Chester Thompson
Encyclopedia
Chester Cortez Thompson (born December 11, 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American
drummer
and session musician
.
's touring band (as part of the 1973–1974 lineups which also featured percussionist Ruth Underwood
and jazz keyboardist George Duke
) and with Weather Report
. He played on such noted Zappa albums as One Size Fits All
and Roxy & Elsewhere
.
His longest-standing gig was with Genesis
. His relationship with the band began with the departure of frontman Peter Gabriel
. Then-drummer, Phil Collins
, assumed Gabriel's role in live shows but remained behind the drum kit in the studio. Thompson became the touring drummer in 1977, playing on their tours in that year and in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983/4, 1986/7, 1992 and the 2007 reunion Turn It On Again Tour. Chester is featured on their live albums Seconds Out
, Three Sides Live
and The Way We Walk Volume 1, Volume 2
and Live Over Europe 2007
. He chose not to be involved in the band's Calling All Stations
tour, following the band's failure to invite him to join the studio band following Phil Collins's departure.
Thompson has also worked with Phil Collins
on his solo concert tours, drumming on the 1982/83 Hello, I Must Be Going!
tour, 1985 No Jacket Required
tour, 1990 ...But Seriously
tour, The Tarzan
Premiere tour of 1999 and The Final Farewell tour of 2004/05. Chester also appears on Phil Collins
' Serious Hits... Live! live album and DVD, and has released his own solo album, A Joyful Noise.
Chester also plays on the Steve Hackett
albums, Please Don't Touch
and Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
. Later on, he played on Tony Banks
' solo album A Curious Feeling
. He also appears on The Tokyo Tapes
album released in 1998 which features Steve Hackett and John Wetton
amongst many others. He was also a founding member of the band Fire Merchants with Brand X
guitarist John Goodsall
and bassist Doug Lunn and appeared on their first recording in 1989.
Chester's playing style is widely acknowledged and respected, and can be seen on numerous live videos of Genesis, from late 1970s up to early 1990s. His live playing with the band is a striking mixture of his own style and Collins' own, being equally comfortable with acoustic and electronic drums. In the past, Chester has endorsed Ludwig Drums (1970-March, 1977), Pearl Drums
(April, 1977 - July, 1987), Sonor Drums (1990–1999) and Paiste
cymbals (1970–90), but now endorses DW
drums since 2000 and Sabian cymbals since 1990.
He was also a member Air Pocket
, a band centered around the Fowler Brothers.
drummer
and session musician
.
's touring band (as part of the 1973–1974 lineups which also featured percussionist Ruth Underwood
and jazz keyboardist George Duke
) and with Weather Report
. He played on such noted Zappa albums as One Size Fits All
and Roxy & Elsewhere
.
His longest-standing gig was with Genesis
. His relationship with the band began with the departure of frontman Peter Gabriel
. Then-drummer, Phil Collins
, assumed Gabriel's role in live shows but remained behind the drum kit in the studio. Thompson became the touring drummer in 1977, playing on their tours in that year and in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983/4, 1986/7, 1992 and the 2007 reunion Turn It On Again Tour. Chester is featured on their live albums Seconds Out
, Three Sides Live
and The Way We Walk Volume 1, Volume 2
and Live Over Europe 2007
. He chose not to be involved in the band's Calling All Stations
tour, following the band's failure to invite him to join the studio band following Phil Collins's departure.
Thompson has also worked with Phil Collins
on his solo concert tours, drumming on the 1982/83 Hello, I Must Be Going!
tour, 1985 No Jacket Required
tour, 1990 ...But Seriously
tour, The Tarzan
Premiere tour of 1999 and The Final Farewell tour of 2004/05. Chester also appears on Phil Collins
' Serious Hits... Live! live album and DVD, and has released his own solo album, A Joyful Noise.
