In the early 1950s, Priester was a member of Sun Ra's big band, recording several albums with the group, before leaving Chicago in 1956 to tour with Lionel Hampton, and he then joined Dinah Washington in 1958.

[1] The following year he settled in New York and joined the group led by drummer Max Roach,[1] who heard him playing on the Philly Joe Jones album, "Blues for Dracula" (1958).

He left Roach's band during 1961, and between then and 1969 appeared as a sideman on albums led by Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Blue Mitchell, Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Johnny Griffin, and Sam Rivers.

In 1969, he accepted an offer to play with Duke Ellington's big band, and he stayed with that ensemble for six months, before leaving in 1970 to join pianist Herbie Hancock's fusion sextet.

[4] Compilations With Jane Ira Bloom With Anthony Braxton With Donald Byrd With Jay Clayton With John Coltrane With Duke Ellington With Robben Ford With David Friesen, Eddie Moore, Jim Pepper, and Mal Waldron With Red Garland With Jerry Granelli With Johnny Griffin With George Gruntz With Carolyn Graye With Charlie Haden With Herbie Hancock With David Haney With Billy Harper With Eddie Henderson With Andrew Hill With Dave Holland With Wayne Horvitz With Freddie Hubbard With Bobbi Humphrey With Philly Joe Jones With Clifford Jordan With Eyvind Kang With Azar Lawrence With Abbey Lincoln With Booker Little With Herbie Mann With Pat Metheny With Blue Mitchell With Lee Morgan With Duke Pearson With Buddy Rich With Sam Rivers With Max Roach With Paul Schutze With Lonnie Smith With Sunn O))) With Sun Ra With Cal Tjader With Stanley Turrentine With McCoy Tyner With Dinah Washington With Reggie Workman Arkestra members