US-born percussionist Chester Thompson were given his first gig when he used to be simply 13 and his grownup CV contains stints with Frank Zappa, Climate File and, extra just lately, Unitopia. Making his mark at the 70s jazz fusion scene, he quickly changed into Genesis’ reside drummer. Talking to Prog, he shared some business secrets and techniques from his storied profession.
In 2008, drummer Chester Thompson used to be honoured with the Sabian Lifetime Fulfillment Award through American frame the Percussive Arts Society to mark a profession that started in Baltimore within the 60s when he used to be in his early teenagers. He honed his talents enjoying alongside to jazz data and went directly to officially learn about flute, percussion and composition.
He used to be about to embark upon a four-year level path however as an alternative joined Frank Zappa And The Moms Of Invention in 1973, reckoning, “Smartly, that is what I’m seeking to get able for anyway.”
Thompson performed on numerous albums together with Roxy & In other places (1974), One Dimension Suits All (1975) and Bongo Fury (1975). He left Zappa to sign up for Climate File, with whom he recorded Black Marketplace (1976). Climate File fan Phil Collins invited Thompson to sign up for Genesis’ reside line-up in overdue 1976.
The connection lasted greater than 3 a long time, and Thompson options on their reside albums from Seconds Out (1977) to Reside Over Europe (2007). He additionally drummed on all Collins’ solo excursions and may also be heard on releases from Steve Hackett, Tony Banks, and with Logo X’s John Goodsall within the Hearth Traders.
Now residing in Nashville, Tennessee, Thompson is a professor at Belmont College. His present initiatives come with The Chester Thompson Trio, whose debut album Authorized made No.6 within the JazzWeek album charts in 2013. He has recorded with supergroup the Fusion Syndicate and joined the Australian prog band Unitopia in 2021. In 2023 he launched his 3rd solo album, the melodic, funky jazz-fusion set Wake-Up Name, which additionally options his son Akil on guitar.
When did you first realise you sought after to be a drummer?
My first transparent reminiscence is when I used to be 10 years previous, which is 5th grade. However m mom as soon as confirmed me a letter I wrote in fourth grade, and it in truth defined my entire profession – enjoying a large drum set and going in all places the arena in large bands. I don’t have any reminiscence of writing it and having that massive need, but if I learn it I completely wept.
Who had been your early influences?
Jazz drummers – Max Roach, Artwork Blakey, Elvin Jones, and later, Tony Williams. I began very early. One in every of my brother’s very best buddies used to be a drummer. He mentioned, “You’ll come to the home and I’d be satisfied to provide you with a lesson or two.” Each morning at 9 o’clock I used to be ringing the doorbell coming in for a lesson!
When I used to be 13 somebody known as asking if he sought after to do a role with an area soul band. Via then he had dedicated to enjoying jazz; so he put his surrender the receiver and requested me, “Hiya, you wish to have a gig?” And I used to be like, “Smartly, in fact!” And he mentioned, “I will be able to’t do it, however I’ve were given a drummer. He’s 13, however he can do it.”
I didn’t also have a drum set, so he took his drums down for me to do an audition with those guys, and so they favored my enjoying. So my circle of relatives were given in combination and we were given a used drum set, and I began the following weekend – and performed each and every weekend all over faculty.
Frank Zappa used to be a super trainer. You needed to be at a definite stage to be in his band, however he knew methods to get you to the following stage
How did you get to play with Frank Zappa?
A pal of mine, Marty Perellis, had change into Frank’s excursion supervisor. He known as and mentioned that Frank had determined the band had been enjoying the track so completely, it had change into a little sterile. He used to be pondering of including a 2d drummer – somebody with, as he put it, extra of a “boulevard really feel.”
For my audition we simply jammed for approximately an hour, going from taste to taste; and he favored what I did. We began rehearsing, and for the primary couple of days we went over some easy issues he’d simply written. At the 3rd day he introduced the remainder of the band and performed via a host of the repertoire. It used to be scary – that stuff used to be so tough and so loopy, I’m pondering, “What did I am getting myself into?”
