Katrina Chester on Her Father Drummer Gary Chester

When I was in a band in the late 90s we hung out with Katrina and LUXX quite a bit in the NYC/NJ area as they gigged to promote their first album. While the band was quite talented (Ian Hatton had an especially impressive resume), in the end it was "The Katrina Chester Show". Her aggressive performances, raspy vocals, and over the top persona were legendary, and every show was a treat to attend, especially in the early years when there was only her street team there, and you could stand right by the stage, soaking it all in. In the afterparties she was friendly and personable, if a bit self-absorbed, a rock star in training for sure. A very petite girl, she was outsized in personality, and always the center of attention. Dave (and later Benny) would slink away, and as a guitarist I'd often chat with them instead, while my band's girl singer would stick with Katrina. Ian was never around, and just went to bed. I presumed he got all the parting out of him touring with Bonham years earlier. In the end, the band was sunk by a lack of commercially viable songs (aka: no mainstream Top 40 hits), and changing musical tastes. Katrina went on to release a solo EP, and later played Janis Joplin off-Broadway, then went through some tough times, divorcing Ian (not many knew they were together this whole time), and getting into Yoga. Last I heard she was remarried (to a drummer!) and living somewhere in SoCal (Encino?). This tribute to her dad is great! Gary Chester was, and is, a legend, and Katrina should also be proud of her past! Thanks for the great memories Kat, I still have signed versions of every recording she ever released, somewhere in storage!!

I consider Gary my first teacher,BECAUSE....All the riffs and beats I learned on my practice pad came from the records Gary played on...Too many to mention...I didn't know who the drummers were, but years later, when I got ''The New Breed'' and read all the discography,well,those were the beats and fills that started my drumming career.Thanx to Gary. RIP

I studied with Gary from 1979 to 1981. I still play to this day .............. He taught me how to read music, and how to be a better drummer. For that, i will always be grateful.

Thank you so much Katrina for all of this insight on Gary. Great stuff!

Youngster's need to know this guy..a giant in the industry!!

What an amazing talent who influenced so many of the musicians that we listen to today. What a legacy he left behind. Great quote Kat, "it was an era that they checked their egos at the door, it was about the music and the lyric". That's why most of this music is still relevant today.

I put "The New Breed" up there in importance with Stone's "Stick Control"

Lots of admiration and respect for Gary Chester. When I was around 16 my teacher used to have me practice from the New Breed a lot. I didn't see the benefit at first. I said well, how do you practice in a day. He said, whether I have a gig or not, I try to play 8 hours a day like a full time job. I couldn't get my head around that. So, over the summer I got out the New Breed and began playing exercise after exercise taking short breaks for 2 then 4 then 6 hours by the end of the summer. The more I came back to that book it felt as if my groove and timing where just getting exponentially better. My teacher would say now add this, try it this way, etc. At 16 I realized that book had an infinite number of possibilities. I'd take that book with me to school my senior year and play grooves in my head. I'd say this is Gary Chester here on the back and he's my teacher's teacher's teacher!! Look at the credits in the back! He was a true legend.

I remember Katrina as a cute little girl when I would come to Gary's studio for my lessons. Looking back that was one of the happiest times of my life. Just being around the man and being challenged to grow as both a musician and an individual. Gary's work ethic Whew!. Had he not become a drummer he would have perservered and finished on top in any profession he chose. A remarkable man.

At least three generations grew up dancing to his beats. Radio stations that cover 50's - 70's music could be called, "Gary Chester Radio."

My deep respect for what Chester gave us all!!!

I discovered him when I went to find out who played on "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" by Dionne Warwick.

So awesome i remember his student drummer concert parties in your back yard

Hi Katrina. It's been a very very long time since I've seen your face and heard your voice!! It is so awesome what you and Tony are doing to keep the New breed books and Gary's legacy alive. I can only tell you that in attempting to teach Gary's system down here in Florida is a challenge because a lot of the drummers do not read. Not to offend anyone but before I started with Gary one of the first things that I was told was if you're going to study with Gary you have to at least know your basic rhythms and read. All I can say is after all these years I still do the lessons that Gary showed us before that first book was written. I still try every summer to devote some time to those lessons. What Gary did for me not only as a drummer but as a human being has been with me still 40 years later!! Go figure!! I just want to say to you Katrina to you and the family stay safe stay blessed stay healthy and of course keep your chops up!! Say hi to Tony for me

The new breed is a really hard book

Gary, Buddy Saltzman, Bernard Purdie and Artie Schroeck all played on albums by the genius Bronx singer/songwriter Laura Nyro. Not to mention Chuck Rainey, Richard Davis, John Tropea, Hugh McCracken and other greats. Nyro chose the best, and was a big influence on Steely Dan and scores of other major artists. Bernard Purdie played the drums at a Nyro tribute concert in 2012 at the Lincoln Centre, NYC.

What ever happened to the documentary?

Talking studio musicians. "Louie Bellson?"... really, David? Aside from that, a cool interview.