"If the subject is great studio drummers, this man's name inevitably comes up, Gary Chester" ~ All Music
Gary Chester is also the Author of the best selling drum book for over 30 years entitled "The New Breed" He played on over 14,000 recording sessions, more than not producing many hit records in the late 50s, 60s and 70s in New York City’s Brill Building era. “The Brill Building was the action
spot of the music biz...like walking into the tower of song. Hard to imagine today that we could walk from office to office and see the guys actually writing the hits,” writes singer/songwriter Paul Anka in his autobiography. A few notables are - Van Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed Girl,” Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” The Monkees’ “I’m a Believer,” almost every Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach song recorded and released, The Chiffons, “He’s So Fine,” Petula Clark, “Downtown,” Jim Croce, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” John Denver’s, “Rocky Mountain High,” and The Drifters’ “Up On the Roof”, the Drifters ("Up on the Roof," "Under the Boardwalk"), the Isley Brothers ("Twist and Shout"), Ben E. King ("Spanish Harlem"), along with many, many more. These hits barely scratch the surface of Mr. Chester’s body of work! Yet hopefully, true music lovers are enticed to check-out Garys 3 page-partial-credits-list of successful hit songs that is available via > Garys page, and/or by listening to the in-progress > SPOTIFY Gary Chester playlist (open.spotify.com/playlist/4v0gnitcd0n4rrpsx0y5k1?si=kfey-hx9s1gocnev8fipdg) and via > Garys official YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzktFLboaZCOR0Jo04Q0yPA/featured?view_as=subscriber)
Gary Chester was THE first-call-drummer on the East Coast, just as Garys tremendous peer and friend Hal Blaine served as THE first-call-drummer on the West Coast. Some recordings you can even hear their work together! These were the drummers on the majority of hits of the late 50s, 60s and 70s. (Brief Gary Chester History)
From the age of five Gary grew up as a change of life baby to poor Italian immigrants who landed in the Bronx in New York City. Gary would work at his father's barber shop just so he could get permission to then sit in the back alley behind his pop's shop playing to his tiny transister radio. At the age of 13 with his immense drive & passion for playing the drums, Gary left home. He knew he had to experience drumming instead of thinking about drumming. So he risked it all and ran away from home. Sneaking into clubs, getting together with musicians just to stand nearby and learning how to Listen until he earned sitting in. A lot occurred in these years and all of it and more will be premiering in a documentary in progress about Gary and the incredible irreplaceable time in music history. At an extremely young age Gary began touring America with various jazz artists. By his 20's Gary was a full-time working drummer, doing whatever it took to eventually begin being invited to recording sessions in NYC where most days and night musicians would do three, four and five sessions a day! Here is where Garys systems got their practical real-life wings and where he honed and created independence for the drum set. Tried and tested and shared many years later (1984) Gary Chester's “The New Breed” was released — This book remains one of the longest selling and successful drum and life instructional book in history. The New Breed is not a workbook and is not meant to be approached like other drum books. The NB carries a philosophy for drummers, for drum-set, and as wisdom does, The NB and Garys teachings have bled beautifully into the lives of thousands as lessons on being human. Importantly, the result calls to those who want to innovate - as drummers, musicians, and as innovators of their life. In the early 70s Gary began teaching his first students. This core group was the start of legions of Gary Chester, and later, New Breed students. The NB book is a result of all the struggles and successes Gary’s life experience provided him. The New Breed reflects Gary’s desire for everyone to approach both the drums and life as a process - as a practice toward fluidity allowing the fullness of true independence as a musician. Gary's approach is not gone. Garys training in self-direction is a gift still offered today to each who approach his systems with a one to one teacher who, like Gary, will walk a drummer toward freedom of being able to play any genre, style, anywhere and anytime and BPM if given a chance to be accountable among The New Breed.
30+ years after Gary’s passing on August 17, 1987, his legacy lives strong within our current technology and his active community of drummers who are worldwide and present on social media platforms, old and new NB students alike connect and share Gary’s teachings. In 2017, a long awaited Documentary began filming about the legendary Gary Chester - The drummer, father, innovator, teacher. The film makers, close to Garys heart, life and legacy, include his youngest daughter Katrina Chester and Gary’s youngest student (and longest at 11-years) Anthony Cruz. A project not taken on lightly, Katrina had politely rejected offers over the last 20-years seeking permission and collaboration for the making of a documentary on her father. Although humbled, Katrina is imbued with profound understandings of her fathers deep and spiritual integrity and felt a need to wait. Being taught by Gary starting at the very young age of 3, she embodies a linage and upholds her fathers teachings’ to continue the direct thread that leads to no one but Gary which now can go straight to you. Anything short of that did not feel right. Partnering with Anthony Cruz felt right. You can stay up to date on the Documentary by following Gary’s social media's and page (https://www.facebook.com/GaryChesterTheDrummer)
Thank you to all who help to keep Garys systems pure and authentic and accountable. Look for "NB Approved" if you want to start a NB practice. UPDATE
Katrina is proud to announce The New Breed’s first foreign translation offered will be Italy! Gary’s entire family hail from Sicily, Italy so there is a lot of meaning for us. The extension of that family now includes Volonte’ Publishing! Check out Garys Instagram, Facebook and YouTube where the intense New Breed drum family & community are determined and committed to the maintenance of their teachers integrity & approach. Garys daughter Katrina created, produced and released a Video Series showcasing a selection of Gary's original students that agreed to help by sharing Garys approach if Katrina did the vetting to pair them only to the serious, new & revisiting, New Breed student. This study makes this available now to drummers around the world via Zoom! To be paired with a NB approved teacher please email Katrina at [email protected] and please be patient as there is now a waiting list. Feel free to check in via email again and again too. Thank you for all of your continued support and loyalty - not just for studying The NB and remembering and honoring Gary but also for all it takes to remain and become the hardest (and most) working drummers out there - that is a New Breed Drummer. (Special thank you to writer Scott Fish for excerpts from his 2018 blog post, some of which were added into this bio on Gary)