However it used to be a super revel in. Frank wasn’t recognized for it, however he used to be a super trainer. You needed to be at a definite stage to be in his band, however he knew methods to get you to the following stage. That used to be my advent to 40-hour-a-week rehearsals.
My first excursion with Genesis, they gave me 10 days of practice session and determined to take a break day as it used to be going so neatly. That used to be scary, as a result of that’s not sufficient time to organize for a two-and-a-half-hour display. However each and every Genesis excursion, each and every Phil Collins excursion, there used to be at all times a length of 40-hour-a-week rehearsals.
What brought about you to go away Zappa to sign up for Climate File?
Tony Banks mentioned, ‘We weren’t seeking to be top-notch musicians; we simply sought after to play neatly sufficient to play the songs we wrote’
The quite simple reason why is Frank cancelled a excursion. I have been in LA now not rather two years, however we had been at all times traveling, so I hadn’t in point of fact had an opportunity to satisfy many musicians there. So hastily, I’m on this new town and not using a paintings. Alphonso Johnson, the bass participant with Climate File, have been a chum of mine for a few years. He discussed that they had been on the town and searching for any other drummer. They had been my very favorite band on the time.
I went down and it ended up being an audition, and the following week they began rehearsing for a excursion. I used to be simply so in love with that track, so I let Frank know, “I’m gonna be transferring on.” And he understood – he knew it used to be my background. There used to be no animosity and we stayed buddies.
Climate File had a extra natural really feel than many 70s fusion bands, however then keyboardist Joe Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter had performed with Miles Davis on Bitches Brew. As composers they had been at all times a little left of centre – Wayne particularly. Joe used to be from Vienna, Austria. He grew up doing jazz and moved to New York at a horny younger age. However he used to be very a lot thinking about track from different cultures, plenty of African and Indian. And he heard issues in his head that weren’t conventional jazz.
Once I first got here into the band – prior to Black Marketplace – we had been speaking concerning the drum portions that I’d placed on other songs. They’d by no means communicate in musical phrases; as soon as, Wayne mentioned to me, “OK, with this tune, image being in a desolate tract in a caravan.” That’s all he mentioned, however I straight away knew what he intended. Wayne and Joe had been large movie buffs; they liked motion pictures and so they at all times had an excessively visible bent to their compositions. I feel they noticed them as extra soundtracks than conventional songs.
Phil Collins discussed that the Genesis monitor Los Endos used to be impressed through Climate File. However some British jazz-fusion musicians within the 70s had been rather deferential to their American opposite numbers, as though they didn’t really feel they had been rather the true deal. Did you return throughout that?
I’d listen those English teams and the enjoying wouldn’t be pristine… within the States you’d get those in point of fact tight bands, however now not just about as ingenious as what used to be popping out of the United Kingdom
Sure and no. I’ve noticed it with some. However then I’d meet John Goodsall and the blokes from Logo X and so they undoubtedly didn’t have that feeling. Phil invited me to come back alongside to a few their recording periods and simply hang around, and I used to be very inspired, particularly with Phil’s enjoying – and in addition with Genesis, with all of the peculiar timings of the early prog stuff. Boy, simply in point of fact refreshing. No longer your ‘conventional drum phase’ roughly man.
I take note a dialog with Tony Banks. He used to be speaking concerning the get started of the band, pronouncing, “We weren’t seeking to be top-notch musicians; we simply sought after to play neatly sufficient to play the songs we wrote.” One of the crucial large cultural variations I noticed used to be that for those who sought after to paintings – until you had been in, say, California, or New York – you probably did quilt songs, and also you discovered to play them precisely like that.
Coming to England, I began to recognise for those who sought after to building up a following, at the same time as a pub band, you needed to have authentic subject material. I’d listen those English teams and the enjoying wouldn’t be as pristine as, say, Miles Davis’s band – however the creativity could be completely superb. Right here within the States, you could get those in point of fact tight bands, however now not just about as ingenious as what used to be popping out of the United Kingdom. So I feel the solution could also be someplace in there.
While you joined Genesis their subject material used to be necessarily very English and a few songs had one of those whimsy, which used to be an excessive amount of even for some English folks. How did you get on with that?
