One of our most important drummers, Steve Gadd, releases one of his best and most important albums. Essentially stealing James Taylor’s backup band of Larry Goldings/key, Jimmy Johnson/b, Michael Landau/g and Walt Fowler/tp-fh, Gadd delivers a set of high standard musicianship at a gig in Rochester from June of 2015. You get the gig in cd and dvd form, as well as some insightful interviews with, but not limited to Chuck & Gap Mangione, Steve Gadd, Tony Levin and tons of other friends and relatives.
As far as the music goes, you’re gonna get a workshop of style and class by the leader. He shifts gears like a Ferrari on the blues-rocky “The Windup” and swings with subtle charm for Fowler’s horn on the lithe “By By Blackbird.” Fowler almost steals the show as he adds extra jazz harmonies to pieces like “Green Foam” and the title track. Landau is an underrated charmer, providing tasty solos that exude subtlety and class on “Africa” while Goldings knows when to hold ‘em and fold ‘em on the Latin Lover “Cavaliero” and the high heeled “Sly Boots.” Gadd himself bears down with Johnson on a cooking “Oh, Yeah!” and gets the crowd stomping on the rocker “Them Changes.” All throughout, Gadd lays down rivulets that you’ll never want to climb out of. This guy is a master at the sophisticated groove.