# Gary Chester

Gary Chester (born Cesario Gurciullo; October 27, 1924 – August 17, 1987) was an American studio drummer, author, and teacher. Beginning in the 1960s, he played on hundreds of records for bands such as the Coasters, the Monkees and the Lovin' Spoonful.

## Biography

Born in the Bronx to parents who emigrated from Syracuse, Sicily, Chester's first successful recording session was when he replaced a studio drummer.
As his reputation grew, Chester became a respected teacher, with drummers searching out his expertise and demanding techniques. His drumming systems have been used and endorsed by drummers such as Kenny Aronoff, Gary Gibbons, Douglas Oscard, Danny Gottlieb, Max Weinberg, Chris Adams, Tico Torres, Lindy Morrison, and Dave Weckl, each having studied under Chester.

## Instruction technique
### Ostinato

Chester devised a system involving internalized patterns employing a drum 'melody' in an attempt to expand drummers' coordination and groove ability. His use of the ostinato figure employed more than repetition; he created drum melodies for a song with variation and development of the drum phrase or motif using the entire drum kit. He advocated alternating an ostinato line to fit changing harmonies or keys to enhance the song. Chester's system also taught how to set up an ostinato with one limb or more and playing freely with the remaining limbs, allowing one drummer to sound like a small percussion section.

### Ambidexterity and rhythmic vocalization

Chester focused on teaching skills like creativity, improvisation, four-limb independence and ambidexterity, cross-dominance, playing solid time, alignment of limbs, and making an independent contribution to the song while playing to match the song rather than playing to show off. For example, his instructional techniques included learning to overcome students' natural handedness (or laterality) by playing both right-handed and left-handed. This offered the studio pro greater flexibility, smoother groove transition, and a more complex, unbroken riff or fill. This ambidexterity also permitted the drummer to switch the ostinato from right-to-left or vice versa, thereby letting the free hand (or foot) develop a richer drum melody. One additional benefit was more open handed drumming which increases hand mobility around the set as the drummer does not need to cross and uncross his or her arms as often.
The core concept of Chester's New Breed instruction style was five-way independence. The student was given a system (three parts of a rhythm) and was required to play a written melody with the fourth limb. Chester also taught his students to "sing" each part that each limb played (rhythmic vocalization) while drumming to "train your ears to accept and understand what you’re doing." While coordinating and reading, the student would also be required to sing the quarter note, back beat, up beat and the melody for each system. Once the student performed each two page written melody and sang four different parts, he/she was required to play the same exercise with a left hand lead. Here, countless new rhythms were played, read, coordinated in time to a metronome, while singing. As a result of Chester's instructional techniques, the student would: (a) Develop independent four-way coordination; (b) Master sight reading ability and note recognition (c) Left hand would now be able to play ride patterns (d) Control time keeping through metronome and singing (by singing the quarter note, one could always play in time) (e) By gaining the ability to play and sing the melodies written, the student enhanced creativity and musicianship. If one could play what one sang, all playing situations became a breeze.