Chester also plays on the Steve Hackett
albums, Please Don't Touch
and Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
. Later on, he played on Tony Banks
' solo album A Curious Feeling
. He also appears on The Tokyo Tapes
album released in 1998 which features Steve Hackett and John Wetton
amongst many others. He was also a founding member of the band Fire Merchants with Brand X
guitarist John Goodsall
and bassist Doug Lunn and appeared on their first recording in 1989.
Chester's playing style is widely acknowledged and respected, and can be seen on numerous live videos of Genesis, from late 1970s up to early 1990s. His live playing with the band is a striking mixture of his own style and Collins' own, being equally comfortable with acoustic and electronic drums. In the past, Chester has endorsed Ludwig Drums (1970-March, 1977), Pearl Drums
(April, 1977 - July, 1987), Sonor Drums (1990–1999) and Paiste
cymbals (1970–90), but now endorses DW
drums since 2000 and Sabian cymbals since 1990.
He was also a member Air Pocket
, a band centered around the Fowler Brothers.
drummer
and session musician
.
's touring band (as part of the 1973–1974 lineups which also featured percussionist Ruth Underwood
and jazz keyboardist George Duke
) and with Weather Report
. He played on such noted Zappa albums as One Size Fits All
and Roxy & Elsewhere
.
His longest-standing gig was with Genesis
. His relationship with the band began with the departure of frontman Peter Gabriel
. Then-drummer, Phil Collins
, assumed Gabriel's role in live shows but remained behind the drum kit in the studio. Thompson became the touring drummer in 1977, playing on their tours in that year and in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983/4, 1986/7, 1992 and the 2007 reunion Turn It On Again Tour. Chester is featured on their live albums Seconds Out
, Three Sides Live
and The Way We Walk Volume 1, Volume 2
and Live Over Europe 2007
. He chose not to be involved in the band's Calling All Stations
tour, following the band's failure to invite him to join the studio band following Phil Collins's departure.
Thompson has also worked with Phil Collins
on his solo concert tours, drumming on the 1982/83 Hello, I Must Be Going!
tour, 1985 No Jacket Required
tour, 1990 ...But Seriously
tour, The Tarzan
Premiere tour of 1999 and The Final Farewell tour of 2004/05. Chester also appears on Phil Collins
' Serious Hits... Live! live album and DVD, and has released his own solo album, A Joyful Noise.
Chester also plays on the Steve Hackett
albums, Please Don't Touch
and Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
. Later on, he played on Tony Banks
' solo album A Curious Feeling
. He also appears on The Tokyo Tapes
album released in 1998 which features Steve Hackett and John Wetton
amongst many others. He was also a founding member of the band Fire Merchants with Brand X
guitarist John Goodsall
and bassist Doug Lunn and appeared on their first recording in 1989.
Chester's playing style is widely acknowledged and respected, and can be seen on numerous live videos of Genesis, from late 1970s up to early 1990s. His live playing with the band is a striking mixture of his own style and Collins' own, being equally comfortable with acoustic and electronic drums. In the past, Chester has endorsed Ludwig Drums (1970-March, 1977), Pearl Drums
(April, 1977 - July, 1987), Sonor Drums (1990–1999) and Paiste
cymbals (1970–90), but now endorses DW
drums since 2000 and Sabian cymbals since 1990.
He was also a member Air Pocket
, a band centered around the Fowler Brothers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
and session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
.
Biography
Thompson made his name as a session drummer, going on to play in Frank ZappaFrank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's touring band (as part of the 1973–1974 lineups which also featured percussionist Ruth Underwood
Ruth Underwood
Ruth Underwood is a retired professional musician, best known for playing xylophone, marimba, vibraphone and other percussion instruments in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention from 1967 to 1977....
and jazz keyboardist George Duke
George Duke
George Duke is a multi-faceted American musician, known as a keyboard pioneer, composer, singer and producer in both jazz and popular mainstream musical genres. He has worked with numerous acclaimed artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and professor of music...
) and with Weather Report
Weather Report
Weather Report was an American jazz-rock band of the 1970s and early 1980s. The band was co-led by the Austrian-born keyboard player Joe Zawinul and the American saxophonist Wayne Shorter...