I’ve at all times been excited to move ahead to the following factor, so I needed to get used to the texture of it. It used to be a lot straighter and possibly metronomic in some way than the rest I’d performed. I had performed instantly rock, but it surely’s nonetheless an excessively other really feel. Using bass used to be almost certainly the most important adjustment or me; in the whole lot I did, bass performs an excessively heavy function. With the early Genesis track bass didn’t raise the similar roughly weight. Every so often there could be the ones Taurus bass pedals, so there’s a drone versus a real bass line.
Phil would say, ‘It’s now not the correct really feel… it’s like strolling.’ I realised, ‘There’s the issue. The place I grew up, we didn’t stroll like that!’
On Extra Bother Each Day from Zappa’s Roxy & In other places, you and Ralph Humphrey play a syncopated two-bar drum damage in combination numerous instances all through the tune. We keep in mind that Phil Collins liked that damage, so that you two performed it with Genesis.
It’s on the finish of Afterglow on Seconds Out. On the first practice session, Phil and I had been arrange prior to the others, and we had been simply jamming. He all of sudden stops and is going, “How do you play the fill?” And I knew precisely what he used to be speaking about. I taught it to him, because it takes two folks to play it. When one particular person is enjoying toms, the opposite’s at the bass drum and you then opposite it. I want I had written it, but it surely used to be Ralph Humphrey.
The tune I had essentially the most bother with used to be Afterglow, which is almost certainly the most straightforward tune. Phil would at all times say, “No, it’s now not the correct really feel.” And I in any case requested him, “The place are you coming from?” He mentioned, “Smartly, it’s like strolling,” and he did a strolling movement. After which I smiled within as a result of I realised, “OK, there’s the issue. The place I grew up, we didn’t stroll like that!” I performed it with a little of swagger, a little of swing, and it had to be in point of fact instantly. And that made a gigantic distinction in how I had to manner numerous the opposite issues as neatly.
How did you and Phil paintings up the fabric on your reside drum duets?
Principally from jamming. The primary couple of excursions, I just about did maximum of it. Phil, up to he’d performed, had now not soloed as a lot. After that we had been very a lot concerned in combination. On the finish of rehearsals we’d take a seat down and jam for a few hours. I might get my little cassette recorder out and report it, and we’d pick the bits we favored.
Had been you mainly given loose rein within the songs?
Oh, completely. Phil would say, “Those fills are a part of the composition; the remainder of it, you’re by yourself. Do just what you are feeling.” So yeah, it used to be a just right operating courting. I had no goal or concept that it might cross on for such a lot of years – however they saved pronouncing, “Would you return and do it once more?”
The Bee Gees were given a foul rap with the disco factor – however they had been nonetheless writing improbable songs and it used to be an actual excitement to paintings with them
At one level, Phil mentioned, “I feel we wish to carry you over early and do the recordings.” However they had been buddies, all of them lived close to every different, so after they were given an concept, they’d get in combination and get on it straight away. And by the point I might be flown in and recover from jet lag, it’s performed already. However I knew what I signed up for thus it used to be advantageous.
From their point of view, fanatics say, “You had been a part of the band.” I used to be by no means a part of the band and the truth is that I used to be an worker, and what I did, I attempted to do it neatly. And all issues come to an finish.
Did you wish to have to sign up for the band as a full-time member simply prior to Calling All Stations?
Once I came upon that Phil used to be leaving I did achieve out to Mike Rutherford and requested in the event that they had been taken with proceeding that approach. He used to be like an excessively hard-nosed, “No.” They’d no real interest in that in any respect. It used to be “OK, advantageous.” I imply, I wasn’t hurting for paintings.
Had you was hoping to play on The Ultimate Domino Excursion?
When Phil did the Motown excursion in 2010, we had a in point of fact nasty falling out. I received’t cross into element, however I knew that not anything would ever occur after that. I used to be in truth more than happy to peer that his son Nic were given an opportunity to excursion with him, as even at 5 years previous the child simply had all of the doable on the planet; that you must see he used to be a herbal. That’s it. I’ve not anything else to mention on that.