## Books

* New Breed
* New Breed II

## Selected discography

| Year | Song title | Artist | Date | US charts | R&B charts | British charts | Producer | Miscellaneous |
| 1958 | "Charlie Brown" | The Coasters | December 11 | 2 | 2 | 6 | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1958 | "16 Candles" | The Crests | | 2 | 4 | | | |
| 1958 | "A Lover's Question" | Clyde McPhatter | | 6 | 1 | | | |
| 1959 | "Along Came Jones" | The Coasters | March 26 | 9 | 14 | | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1959 | "Dream Lover" | Bobby Darin | April 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler | |
| 1959 | "Poison Ivy" | The Coasters | July 16 | 7 | 1 | 13 | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1959 | "Lavender-Blue" | Sammy Turner | 1959 | 3 | 14 | | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1960 | "Save the Last Dance for Me" | The Drifters | May 19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1960 | "Shoppin' for Clothes" | The Coasters | July 29 | | | | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1960 | "Spanish Harlem" | Ben E. King | October 27 | 10 | 15 | | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1960 | "Young Boy Blues" | Ben E. King | October 27 | | | | | |
| 1960 | "Stand By Me" | Ben E. King | October 27 | 2 | 1 | | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1960 | "Saved" | LaVern Baker | December 7 | 37 | 17 | | | |
| 1960 | "Wild One" | Bobby Rydell | | 2 | 10 | | | |
| 1960 | "Calendar Girl" | Neil Sedaka | | 4 | 22 | 8 | | |
| 1961 | "Girls! Girls! Girls!" | The Coasters | February 9 | | | | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1961 | "Little Egypt" | The Coasters | February 9 | 23 | 16 | | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1961 | "Amor" | Ben E. King | March 29 | 17 | 10 | 38 | | |
| 1961 | "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" | Curtis Lee | May/June | 7 | 8 | | Phil Spector | backing vocals by The Halos |
| 1961 | "Cry to Me" | Solomon Burke | October 6 | 44 | 5 | | Bert Berns | The session also included drummer Panama Francis. |
| 1961 | "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" | The Crystals | September or October | 20 | 5 | | Phil Spector | |
| 1961 | "Crying in the Rain" | The Everly Brothers | November 14 | 6 | | 6 | Don Kirshner | |
| 1961 | "Please Stay" | The Drifters | | 14 | 13 | | | |
| 1961 | "Some Kind of Wonderful" | The Drifters | | 32 | 6 | | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1961 | "What Now My Love" | Jane Morgan | | | | | | |
| 1961 | "The Lone Twister" | Murray the K | | | | | | |
| 1961 | "Bless You" | Tony Orlando | | 15 | | 5 | | |
| 1961 | "Every Breath I Take" | Gene Pitney | | 42 | | | Phil Spector | |
| 1961 | "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen" | Neil Sedaka | | 6 | | 3 | | |
| 1961 | "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" | The Shirelles | | 1 | 2 | | Luther Dixon | |
| 1962 | "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" | Ben E. King | March 3 | 11 | 2 | | | |
| 1962 | "Twist and Shout" | The Isley Brothers | March | 17 | 2 | | Bert Russell (a.k.a. Bert Berns) | |
| 1962 | "Up On The Roof" | The Drifters | June 28 | 5 | 4 | | Leiber/Stoller | Ranked #114 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |
| 1962 | "Don't Make Me Over" | Dionne Warwick | August | | | | Burt Bacharach, Hal David | initially released as the B side of "I Smiled Yesterday" |
| 1962 | "Tell Him" | The Exciters | October 15 | 4 | 5 | 46 | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1962 | "Bossa Nova Baby" | Tippie and the Clovers | November | | | | Leiber/Stoller | |
| 1962 | "She Cried" | Jay and the Americans | | 5 | | | | |
| 1962 | "What Kind of Fool Am I?" | Anthony Newley | | | | | | from the musical Stop The World - I Want To Get Off |
| 1962 | "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" | Gene Pitney | | 3 | | | | |
| 1962 | "I'll Never Dance Again" | Bobby Rydell | | 14 | | | | |
| 1962 | "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" | Neil Sedaka | | 1 | 12 | 7 | | back up vocals by The Cookies |
| 1962 | "Johnny Get Angry" | Joanie Sommers | | 7 | | 3 | | |
| 1962 | "Hush, Little Baby" | June Valli | | | | | Eddie Mathews | Theme from the movie The Miracle Worker |
| 1962 | "Mr. Lonely" | Bobby Vinton | | 1 | | | Robert Morgan | Became a hit in 1964 after being rereleased |
| 1962 | "Roses Are Red (My Love)" | Bobby Vinton | | 1 | 5 | 15 | Robert Morgan | |
| 1963 | "On Broadway" | The Drifters | January 22 | 9 | 7 | | | |
| 1963 | "Chains" | The Cookies | February 11 | 7 | 17 | 50 | | |
| 1963 | "It’s My Party" | Lesley Gore | March 30 | 1 | 1 | 9 | Quincy Jones | |
| 1963 | "Anyone Who Had a Heart" | Dionne Warwick | November | | 6 | | Burt Bacharach, Hal David | "the song shuttled between 5/4 and 4/4" with "a bar of 7/4 for good measure" |
| 1963 | "My Boyfriend's Back" | The Angels | | | 2 | | Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer | |
| 1963 | "He's So Fine" | The Chiffons | | 1 | 1 | 16 | Phil Margo, Mitch Margo, Jay Siegal, Hank Medress | |
| 1963 | "Mr. Bass Man" | Johnny Cymbal | | 16 | | 24 | Alan Lorber | The bass part was sung by Ronnie Bright, who sang with The Cadillacs, The Valentines and The Coasters |
| 1963 | "Our Day Will Come" | Ruby and the Romantics | | | 1 | | Allen Stanton | |
| 1963 | "Hey Girl" | Freddie Scott | | 10 | 10 | | | |
| 1963 | "Blue on Blue" | Bobby Vinton | | 3 | | | Robert Morgan | |
| 1964 | "Walk On By" | Dionne Warwick | April | | 1 | | Bacharach, David | Ranked #70 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |
| 1964 | "Under the Boardwalk" | The Drifters | May 21, | 4 | 1 | 45 | Bert Berns | |
| 1964 | "Come a Little Bit Closer" | Jay and the Americans | | 4 | | | Artie Ripp | |
| 1964 | "Goin' Out of My Head" | Little Anthony and the Imperials | | 6 | 8 | | | |
| 1964 | "It Hurts to Be in Love" | Gene Pitney | | 4 | | | Aaron Schroeder, Wally Gold | |
| 1964 | "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" | The Shangri-Las | | 5 | 9 | | George "Shadow" Morton | |
| 1965 | "Baby I'm Yours" | Barbara Lewis | January 8 | 11 | 5 | | Bert Berns, Ollie McLaughlin | |
| 1965 | "What the World Needs Now Is Love" | Jackie DeShannon | March 23 | 7 | 40 | | | |
| 1965 | "Cara Mia" | Jay and the Americans | | 4 | | | Artie Ripp | |
| 1965 | "Do You Believe in Magic" | The Lovin' Spoonful | | 9 | | | Erik Jacobsen | |
| 1966 | "Over the Rainbow" | Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles | | | | | | |
| 1966 | "What the World Needs Now Is Love" | Dionne Warwick | | | | | Burt Bacharach | From the album Here Where There Is Love |
| 1967 | "Brown Eyed Girl" | Van Morrison | 28 March | 10 | | | Bert Berns | ranked No. 110 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |
| 1967 | "I Say a Little Prayer" | Dionne Warwick | October | | 8 | | Bacharach, David | |
| 1968 | "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" | Dionne Warwick | April | 9 | 23 | | Bacharach, David | |
| 1969 | "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" | Dionne Warwick | December | 5 | 17 | | Bacharach, David | |
| 1969 | "Sugar, Sugar" | The Archies | | 1 | | | Jeff Barry | |
| 1969 | "Theme from Midnight Cowboy" | Ferrante & Teicher | | 10 | | | | |
| 1969 | "And Now We Come To Distances" | Gloria Loring | | | | | Al Gorgoni | |
| 1972 | "Rocky Mountain High" | John Denver | August | 9 | | | Milt Okun | |
| 1972 | "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" | Jim Croce | | | | | Terry Cashman, Tommy West | |
| 1972 | "Time in a Bottle" | Jim Croce | | 1 | | | Cashman, West | Recorded in 1972, the song was a hit a year later following Croce's death |
| 1972 | "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast" | Wayne Newton | | 4 | | | Wes Farrell | |
| 1973 | "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" | Jim Croce | | 1 | | | Cashman, West | |