. He played on such noted Zappa albums as One Size Fits All
One Size Fits All
One Size Fits All is a 1975 rock album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. It is the last Zappa album to be released with the subheading of "Mothers of Invention". A special four-channel Quadraphonic version of the album was prepared and advertised, but not released...
and Roxy & Elsewhere
Roxy & Elsewhere
Roxy & Elsewhere is a live album by Frank Zappa & The Mothers which was released in 1974. Most of the songs were recorded at The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California on December 8, 9 and 10, 1973...
.
His longest-standing gig was with Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
. His relationship with the band began with the departure of frontman Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
. Then-drummer, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, assumed Gabriel's role in live shows but remained behind the drum kit in the studio. Thompson became the touring drummer in 1977, playing on their tours in that year and in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983/4, 1986/7, 1992 and the 2007 reunion Turn It On Again Tour. Chester is featured on their live albums Seconds Out
Seconds Out
Seconds Out is a live double album by Genesis, released in October 1977. It reached No.4 in the UK, remaining in the charts for 17 weeks. The performances were recorded in Paris in 1976 and 1977 on their tours in support of A Trick of the Tail and Wind & Wuthering...
, Three Sides Live
Three Sides Live
Three Sides Live is the third live album by British Progressive Rock band Genesis, released in 1982.-History:The title for this album comes from the original world release, which contained three sides of live material from the band's 1981-82 tour, and a fourth side of studio tracks, three of which...
and The Way We Walk Volume 1, Volume 2
Live/The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs
The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs is the fifth live album by British band Genesis and was released in 1993, having been recorded during their 1992 tour for We Can't Dance. The album's title refers to a lyric in two songs, "I Can't Dance" on the previous volume and "I Know What I Like" on this...
and Live Over Europe 2007
Live Over Europe 2007
Live over Europe 2007 is the sixth live album by British band Genesis recorded during the Turn It on Again: The Tour of 2007. It was released in North America by Atlantic Records on 20 November 2007, and in Europe on by Virgin Records on 26 November 2007.-Disc 1:# "Duke's Intro" – Manchester –...
. He chose not to be involved in the band's Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations, is the 15th studio album by rock band Genesis. It was recorded following Phil Collins's departure from the band in 1996, and was released in 1997...
tour, following the band's failure to invite him to join the studio band following Phil Collins's departure.
Thompson has also worked with Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
on his solo concert tours, drumming on the 1982/83 Hello, I Must Be Going!
Hello, I Must Be Going! (album)
Hello, I Must Be Going! is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was originally released 1 November 1982. This album's name comes from the Marx Brothers' song with the same name, featured in the movie Animal Crackers...
tour, 1985 No Jacket Required
No Jacket Required
The album is named after an incident at The Pump Room restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Collins , was denied admittance because he did not meet the restaurant's dress code of "jacket required" for dinner, while Plant was allowed in. Collins was wearing a jacket, and argued about it. The Maître d'...
tour, 1990 ...But Seriously
...But Seriously
-Instrumental contributions:*Phil Collins — keyboards, drums, percussion, tambourine, vocals*Nathan East — bass guitar*Daryl Stuermer — guitar*Dominic Miller — guitar*The Phoenix Horns:**Don Myrick — saxophone...
tour, The Tarzan
Tarzan (1999 film)
Tarzan is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 18, 1999...
Premiere tour of 1999 and The Final Farewell tour of 2004/05. Chester also appears on Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
' Serious Hits... Live! live album and DVD, and has released his own solo album, A Joyful Noise.
Chester also plays on the Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
albums, Please Don't Touch
Please Don't Touch
Please Don't Touch! is the second solo album by English guitarist Steve Hackett, and his first after leaving Genesis in 1977.The album featured several guests including R&B singer Randy Crawford, American folk icon Richie Havens, the drummer and vocalist for the progressive rock band Kansas , Frank...
and Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited was a project put together by Steve Hackett to pay tribute to his former band Genesis. It features songs originally released by Genesis during Hackett's tenure with the group...
