Chester Thompson has a name in common with another musician, but a talent for the drums that is quite uncommon.

Born Chester Cortez Thompson on Dec. 11, 1948, in Baltimore, Md., he isn’t to be confused with Chester Thompson who is noteworthy as the keyboardist for Santana.

The drumming Chester Thompson first made a name for himself as a session drummer. He moved on to play in Frank Zappa’s touring band in 1973 and 1974, then joining Zappa for recording sessions on such albums as “One Size Fits All,” “Roxy & Elsewhere,” and “Overnite Sensation.”

Thompson also drummed for a time with the legendary jazz fusion group Weather Report.

His longest gig was as the touring drummer for the noteworthy progressive rock band Genesis. He toured with Genesis from 1977 until 1992 and during the 2007 “Turn It On Again” reunion tour, with his work appearing on four live albums, “Seconds Out,” “Three Sides Live,” and “The Way We Walk,” volumes 1 and 2. He continues to work with Phil Collins – himself a Genesis percussionist – on his solo tours, and appears on Collins’ “Serious Hits … Live!” album and DVD.

Collaborating with another Genesis alum, he’s joined guitarist Steve Hackett on two albums, “Please Don’t Touch” and “Genesis Revisited.” Thompson also appears on the “Tokyo Tapes” album, released in 1998, which features Hackett and guitarist John Wetton, among others.

Thompson has even released his own solo album, “A Joyful Noise.”

Ironically, Thompson also has played alongside guitarist Carlos Santana on several tours, for whom the keyboardist Chester Thompson also had played in the past.