James Gadson


James Gadson 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. He is also a singer and songwriter.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Gadson played with the first line-up of Charles Wright's Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, 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. Gadson started to become well known as a drummer following the release of the album Still Bill by Bill Withers, released by Sussex Records in 1972. He played on The Temptations album 1990, released on the Motown label in 1973. In 1975 he played with Freddie King on Larger Than Life 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.
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".
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. 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, on the D'Angelo song "Sugah Daddy", on the Black Messiah album . 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.

Discography

Singles

;James Gadson & Lou Washington
With Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
With Thijs Van Leer
With Melissa Manchester
With Marvin Gaye
With Martha Reeves
With Frankie Valli
With Charlotte Gainsbourg
With Bette Midler
With Thelma Houston and Jerry Butler
With Bill Withers
With Teena Marie
With Helen Reddy
With Beck
With Solomon Burke
With Albert King
With Thelma Houston
  • Ready to Roll
  • Breakwater Cat
With Elkie Brooks
  • Live and Learn
With Amos Lee
  • Amos Lee
  • Last Days at the Lodge
  • Mission Bell
With Barbra Streisand
  • Wet
With Cheryl Lynn
  • Cheryl Lynn
  • In Love
  • In the Night
With Corinne Bailey Rae
With Kelly Clarkson
  • Wrapped in Red
With Aretha Franklin
With Ben E. King
With Doyle Bramhall II
  • Rich Man
With Donald Fagen
  • The Nightfly
With Philip Bailey
  • Continuation
With LeAnn Rimes
  • Today Is Christmas
With Gloria Gaynor
  • Love Tracks
  • I Have a Right
  • Stories
With Anita Baker
  • The Songstress
With Randy Crawford
  • Everything Must Change
  • Raw Silk
  • Nightline
With Donovan
  • Lady of the Stars
With Yvonne Elliman
  • Love Me
  • Night Flight
With Patti LaBelle
  • Patti LaBelle
  • Tasty
  • Winner in You
With Aaron Neville
With Billy Preston
  • Late at Night
  • The Way I Am
  • Pressin' On
With Rickie Lee Jones
With Boz Scaggs
  • Slow Dancer
With B.B. King
  • Midnight Believer
  • Take It Home
With Leonard Cohen
  • The Future
With Paul McCartney
  • Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
With Benny Golson
  • Killer Joe
With Adam Cohen
  • Adam Cohen
With Herbie Hancock
  • Man-Child
With Minnie Riperton
  • Stay in Love
With Joe Cocker
  • Hymn for My Soul
With Tavares
With Nikka Costa
  • Pebble to a Pearl
With Phoebe Snow
  • It Looks Like Snow
With Terry Reid
  • Seed Of A Memory
With Jackie DeShannon
  • You're the Only Dancer
With John Handy
  • Hard Work
  • Carnival
With Natalie Cole
  • Thankful
  • Don't Look Back
With Patrice Rushen
With José Feliciano
  • José Feliciano
With Charles Kynard
  • Charles Kynard
With Norah Jones
  • The Fall
With Syreeta Wright
With Jerry Butler
  • Power Of Love
With Marlena Shaw
  • Sweet Beginnings
With Blue Mitchell
  • Stratosonic Nuances
  • African Violet
  • Summer Soft
With Lalo Schifrin
  • Rollercoaster
With Herb Alpert
With Vulfpeck
  • Mr Finish Line
With D'Angelo
  • Black Messiah
With :ja:古内東子|Toko Furuuchi
  • :ja:Hourglass|Hourglass
With Harry Styles'