. Later on, he played on Tony Banks
Tony Banks (musician)
This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...
' solo album A Curious Feeling
A Curious Feeling
Allmusic gave a resoundingly positive retrospective review, asserting that "Banks manages to capture the wonderment and allure that enveloped Genesis' Peter Gabriel days.....
. He also appears on The Tokyo Tapes
The Tokyo Tapes
The Tokyo Tapes is a live Steve Hackett album featuring a progressive rock supergroup lineup of John Wetton from King Crimson, UK and Asia; Chester Thompson from Weather Report, Frank Zappa and Genesis live; Ian McDonald, also from King Crimson, and Foreigner; and rounded out by keyboards man...
album released in 1998 which features Steve Hackett and John Wetton
John Wetton
John Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
amongst many others. He was also a founding member of the band Fire Merchants with Brand X
Brand X
Brand X was a jazz fusion band active between 1975–1980 and 1992-1999. Noted members included Phil Collins , Percy Jones , John Goodsall and Robin Lumley ....
guitarist John Goodsall
John Goodsall
John Goodsall is a progressive rock & jazz fusion guitarist most noted for his work with Brand X, Atomic Rooster and Fire Merchants.Goodsall was born in Pennsylvania and has lived in Los Angeles, England, Milan and Minnesota. He began playing guitar at age 7...
and bassist Doug Lunn and appeared on their first recording in 1989.
Chester's playing style is widely acknowledged and respected, and can be seen on numerous live videos of Genesis, from late 1970s up to early 1990s. His live playing with the band is a striking mixture of his own style and Collins' own, being equally comfortable with acoustic and electronic drums. In the past, Chester has endorsed Ludwig Drums (1970-March, 1977), Pearl Drums
Pearl Drums
Founded in 1952, the is a multinational corporation based in Japan with a wide range of products, predominately percussion instruments.-History:Pearl was founded by Katsumi Yanagisawa, who began manufacturing music stands in Sumida, Tokyo on April 2, 1946...
(April, 1977 - July, 1987), Sonor Drums (1990–1999) and Paiste
Paiste
Paiste, a Swiss manufacturer and designer, is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. Paiste is an Estonian/Finnish word which means "shine"...
cymbals (1970–90), but now endorses DW
Drum Workshop
Drum Workshop is a drum and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Their slogan is "The Drummer's Choice".-History:...
drums since 2000 and Sabian cymbals since 1990.
He was also a member Air Pocket
Air Pocket (band)
Air Pocket was a jazz fusion band based around the Fowler brothers.Their debut album was arranged by Oliver Nelson. It was released on LP in 1976 and CD in 2002, both by East Wind.-Discography:*1976: Fly On *1985: Hunter...
, a band centered around the Fowler Brothers.
As sideman
With Air PocketAir Pocket (band)
Air Pocket was a jazz fusion band based around the Fowler brothers.Their debut album was arranged by Oliver Nelson. It was released on LP in 1976 and CD in 2002, both by East Wind.-Discography:*1976: Fly On *1985: Hunter...
- 1976: Fly On (East Wind RecordsEast Wind RecordsEast Wind was a Japanese jazz record label.Among their most prominent artists were "The Great Jazz Trio", a group that has included Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Hank Jones, Richard Davis, Ron Carter.-Discography:-External links:**...
) - 1985: Hunter
- 1988: Breakfast for Dinosaurs
External links
Chester Cortez Thompson (born December 11, 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
and session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
.
Biography
Thompson made his name as a session drummer, going on to play in Frank ZappaFrank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's touring band (as part of the 1973–1974 lineups which also featured percussionist Ruth Underwood
Ruth Underwood
Ruth Underwood is a retired professional musician, best known for playing xylophone, marimba, vibraphone and other percussion instruments in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention from 1967 to 1977....
and jazz keyboardist George Duke
George Duke
George Duke is a multi-faceted American musician, known as a keyboard pioneer, composer, singer and producer in both jazz and popular mainstream musical genres. He has worked with numerous acclaimed artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and professor of music...
