Chester Thompson and Friends

Chester Thompson and Friends

Saturday, May 16th, 7:30 PM

Nashville Jazz Workshop

Nashville Jazz Workshop is proud to present Chester Thompson and Friends, an unforgettable evening featuring one of the most celebrated drummers in the world alongside some of Nashville's most gifted jazz musicians. The show takes place Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 PM at The Nashville Jazz Workshop.

Chester Thompson's career spans decades and continents. Known worldwide for his decades-long tenure with Genesis and Phil Collins, with whom he shared stages on some of the largest tours in rock history, Thompson has also brought his extraordinary musicianship to landmark recordings and performances with Frank Zappa, Weather Report, Santana, Freddie Hubbard, Ahmad Jamal, John Fogerty, Michael McDonald, Keb' Mo', and Taj Mahal, among others. His 2018 work on the Grammy Award-winning album TajMo stands as one of his most recent milestones.

But Nashville is home, and Thompson's roots here run deep. For over two decades he has been a fixture in the local jazz community, teaching, recording, and performing. He served as Adjunct Professor of drum set at Belmont University from 1998 to 2018 and is a longtime faculty presence at Nashville Jazz Workshop itself. In 2008, he received the Sabian Lifetime Achievement Award at the 32nd Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), one of the highest honors in percussion. His trio albums Approved (2013) and Simpler Times (2015) both charted in the JazzWeek Top 10, and his most recent release, Wake-Up Call, showcases the restless creative energy that has defined his career for half a century.

Joining Thompson for this special evening are three of the region's most accomplished musicians:

Chris Walters, piano — A New Orleans-born pianist, singer, and composer who cut his teeth as Music Director for Barbara Mandrell before spending years as pianist with the band Alabama. Walters has toured with JD Souther, The Alison Brown Quartet, The Peter Mayer Group, and The Jeff Coffin Mu'tet, and has performed with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. His albums include the Grammy-nominated Whisper & Howl (2019). He studied jazz at Webster University in St. Louis, where he was later recognized as a notable alumnus in DownBeat magazine.

Brian Allen, bass — One of Nashville's most in-demand recording and touring bassists, Allen has performed and recorded with an extraordinarily wide range of artists including Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Dolly Parton, Keb' Mo', Beth Hart, Miranda Lambert, Robben Ford, and John Scofield, among many others. He received his degree from Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, where he later spent a decade on staff. He was nominated Bass Player of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in 2018.

Don Aliquo, saxophone — A Pittsburgh native now firmly rooted in Nashville, Aliquo is a saxophonist, educator, and recording artist who brings deep jazz lineage to everything he plays. He studied at Berklee College of Music alongside drummer Jeff Watts, performed with the Tommy Dorsey and Buddy Rich bands, and has recorded with vibraphonist Gary Burton and bassist Rufus Reid. Currently Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Middle Tennessee State University, Aliquo is a Conn-Selmer and Vandoren artist whose playing has taken him across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and China.

"Chester Thompson is one of those rare musicians who has truly done it all — from the biggest rock stages on the planet to the most intimate jazz rooms," said Max Abrams, Executive and Artistic Director of Nashville Jazz Workshop. "This is a chance to see him in the setting where his artistry truly shines, alongside musicians who are the best Nashville has to offer."

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Nashville Jazz Workshop