You’ve toured with all forms of bands. Do any reminiscences specifically stand out?
I did a Eu excursion with The Bee Gees in 1989 in between Genesis excursions. Within the States they were given a foul rap with the disco factor – however they had been nonetheless writing improbable songs and it used to be an actual excitement to paintings with them.
The Santana factor used to be numerous a laugh; that used to be in truth a bundle excursion with Bob Dylan. Previous to that I had recorded an album with Santana as neatly [Beyond Appearances, 1985]. Alphonso Johnson used to be on bass, and there have been two Chester Thompsons within the band – the keyboard participant had the similar identify!
The Fusion Syndicate hasn’t ever in point of fact been a band. The elemental tracks had been performed in two days… figuring out they’d carry in different other drummers
The Fusion Syndicate is an peculiar challenge. At the 2023 album A Speedway On Saturn’s Rings you recorded one monitor, Io, with Rick Wakeman, and any other with Jah Wobble on bass…
It’s by no means in point of fact been a band. The entire fundamental tracks had been performed in two days through me and a bass participant in LA, figuring out they’d herald visitor artists on other tracks, together with a number of other drummers. A fusion all-stars, for lack of a higher time period. I don’t like to hear my enjoying that a lot, so I nonetheless haven’t heard it all. I’ve performed a number of issues for them [Cleopatra Records and sub-label Purple Pyramid] the place they’ll put in combination a fusion or prog challenge. I finished up enjoying on a King Purple tribute [Schizoid Dimension] as neatly.
You and Alphonso Johnson joined Unitopia and performed on remaining yr’s Seven Chambers.
Guy, I in point of fact revel in that band. We did a Eu excursion in September and we’re hoping so that you could e-book any other excursion quickly. They took a hiatus from recording and traveling [from 2014 to 2021]. The primary two guys, Sean Timms and Mark Trueack, have added an excellent guitarist, John Greenwood –who’s a retired surgeon, in truth.
They’ve been doing lots of the writing, so we’re all throwing our bits in as we cross. For the following one they wish to in point of fact co-write it; bother is, you were given a few guys in Australia and Mark now lives in Thailand. We’re in all places the map!
At this level in lifestyles, one of the follow is not to lose what I’ve had. I’ve bogged down a little however there’s now not a lot of it I will be able to’t do
How did you place the track in combination for Wake-up Name?
The bass and keyboard participant and the bass participant [Michiko and Robert ‘Peewee’ Hill], had been within the first band I ever had. We simply used my identify as lets by no means make a decision on a reputation. Sadly, the band by no means were given to be what it might were, however all of us stayed shut. The loopy phase is we haven’t performed in combination in 30 years, however the feeling we had once we performed in combination continues to be there.
I spoke with them originally of lockdown. They have got a house studio and had been pronouncing, “No person’s reserving the studio, so we’re simply sitting round jamming with the drum system.” And my remark used to be, “No, don’t do this. Let me ship you one thing to jam with.”
I laid down a drum monitor – now not rather 5 mins – and I threw in some fills. Once I’m jamming by myself, I’m listening to melodies in my head. They wrote round it and despatched it again to me and it utterly blew my thoughts. I used to be like, “You gotta be kidding me!” And their remark used to be very flattering. They mentioned, “We simply went the place you led it.” However then, we put numerous time in combination again within the day. It stretched out for approximately a yr with them writing across the drum tracks I despatched. So then we began including in some saxophones and guitars.
How regularly do you practise?
If I haven’t performed in 3 or 4 days I get started getting in point of fact antsy. For me, at this level in lifestyles, one of the follow is not to lose what I’ve had. I’ve bogged down a little from when I used to be 25-30, however there’s now not a lot of it I will be able to’t do. I’m thankful for that and I need it to be crisp; I need it to be what I intend.
However I’m at all times taking a look to be told new stuff. I nonetheless imagine very a lot in working towards track, identical to they at all times discuss of working towards drugs and working towards regulation. You practise track as a result of you are going to by no means know the whole lot. And the instant you suppose you do, you’re completed.