) and with Weather Report
Weather Report
Weather Report was an American jazz-rock band of the 1970s and early 1980s. The band was co-led by the Austrian-born keyboard player Joe Zawinul and the American saxophonist Wayne Shorter...
. He played on such noted Zappa albums as One Size Fits All
One Size Fits All
One Size Fits All is a 1975 rock album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. It is the last Zappa album to be released with the subheading of "Mothers of Invention". A special four-channel Quadraphonic version of the album was prepared and advertised, but not released...
and Roxy & Elsewhere
Roxy & Elsewhere
Roxy & Elsewhere is a live album by Frank Zappa & The Mothers which was released in 1974. Most of the songs were recorded at The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California on December 8, 9 and 10, 1973...
.
His longest-standing gig was with Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
. His relationship with the band began with the departure of frontman Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
. Then-drummer, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, assumed Gabriel's role in live shows but remained behind the drum kit in the studio. Thompson became the touring drummer in 1977, playing on their tours in that year and in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983/4, 1986/7, 1992 and the 2007 reunion Turn It On Again Tour. Chester is featured on their live albums Seconds Out
Seconds Out
Seconds Out is a live double album by Genesis, released in October 1977. It reached No.4 in the UK, remaining in the charts for 17 weeks. The performances were recorded in Paris in 1976 and 1977 on their tours in support of A Trick of the Tail and Wind & Wuthering...
, Three Sides Live
Three Sides Live
Three Sides Live is the third live album by British Progressive Rock band Genesis, released in 1982.-History:The title for this album comes from the original world release, which contained three sides of live material from the band's 1981-82 tour, and a fourth side of studio tracks, three of which...
and The Way We Walk Volume 1, Volume 2
Live/The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs
The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs is the fifth live album by British band Genesis and was released in 1993, having been recorded during their 1992 tour for We Can't Dance. The album's title refers to a lyric in two songs, "I Can't Dance" on the previous volume and "I Know What I Like" on this...
and Live Over Europe 2007
Live Over Europe 2007
Live over Europe 2007 is the sixth live album by British band Genesis recorded during the Turn It on Again: The Tour of 2007. It was released in North America by Atlantic Records on 20 November 2007, and in Europe on by Virgin Records on 26 November 2007.-Disc 1:# "Duke's Intro" – Manchester –...
. He chose not to be involved in the band's Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations, is the 15th studio album by rock band Genesis. It was recorded following Phil Collins's departure from the band in 1996, and was released in 1997...
tour, following the band's failure to invite him to join the studio band following Phil Collins's departure.
Thompson has also worked with Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
on his solo concert tours, drumming on the 1982/83 Hello, I Must Be Going!
Hello, I Must Be Going! (album)
Hello, I Must Be Going! is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was originally released 1 November 1982. This album's name comes from the Marx Brothers' song with the same name, featured in the movie Animal Crackers...
tour, 1985 No Jacket Required
No Jacket Required
The album is named after an incident at The Pump Room restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Collins , was denied admittance because he did not meet the restaurant's dress code of "jacket required" for dinner, while Plant was allowed in. Collins was wearing a jacket, and argued about it. The Maître d'...
tour, 1990 ...But Seriously
...But Seriously
-Instrumental contributions:*Phil Collins — keyboards, drums, percussion, tambourine, vocals*Nathan East — bass guitar*Daryl Stuermer — guitar*Dominic Miller — guitar*The Phoenix Horns:**Don Myrick — saxophone...
tour, The Tarzan
Tarzan (1999 film)
Tarzan is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 18, 1999...
Premiere tour of 1999 and The Final Farewell tour of 2004/05. Chester also appears on Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
' Serious Hits... Live! live album and DVD, and has released his own solo album, A Joyful Noise.
