"The thing I love about Gadd is his feel is so great it makes tunes
sound like they were written with him in mind for the drums."
Excellent comment! Deep. How do OTHER musicians feel about playing with him, that is the true target audience! Gadd knows what NOT to play over other greats imo. Pocket & groove always serve first over the elegant spices thrown in. Dynamics are as much a contribution to composition as any technique ever was! Gadd is dynamics! His ears are huge on A-Train...who wouldn't want to play with this guy? That simple open hat @4:06 is what grabs me...
Gavin's Drumeo video was excellent about learning from the influencers...try to grab their concept, their maturity, approach to the composition over grabbing licks & tricks. Gadd is still relevant today because of his musicality...his style hasn't changed in 30 years much if any.
It was Steve who crossed over SO many genres of music before Vinnie went this direction. Gadd from Chick to a pop song--I've never known Vinnie to discuss Gadd's influence here, but have to believe he was a model of what can be done with a career as a drummer who does not want to be boxed into a few musical styles--these guys are too curious by nature it seems (Vinnie's vocab is more vast, but that is not the point here);
THIS is how a great drummer gets so inside someone they have to re-create. He nails it!
The drum composition on this song is pure Gadd...brilliant...so much going on in this song..
the fill @1:21 is PURE GADD. Everything fits seamlessly together...like observing a stream
in the mountains flow along the color shades of rocks and grass and leaves...it all makes so
much sense.