelle
With Patti LaBelle
With Amos Lee
With Jamie Lidell
With Jon Lucien
With Cheryl Lynn
With Melissa Manchester
With Teena Marie
With Ziggy Marley
With Letta Mbulu
With Paul McCartney
With Gwen McCrae
With Lonette McKee
With Shannon McNally
With Bette Midler
With The Miracles
With Blue Mitchell
With Barbara Morrison
With Ian Moss
With Aaron Neville
With Paolo Nutini
With David Oliver
With The Originals
With Freda Payne
With Sweet Pea Atkinson
With Peaches & Herb
With Teddy Pendergrass
With Billy Preston
With Margo Price
With Helen Reddy
With Martha Reeves
With Terry Reid
With LeAnn Rimes
With Minnie Riperton
With Smokey Robinson
With Rockie Robbins
With Nate Ruess
With David Ruffin
With Patrice Rushen
With Lara Saint Paul
With Poncho Sanchez
With Evie Sands
With Boz Scaggs
With Lalo Schifrin
With Nancy Shanks
With Marlena Shaw
With Michelle Shocked
With Simply Red
With Lynwood Slim
With Josh Smith
With Phoebe Snow
With Barbra Streisand
With Harry Styles
With The Supremes
With Tavares
With The Temptations
With Justin Timberlake
With Keith Urban
With Frankie Valli
With Thijs Van Leer
With Kenny Vance
With Vulfpeck
With Leon Ware
With Was (Not Was)
With The Whispers
With Mary Wilson
With Lenny Williams
With Bill Withers
With Stevie Woods
With Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
With Syreeta Wright
With Michael Wycoff
With Richard "Popcorn" Wylie