Chester also plays on the Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
albums, Please Don't Touch
Please Don't Touch
Please Don't Touch! is the second solo album by English guitarist Steve Hackett, and his first after leaving Genesis in 1977.The album featured several guests including R&B singer Randy Crawford, American folk icon Richie Havens, the drummer and vocalist for the progressive rock band Kansas , Frank...
and Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited was a project put together by Steve Hackett to pay tribute to his former band Genesis. It features songs originally released by Genesis during Hackett's tenure with the group...
. Later on, he played on Tony Banks
Tony Banks (musician)
This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...
' solo album A Curious Feeling
A Curious Feeling
Allmusic gave a resoundingly positive retrospective review, asserting that "Banks manages to capture the wonderment and allure that enveloped Genesis' Peter Gabriel days.....
. He also appears on The Tokyo Tapes
The Tokyo Tapes
The Tokyo Tapes is a live Steve Hackett album featuring a progressive rock supergroup lineup of John Wetton from King Crimson, UK and Asia; Chester Thompson from Weather Report, Frank Zappa and Genesis live; Ian McDonald, also from King Crimson, and Foreigner; and rounded out by keyboards man...
album released in 1998 which features Steve Hackett and John Wetton
John Wetton
John Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
amongst many others. He was also a founding member of the band Fire Merchants with Brand X
Brand X
Brand X was a jazz fusion band active between 1975–1980 and 1992-1999. Noted members included Phil Collins , Percy Jones , John Goodsall and Robin Lumley ....
guitarist John Goodsall
John Goodsall
John Goodsall is a progressive rock & jazz fusion guitarist most noted for his work with Brand X, Atomic Rooster and Fire Merchants.Goodsall was born in Pennsylvania and has lived in Los Angeles, England, Milan and Minnesota. He began playing guitar at age 7...
and bassist Doug Lunn and appeared on their first recording in 1989.
Chester's playing style is widely acknowledged and respected, and can be seen on numerous live videos of Genesis, from late 1970s up to early 1990s. His live playing with the band is a striking mixture of his own style and Collins' own, being equally comfortable with acoustic and electronic drums. In the past, Chester has endorsed Ludwig Drums (1970-March, 1977), Pearl Drums
Pearl Drums
Founded in 1952, the is a multinational corporation based in Japan with a wide range of products, predominately percussion instruments.-History:Pearl was founded by Katsumi Yanagisawa, who began manufacturing music stands in Sumida, Tokyo on April 2, 1946...
(April, 1977 - July, 1987), Sonor Drums (1990–1999) and Paiste
Paiste
Paiste, a Swiss manufacturer and designer, is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. Paiste is an Estonian/Finnish word which means "shine"...
cymbals (1970–90), but now endorses DW
Drum Workshop
Drum Workshop is a drum and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Their slogan is "The Drummer's Choice".-History:...
drums since 2000 and Sabian cymbals since 1990.
He was also a member Air Pocket
Air Pocket (band)
Air Pocket was a jazz fusion band based around the Fowler brothers.Their debut album was arranged by Oliver Nelson. It was released on LP in 1976 and CD in 2002, both by East Wind.-Discography:*1976: Fly On *1985: Hunter...
, a band centered around the Fowler Brothers.
As sideman
With Air PocketAir Pocket (band)
Air Pocket was a jazz fusion band based around the Fowler brothers.Their debut album was arranged by Oliver Nelson. It was released on LP in 1976 and CD in 2002, both by East Wind.-Discography:*1976: Fly On *1985: Hunter...
- 1976: Fly On (East Wind RecordsEast Wind RecordsEast Wind was a Japanese jazz record label.Among their most prominent artists were "The Great Jazz Trio", a group that has included Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Hank Jones, Richard Davis, Ron Carter.-Discography:-External links:**...
) - 1985: Hunter
- 1988: Breakfast for Dinosaurs
External links
Chester Cortez Thompson (born December 11, 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
and session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
.