## Selected album recordings

* Spanish Harlem - Ben E. King (Atco Records, 1961)
* Solomon Burke - Solomon Burke (Apollo Records, 1962)
* The Electrifying Aretha Franklin - Aretha Franklin (Columbia Records, 1962)
* 'Round Midnight - Betty Carter (Atco Records, 1963)
* If You Need Me - Solomon Burke (Atlantic Records, 1963)
* Young Boy Blues - Ben E. King (Atco Records, 1964)
* Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington - Aretha Franklin (Columbia Records, 1964)
* Baby, I'm Yours - Barbara Lewis (Atlantic Records, 1965)
* Chad & Jeremy Sing for You - Chad & Jeremy (World Artists Records, 1965)
* Esther Phillips Sings - Esther Phillips (Atlantic Records, 1966)
* It's Magic - Barbara Lewis (Atlantic Records, 1966)
* The World We Knew - Frank Sinatra (Reprise Records, 1967)
* Workin' on a Groovy Thing - Barbara Lewis (Atlantic Records, 1968)
* New York Tendaberry - Laura Nyro (Columbia Records, 1969)
* And Now We Come to Distances - Gloria Loring (Evolution, 1969)
* Changes - The Monkees (Colgems Records, 1970)
* Aerie - John Denver (RCA Victor, 1971)
* Jukin' - The Manhattan Transfer (Capitol Records, 1971)
* Poems, Prayers & Promises - John Denver (RCA Victor, 1971)
* You Don't Mess Around with Jim - Jim Croce (ABC Records, 1972)
* Rocky Mountain High - John Denver (RCA Victor, 1972)
* Life and Times - Jim Croce (ABC Records, 1973)
* Farewell Andromeda - John Denver (RCA Victor, 1973)
* I Got a Name - Jim Croce (ABC Records, 1973)