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. 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 (slapping his legs), on the D’Angelo song “Sugah Daddy”, on the Black Messiah album (2014). 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).
1968 The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band – Together 1969 Dyke And The Blazers – We Got More Soul / Shotgun Slim (7″) 1969 The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band – In The Jungle, Babe 1971 Charles Kynard – Charles Kynard 1971 Charles Wright And The Watts 103rd Street Band – You’re So Beautiful 1972 Mike James Kirkland – Hang On In There 1973 Bill Withers – Bill Withers Live At Carnegie Hall 1973 Charles Wright – Doing What Comes Naturally 1973 Jerry Butler – Power Of Love 1974 Bill Withers – +’Justments 1974 Stu Gardner – And The Sanctified Sound 1975 Jimmy Cliff – Follow My Mind 1975 Lon & Derrek Van Eaton – Who Do You Out Do 1975 The Joey Jefferson Band – The Joey Jefferson Band 1975 The Temptations – A Song For You 1975 The Undisputed Truth – Higher Than High 1975 Willie Hutch – Ode To My Lady 1976 Allan Rich – Glass Heart 1976 Bloodstone – Do You Wanna Do A Thing? 1976 Blue Mitchell – Funktion Junction 1976 David T Walker – On Love 1976 Dianne Brooks – Back Stairs Of My Life 1976 Frankie Crocker – Presents The Disco Suite Symphony No. 1 In Rhythm And Excellence 1976 Gene Harris – In A Special Way 1976 Gloria Lynne – I Don’t Know How To Love Him 1976 Jimmy Ponder – Illusions 1976 John Handy – Hard Work 1976 Leon Ware – Musical Massage 1976 Letta Mbulu – There’s Music In The Air 1976 Miroslav Vitous – Magical Shepherd 1976 Phoebe Snow – It Looks Like Snow 1976 Roger Troy – Roger Troy 1976 Rudy Love & The Love Family – Rudy Love & The Love Family 1976 Street Corner Symphony – Little Funk Machine 1976 The Supremes – Mary, Scherrie & Susaye 1976 The Sylvers – Something Special 1976 The Temptations – Do The Temptations 1976 Various – The “Selma” Album 1976 Voudouris & Kahne – Street Player 1976 Willie Hutch – Concert In Blues 1977 Bobbye Hall – Body Language For Lovers 1977 Cassietta George – Signs 1977 Donny Osmond – Donald Clark Osmond 1977 Dynamic Superiors – Give & Take 1977 First Cosins Jazz Ensemble – For The Cos Of Jazz 1977 Frankie Crocker – Frankie Crocker & The Heart And Soul Orchestra 1977 G.C. Cameron – You’re What’s Missing In My Life 1977 Kellee Patterson – Turn On The Lights – Be Happy 1977 Lara Saint Paul – Saffo Music 1977 Marlena Shaw – Sweet Beginnings 1977 Nancy Shanx – Nancy Shanx 1977 Nancy Wilson – I’ve Never Been To Me 1977 Norma Green – Norma Green 1977 Patrice Rushen – Shout It Out 1977 Paul Kelly – Stand On The Positive Side 1977 Rose Royce – In Full Bloom 1977 Sonny Criss – The Joy Of Sax 1977 Soundtrack – Record City 1977 Syreeta & G.C. Cameron – Rich Love, Poor Love 1977 Tata Vega – Totally Tata 1977 Tavares – Love Storm 1977 The Miracles – Love Crazy 1977 The Younghearts – All About Love 1977 Thelma Houston & Jerry Butler – Thelma & Jerry 1977 Toni Brown & Terry Garthwaite – The Joy 1977 Various – Progressive Rock Stars 1977 Véronique Sanson – Hollywood 1977 Yvonne Elliman – Love Me 1978 Aquarian Dream – Fantasy 1978 B.B. King – Midnight Believer 1978 Ben E. King – Let Me Live In Your Life 1978 Benard Ighner – Little Dreamer 1978 Black Lace, White Satin – Black Lace White Satin 1978 Blue Mitchell – Summer Soft 1978 Cuba Gooding – The 1st Cuba Gooding Album 1978 Finished Touch – Need To Know You Better 1978 Gloria Gaynor – Love Tracks 1978 John Handy – Handy Dandy Man 1978 Kristy & Jimmy McNichol – Kristy & Jimmy McNichol 1978 Lawrence Hilton Jacobs – Lawrence Hilton Jacobs 1978 Letta Mbulu – Letta 1978 Martha Reeves – We Meet Again 1978 Mel Brown – Actor Of Music 1978 Motown Sounds – Space Dance 1978 Ms. (Sharon) Ridley – Full Moon 1978 Patti LaBelle – Tasty 1978 Pharoah Sanders – Love Will Find A Way 1978 Prime Time – Motown Presents Prime Time Performing TV Themes The Way You Like To Hear Them! 1978 Prince Phillip Mitchell – Make It Good 1978 Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson – Step In To Our Life 1978 Rudy Love And The Love Family – This Song Is For You 1978 Soundtrack – National Lampoon’s Animal House 1978 Spyder Turner – Music Web 1978 Sylvester – Step II 1978 Terry Callier – Fire On Ice 1978 The Originals – Another Time, Another Place 1978 Various – CBS Collection 1979 Addrisi Brothers – Ghost Dancer 1979 Benny Powell – “Ya Betcha B.P.!! 1979 D.C. LaRue – Forces Of The Night 1979 David Castle – Love You Forever 1979 High Inergy – Frenzy 1979 High Inergy – Shoulda Gone Dancin’ 1979 Juice People Unlimited – Disco Godfather 1979 Lawrence Hilton Jacobs – All The Way…Love 1979 Mary Wilson – Mary Wilson 1979 Michael White – White Night 1979 Nancy Wilson – Life, Love And Harmony 1979 Natalie Cole & Peabo Bryson – We’re The Best Of Friends 1979 Nytro – Return To Nytropolis 1979 Ramsey Lewis – Ramsey 1979 Rockie Robbins – Rockie Robbins 1979 Salvador – Salvador / Boris Vian 1979 Street Players – Dancin’ Fever 1979 Syl Johnson – Uptown Shakedown 1979 Terry Callier – Turn You To Love 1979 The Gap Band – The Gap Band 1979 The Undisputed Truth – Smokin’ 1979 Triple “S” Connection – Triple “S” Connection 1979 Wayne Henderson – Emphasized 1980 D. J. Rogers – The Message Is Still The Same 1980 Danielle – Danielle 1980 David Oliver – Here’s To You 1980 Masterpiece – The Girl’s Alright With Me 1980 Moments Of Faith Singers – Miracles 1980 Nancy Wilson – Take My Love 1980 Peaches & Herb – Worth The Wait 1980 Rockie Robbins – You And Me 1980 Spinetta – Only Love Can Sustain 1980 The Joey Jefferson Band – Crenshaw Boulevard 1980 The Waters – Watercolors 1980 Various – Inside Moves 1980 Vernon Burch – Steppin’ Out 1980 The Mighty Clouds Of Joy – Cloudburst 1981 Christy Essien Igbokwe – Ever Liked My Person? 1981 Clay Hunt – Part One 1981 Esperanto – Vegas 1981 Freddie Hubbard – Splash 1981 Gemini – Rising 1981 Gladys Knight And The Pips – Touch 1981 Johnny Guitar Watson – That’s What Time It Is 1981 Jose Feliciano – Jose Feliciano 1981 Ken Lauber – Kent State 1981 Kitty And The Haywoods – Excuse Me, I’ve Got A Life To Catch 1981 Klique – It’s Winning Time 1981 Lovesmith – Lovesmith 1981 Noel Pointer – All My Reasons 1981 Nolen & Crossley – Nolen & Crossley 1981 Take Five – Take Five 1982 Beau Williams – Beau Williams 1982 Glenn Edward Thomas – Take Love 1982 Jean Shy – Maze (I Just Wanna Escape) 1982 Jermaine Jackson – Let Me Tickle Your Fancy 1982 Johnnie Taylor – Just Ain’t Good Enough 1982 Marvin Gaye – Midnight Love 1982 Michael Wycoff – Love Conquers All 1982 Noel Pointer – Direct Hit 1983 Anita Baker – The Songstress 