Biography
Thompson made his name as a session drummer, going on to play in Frank ZappaFrank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's touring band (as part of the 1973–1974 lineups which also featured percussionist Ruth Underwood
Ruth Underwood
Ruth Underwood is a retired professional musician, best known for playing xylophone, marimba, vibraphone and other percussion instruments in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention from 1967 to 1977....
and jazz keyboardist George Duke
George Duke
George Duke is a multi-faceted American musician, known as a keyboard pioneer, composer, singer and producer in both jazz and popular mainstream musical genres. He has worked with numerous acclaimed artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and professor of music...
) and with Weather Report
Weather Report
Weather Report was an American jazz-rock band of the 1970s and early 1980s. The band was co-led by the Austrian-born keyboard player Joe Zawinul and the American saxophonist Wayne Shorter...
. He played on such noted Zappa albums as One Size Fits All
One Size Fits All
One Size Fits All is a 1975 rock album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. It is the last Zappa album to be released with the subheading of "Mothers of Invention". A special four-channel Quadraphonic version of the album was prepared and advertised, but not released...
and Roxy & Elsewhere
Roxy & Elsewhere
Roxy & Elsewhere is a live album by Frank Zappa & The Mothers which was released in 1974. Most of the songs were recorded at The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California on December 8, 9 and 10, 1973...
.
His longest-standing gig was with Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
. His relationship with the band began with the departure of frontman Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
. Then-drummer, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, assumed Gabriel's role in live shows but remained behind the drum kit in the studio. Thompson became the touring drummer in 1977, playing on their tours in that year and in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983/4, 1986/7, 1992 and the 2007 reunion Turn It On Again Tour. Chester is featured on their live albums Seconds Out
Seconds Out
Seconds Out is a live double album by Genesis, released in October 1977. It reached No.4 in the UK, remaining in the charts for 17 weeks. The performances were recorded in Paris in 1976 and 1977 on their tours in support of A Trick of the Tail and Wind & Wuthering...
, Three Sides Live
Three Sides Live
Three Sides Live is the third live album by British Progressive Rock band Genesis, released in 1982.-History:The title for this album comes from the original world release, which contained three sides of live material from the band's 1981-82 tour, and a fourth side of studio tracks, three of which...
and The Way We Walk Volume 1, Volume 2
Live/The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs
The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs is the fifth live album by British band Genesis and was released in 1993, having been recorded during their 1992 tour for We Can't Dance. The album's title refers to a lyric in two songs, "I Can't Dance" on the previous volume and "I Know What I Like" on this...
and Live Over Europe 2007
Live Over Europe 2007
Live over Europe 2007 is the sixth live album by British band Genesis recorded during the Turn It on Again: The Tour of 2007. It was released in North America by Atlantic Records on 20 November 2007, and in Europe on by Virgin Records on 26 November 2007.-Disc 1:# "Duke's Intro" – Manchester –...
. He chose not to be involved in the band's Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations, is the 15th studio album by rock band Genesis. It was recorded following Phil Collins's departure from the band in 1996, and was released in 1997...
tour, following the band's failure to invite him to join the studio band following Phil Collins's departure.
Thompson has also worked with Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
on his solo concert tours, drumming on the 1982/83 Hello, I Must Be Going!
Hello, I Must Be Going! (album)
Hello, I Must Be Going! is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was originally released 1 November 1982. This album's name comes from the Marx Brothers' song with the same name, featured in the movie Animal Crackers...
tour, 1985 No Jacket Required
No Jacket Required
The album is named after an incident at The Pump Room restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Collins , was denied admittance because he did not meet the restaurant's dress code of "jacket required" for dinner, while Plant was allowed in. Collins was wearing a jacket, and argued about it. The Maître d'...
tour, 1990 ...But Seriously
...But Seriously
-Instrumental contributions:*Phil Collins — keyboards, drums, percussion, tambourine, vocals*Nathan East — bass guitar*Daryl Stuermer — guitar*Dominic Miller — guitar*The Phoenix Horns:**Don Myrick — saxophone...
tour, The Tarzan
Tarzan (1999 film)
Tarzan is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 18, 1999...
