Jean-Paul Gaster (born June 19, 1971) is the drummer for American rock band Clutch.
Jean-Paul Gaster learned to play drums by playing along to 1960s and 1970s heavy rock bands like Jimi Hendrix, Cream, ZZ Top and Black Sabbath. Washington D.C's Go-go music and in particular drummers such as Ju Ju House, Brandon Finley and Ricky Wellman were early influences as well. He is one of many students who studied with legendary Washington D.C drummer and educator Walter Salb. Some favorite drummers of Gaster are jazz drummers Elvin Jones and Jack DeJohnette, Bad Brains drummer Earl Hudson and New Orleans drummer Johnny Vidacovich.
Jean-Paul, Neil Fallon, Dan Maines and Tim Sult formed Clutch in 1991. After releasing the Pitchfork 7" the band embarked on its first U.S tour in the summer of 1992. Since then the band has released 13 studio albums and toured extensively through North America, Europe, UK and Australia. The band continues to be an important fixture on today's hard rock scene. Clutch plays an average of 120 shows a year and its most recent release Psychic Warfare went number one on billboards rock chart. The band is currently on tour and working on new material.

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