1983 Enchantment – Utopia 1983 Les McCann And His Magic Band – The Longer You Wait 1983 Michael Wycoff – On The Line 1983 Ray Charles – Wish You Were Here Tonight 1983 Smokey Robinson – Touch The Sky 1983 Soundtrack – Doctor Detroit 1983 The Temptations – Back To Basics 1983 Viola Wills Ashmun – Space 1984 Bobby Womack Featuring Patti LaBelle – The Poet II 1984 O’Bryan – Be My Lover 1984 Ray Charles – Do I Ever Cross Your Mind 1985 Bobby Womack – So Many Rivers 1985 Calvin Keys – Full Court Press 1985 The Winans – Let My People Go 1985 Wilton Felder Featuring Bobby Womack – Secrets 1985 Yarbrough & Peoples – Guilty 1987 David T. Walker – Y • Ence 1988 Albert King – Truckload Of Lovin’ / King Albert 1988 David T. Walker – With A Smile 1988 June Yamagishi Featuring Bobby Womack – My Pleasure 1988 Roy Gaines – Going Home To See Mama 1988 Womack & Womack – Starbright 1988 You Yamashita – Gloomy 1989 David T. Walker – Ahimsa 1990 Barbara Morrison – Love’n You 1990 Smokey Robinson – Love, Smokey 1990 The Newtrons – The Newtrons 1991 The Temptations – Milestone 1992 B.B. King – King Of The Blues 1993 David T. Walker – … From My Heart 1993 Soul Mission – Soul Mission 1994 Booker T & The MG’s – That’s The Way It Should Be 1994 Sing Like Talking – Togetherness 1994 Spirit Traveler – Merry Christmas Baby 1995 Band Of Pleasure – A Tiny Step 1995 Smokey Wilson – The Real Deal 1995 Soundtrack – Dead Man Walking 1995 TRF – Brand New Tomorrow 1996 Quality Of Mercy 1996 Toko Furuuchi – Hourglass 1996 Various – Groovy (A Collection Of Rare Jazzy Club Tracks) 1997 B.J. Sharp – Never Felt No Blues 1997 Bloodstone – The Very Best Of Bloodstone 1997 Teena Marie – Lovergirl: The Teena Marie Story 1997 Various – Blue Movies: Scoring For The Studios 1997 Various – Pulp Fusion (Funky Jazz Classics & Original Breaks From The Tough Side) 1998 Ron Levy’s Wild Kingdom – GreaZe Is What’s Good 1998 Steve Wilkerson – Shaw ‘Nuff 1999 Arthur Adams – Back On Track 1999 The Gap Band – Y2K 2000 B.B. King – Anthology 2000 Beck – Nicotine & Gravy 2000 Bill Withers – The Best Of Bill Withers – Lean On Me 2000 Syl Johnson – The Complete Syl Johnson On Hi Records 2000 Various – Keepintime. Talking Drums And Whispering Vinyl 2000 Various – Welcome To The Basement 2001 Geggy Tah – Into The Oh 2001 Poncho Sanchez – Latin Spirits 2001 Various – Let There Be Funk! 2001 Various – Paradisiac 3 2002 Beck – Sea Change 2002 Joe Sample – The Pecan Tree 2002 Shannon McNally – Jukebox Sparrows 2002 Vernon Garrett Featuring, Brenda Lee Eager – When Something Is Wrong With My Baby 2003 Diana Ross – Diana 2003 Bobby Womack – Anthology 2003 Donna Summer – Bad Girls 2003 Simply Red – Home 2004 Ernest Lane – The Blues Is Back! 2004 Ray Charles – Genius Loves Company 2004 Various – Keepintime 12″ Series: No. 1 Of 3 2004 Various – Keepintime: A Live Recording 2004 Various – Nova Ipanema (A Brazilian Funk Affair) 2005 Amos Lee – Amos Lee 2005 Band Of Pleasure – Live At Kirin Plaza 2005 Donna Summer – Gold 2005 Jamie Cullum – Catching Tales 2005 Michelle Shocked – Threesome 2005 Paul McCartney – Chaos And Creation In The Backyard 2005 Paul McCartney – Fine Line 2005 Paul McCartney – Jenny Wren 2005 Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers – For The Chosen Who 2005 Solomon Burke – Make Do With What You Got 2005 Various – Hit The