Premiere tour of 1999 and The Final Farewell tour of 2004/05. Chester also appears on Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
' Serious Hits... Live! live album and DVD, and has released his own solo album, A Joyful Noise.
Chester also plays on the Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
albums, Please Don't Touch
Please Don't Touch
Please Don't Touch! is the second solo album by English guitarist Steve Hackett, and his first after leaving Genesis in 1977.The album featured several guests including R&B singer Randy Crawford, American folk icon Richie Havens, the drummer and vocalist for the progressive rock band Kansas , Frank...
and Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited was a project put together by Steve Hackett to pay tribute to his former band Genesis. It features songs originally released by Genesis during Hackett's tenure with the group...
. Later on, he played on Tony Banks
Tony Banks (musician)
This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...
' solo album A Curious Feeling
A Curious Feeling
Allmusic gave a resoundingly positive retrospective review, asserting that "Banks manages to capture the wonderment and allure that enveloped Genesis' Peter Gabriel days.....
. He also appears on The Tokyo Tapes
The Tokyo Tapes
The Tokyo Tapes is a live Steve Hackett album featuring a progressive rock supergroup lineup of John Wetton from King Crimson, UK and Asia; Chester Thompson from Weather Report, Frank Zappa and Genesis live; Ian McDonald, also from King Crimson, and Foreigner; and rounded out by keyboards man...
album released in 1998 which features Steve Hackett and John Wetton
John Wetton
John Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
amongst many others. He was also a founding member of the band Fire Merchants with Brand X
Brand X
Brand X was a jazz fusion band active between 1975–1980 and 1992-1999. Noted members included Phil Collins , Percy Jones , John Goodsall and Robin Lumley ....
guitarist John Goodsall
John Goodsall
John Goodsall is a progressive rock & jazz fusion guitarist most noted for his work with Brand X, Atomic Rooster and Fire Merchants.Goodsall was born in Pennsylvania and has lived in Los Angeles, England, Milan and Minnesota. He began playing guitar at age 7...
and bassist Doug Lunn and appeared on their first recording in 1989.
Chester's playing style is widely acknowledged and respected, and can be seen on numerous live videos of Genesis, from late 1970s up to early 1990s. His live playing with the band is a striking mixture of his own style and Collins' own, being equally comfortable with acoustic and electronic drums. In the past, Chester has endorsed Ludwig Drums (1970-March, 1977), Pearl Drums
Pearl Drums
Founded in 1952, the is a multinational corporation based in Japan with a wide range of products, predominately percussion instruments.-History:Pearl was founded by Katsumi Yanagisawa, who began manufacturing music stands in Sumida, Tokyo on April 2, 1946...
(April, 1977 - July, 1987), Sonor Drums (1990–1999) and Paiste
Paiste
Paiste, a Swiss manufacturer and designer, is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. Paiste is an Estonian/Finnish word which means "shine"...
cymbals (1970–90), but now endorses DW
Drum Workshop
Drum Workshop is a drum and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Their slogan is "The Drummer's Choice".-History:...
drums since 2000 and Sabian cymbals since 1990.
He was also a member Air Pocket
Air Pocket (band)
Air Pocket was a jazz fusion band based around the Fowler brothers.Their debut album was arranged by Oliver Nelson. It was released on LP in 1976 and CD in 2002, both by East Wind.-Discography:*1976: Fly On *1985: Hunter...
, a band centered around the Fowler Brothers.
As sideman
With Air PocketAir Pocket (band)
Air Pocket was a jazz fusion band based around the Fowler brothers.Their debut album was arranged by Oliver Nelson. It was released on LP in 1976 and CD in 2002, both by East Wind.-Discography:*1976: Fly On *1985: Hunter...
- 1976: Fly On (East Wind RecordsEast Wind RecordsEast Wind was a Japanese jazz record label.Among their most prominent artists were "The Great Jazz Trio", a group that has included Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Hank Jones, Richard Davis, Ron Carter.-Discography:-External links:**...
) - 1985: Hunter
- 1988: Breakfast for Dinosaurs
External links
