A DRUMMER who has worked with leading names including Eric Clapton and Paul Simon is set to team up with a Tyne Valley music organisation.

American Steve Gadd will engage with the Hexham-based Mark Jon Bolderson Percussion Foundation, for an eagerly-anticipated Zoom session, where he will answer pre-submitted questions from the viewing public.

The foundation is named after Hexham-born drummer Mark Bolderson, who died suddenly in 2017. It was set up to offer financial support to young percussion students across the North-East.

The announcement of a session with Gadd follows the success of the foundation's recent drum festival, with took place online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The festival included a session with another big name, in New York drum teacher, author, clinician and motivational speaker Dom Famularo.

Ahead of the latest event, on Sunday, Jon's sister Amanda Bolderson said the organisation was thrilled to be attracting the attention of the industry's big names.

Gadd has been one of the world's top session drummers since hitting the New York studio scene in the 1970s, when he recorded some of his most significant drum tracks.

In 1975, he played on his first number one hit - Van McCoy's disco anthem The Hustle.

In that same year he recorded drums for Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years. The album won a Grammy for best album of the year in 1976. He also worked with Chick Corea on their first of many albums - The Leprechaun, which went on to win two Grammy awards in 1977.

In 1997, Gadd began his long-term musical relationship with Eric Clapton, working on the 1998 album Pilgrim.

It's understood Gadd has also worked with a host of huge names, including Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, Paul McCartney, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Joe Cocker, Gladys Knight, Barbara Streisand, The Bee Gees, Peter Gabriel and Luciano Pavarotti.

The event, which will be screened via Facebook Live at 3pm on Sunday, is free to attend.

To register your place and to receive the Zoom code, email Amanda at mjbpercussionfoundation@gmail.com

If you would like to ask Steve a question email it to Amanda and if your question is selected, you will be able to ask it directly to the man himself.

For more information visit the foundation website at markjonboldersonpercussion.foundation and its Facebook page.