Rhodes, Jack 2006 Beck – The Information 2006 Justin Timberlake – Futuresex/Lovesounds 2006 Lynwood Slim – Last Call 2006 The Hours – Ali In The Jungle 2006 The Hours – Back When You Were Good (Single) 2006 Various – The House That Trane Built: The Story Of Impulse Records 2007 Dyke & The Blazers – We Got More Soul (The Ultimate Broadway Funk) 2007 Elliott Yamin – Sounds Of The Season 2007 Joe Cocker – Hymn 4 My Soul 2007 Various – Brasilintime: Batucada Com Discos 2008 Amos Lee – Last Days At The Lodge 2008 Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band – Live At The Haunted House 2008 Elliott Yamin – My Kind Of Holiday 2008 Nikka Costa – Pebble To A Pearl 2008 The Impressions – Loving Power / It’s About Time 2008 Various – Bobby Martin Presents 2008 Various – Sampled! 2008 Véronique Sanson – L’Intégrale 2008 Was (Not Was) – Boo! 2009 Bigbang – Edendale 2009 Jimmy Barnes – The Rhythm And The Blues 2009 Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM 2009 MoZella – Belle Isle 2009 Norah Jones – The Fall 2010 Christina Aguilera & Cher – Burlesque 2010 Diana Ross – Diana (Rarities Edition) 2010 Jamie Lidell – Compass 2010 Kirk Fletcher – My Turn 2010 Various – Be Black, Baby (From Jazz To Soul ‘N’ Funk To Blaxploitation) 2010 Various – From Jamaica With Jazz 2010 Various – Funk Yourself! 2011 Josh Smith – I’m Gonna Be Ready 2012 Kelly Hogan – I Like To Keep Myself In Pain 2012 Lana Del Rey – Paradise 2012 Lana Del Rey – Ride 2012 Maetar – The Gift 2012 Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again 2013 Beck – Gimme 2013 City And Colour – The Hurry And The Harm 2013 Kara Grainger – Shiver & Sigh 2013 Kelly Clarkson – Wrapped In Red 2013 Kelly Clarkson – Wrapped In Red (Holiday Album Sampler) 2014 Beck – Morning Phase 2014 Damien Rice – My Favourite Faded Fantasy 2014 D’Angelo And The Vanguard – Black Messiah 2014 Leon Ware – Leon Ware 2014 Ziggy Marley – Fly Rasta 2015 Elle King – Love Stuff 2015 James Lavelle Presents UNKLE Sounds – Naples #GU41 2015 LeAnn Rimes – Today Is Christmas 2015 Nate Ruess – Grand Romantic 2016 Corinne Bailey Rae – The Heart Speaks In Whispers 2016 Doyle Bramhall II – Rich Man 2017 Sweet Pea Atkinson – Get What You Deserve 2018 Bahamas – Earthtones 2018 Florence + The Machine – High As Hope 2018 Pharoah Sanders – You’ve Got To Have Freedom / Got To Give It Up 2018 Playing For Change – Listen To The Music 2018 Raphael Wressnig With Alex Schultz & James Gadson – Chicken Burrito 2018 Thomas Dybdahl – All These Things 2018 Vulfpeck – Mr. Finish Line 2019 Arthur Adams – Here To Make You Feel Good 2019 Harry Styles – Fine Line 2019 Jonah Tolchin – Every Dream Can Become A Nightmare 2019 Kelly Finnigan – The Tales People Tell 2019 Leslie Stevens – Sinner 2019 Mike Patton, Jean-Claude Vannier – Corpse Flower 2019 Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury 2019 Various – The Women Of Motown ?(Box, Comp, Ltd, Num + LP, Album, Mono, RE, RM, 180) 2020 Father John Misty – Anthem + 3 2020 Margo Price – That’s How Rumors Get Started 2020 The Miracles – Love Crazy & The Miracles 2021 Hallyday – Hollywood 2021 Jon Batiste – We Are 2021 The L.A. Propinquity – That Someone’s U 2021 Various – Impulse Records (Music, Message And The Moment) 2022 Valerie Carter – The Lost Tapes Vol.2
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