SKF NOTE: Steve Gadd’s uncomplicated drumming on Joe Cocker’s recording of the song, “Catfish,” has remained one of my favorite Gadd tracks for almost 50 years. Gadd’s accompaniment for “Catfish” is absolutely perfect. He plays exactly what needs to be played, in exactly the way it should be played, with no superfluous notes..

Now, Gadd delivers an album full of uncomplicated and perfect drumming on guitarist David Gilmour’s new album, “Luck and Strange.”

Gilmour advance released a video of “The Piper’s Call” from his album. During the first chorus the camera shows a white-haired drummer in a pullover sweatshirt playing a four-piece Ludwig drumset. He sounded great, but a few moments of video rolled by before I recognized the old drummer as Steve Gadd.

In a short documentary called “The Making of Luck and Strange,” Gilmour tells us how Gadd came to be the album drummer.

Calling Gadd “the greatest drummer in the world,” Gilmour said, “So I gave Steve Gadd a call. Nervously (I) said, Would he come spend a week with us in London recording? He said yes. Simple as that. He’s just a class act. Really, really good,” said Gilmour.

Album producer Charlie Andrew said of Gadd, “Honestly the sound of the drums is quite phenomenal actually. He plays them very gently. But they sound big.”

“He just nails it immediately. And it was such a joy to finally be able to get him in and record with him,” said Gilmour on “The Making of Luck and Strange” video.

To my ears, Gadd on “Luck and Strange” is the “Catfish” Gadd further refined by years of making music with the world’s best musicians.

I highly recommend “Luck and Strange” as a great listening experience.