Paul Wertico
Encyclopedia
Paul Wertico is an American drummer. He gained recognition as a member of the Pat Metheny Group
from 1983 until 2001, leaving the group to spend more time with his family and to pursue other musical interests. Metheny heard the Simon Bard Group with Wertico and bassist Steve Rodby
, and invited both to join his band. During his tenure with Metheny Wertico played on ten recordings and four videos, appeared on television and toured around the world. He also won seven Grammy Awards (for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Best Contemporary Jazz Performance and Best Rock Instrumental Performance) and magazine polls, and received several gold records
.
In recent years, Wertico has continued to tour and perform around the Chicago metropolitan area, where he is based. This led to the creation of his own band (the Paul Wertico Trio) and collaborations with jazz notables such as Larry Coryell
, Kurt Elling
and Jeff Berlin
. These collaborations enabled Wertico to be featured on group recordings in a variety of musical genres, and gave him an opportunity to produce
records. In 2009, Wertico's trio joined forces with Marbin
, which consists of Israeli musicians Danny Markovitch (saxophone) and Dani Rabin (guitar). The group performs as Paul Wertico's Mideast-Midwest Alliance, and recorded an album for the Chicago Sessions label. The recording received positive reviews from the Chicago Tribune, Drum! and Modern Drummer. It received a 4.5 (out of 5)-star rating by Down Beat, and was rated one of the best 50 albums of 2010.
When not touring, Wertico divides his career among session work
, producing, teaching, composing and leading his own groups. Among the musicians with whom he has played are Eddie Harris
, Lee Konitz
, Dave Liebman
, Sam Rivers
, Bob Mintzer
, Terry Gibbs
, Buddy DeFranco
, Roscoe Mitchell
, Evan Parker
, Jay McShann
, Herbie Mann
, Randy Brecker
, Jerry Goodman
and Ramsey Lewis
and many others. Wertico is a member of the Larry Coryell
Trio. From 2000 to 2007, he was a member of the platinum-record-winning Polish
progressive rock
band SBB.
Wertico's playing has been compared to that of an Impressionist painter; he has also been described as "an inspired madman", "a restless innovator", "a true legend of jazz drums", "a master of drumming insanity" and "a genius of the sticks". In 2004 Wertico was honored as a Chicagoan of the Year by the Chicago Tribune
; he has been recommended by that newspaper and the Chicago Sun-Times
for album-of-the-year awards.
of Roosevelt University
in Chicago. Wertico has also served on the faculty of the percussion and jazz-studies programs at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University
in Evanston, Illinois. He has written educational articles for magazines such as Modern Drummer, Drum!, Drums & Drumming, Drum Tracks and Down Beat, and for Musician.com. Wertico conducts drum clinics and master classes at universities, high schools and music stores. He has released two instructional videos: "Fine-Tuning Your Performance" and "Paul Wertico's Drum Philosophy."
and "Jazz-rock in the truest sense" from Allmusic. Wertico's 2004 CD, "StereoNucleosis", was released to positive reviews. The Chicago Tribune wrote: "A brilliant release - Wertico shows a thrilling disregard for stylistic boundaries. 'StereoNucleosis' is one of the most intelligent, creative and alluring percussion recordings of the past decade. Wertico reaffirms his position among the most restlessly inventive drummers working today". Allmusic reported: "Wertico and his players have done something wonderful and rare: they've actually created something not only different, but also truly new". LA Weekly
wrote: "His recent records, such as 2000's 'Don't Be Scared Anymore' and the new 'StereoNucleosis' are stunning examples of the electronic, rhythmic and intellectual directions jazz could be going" (sic). Wertico's 2006 CD "Another Side" was released on the audiophile Naim Label; it was described as "a brilliant collaborative effort between these three uniquely talented musicians".
Wertico has also released nine recordings as co-leader: a self-titled LP, "Earwax Control", and a live Earwax Control CD entitled ,2 LIVE"; a self-titled LP, "Spontaneous Composition"; a drum/percussion duo CD (with Gregg Bendian
) entitled "BANG!"; a double-guitar/double-drum three-CD set (with Derek Bailey, Pat Metheny and Bendian) entitled "The Sign Of 4"; and two piano/bass/drums trio CDs (with Laurence Hobgood and Brian Torff) entitled "Union" and "State Of The Union." In 2007 Wertico and Brian Peters released their CD, "Ampersand," which Drummerszone.com called "Simply a musical masterpiece" and Classic Drummer described as "one of the most ambitious records ever released. Recorded over a period of four years, it documents a completely new approach to combine elements of both Rock and Jazz music while resulting in a very listenable and captivating final product". That same year he released "Jazz Impressions 1" with pianist Silvano Monasterios and bassist Mark Egan
. Chicago Jazz wrote: "From the first note of Jazz Impressions, you know you're in for something interesting and different. What these three do with that format, however, is nothing short of breathtaking".
Wertico played drums on Paul Winter's 1990 Grammy-nominated release, "Earth: Voices Of A Planet"; he has also played on and produced a number of CDs for artists including vocalist Kurt Elling's 1995 Grammy-nominated release "Close Your Eyes", Elling's 1997 Grammy-nominated release "The Messenger", Elling's 1998 Grammy-nominated release "This Time It's Love" and Elling's 2003 Grammy-nominated release "Man In The Air." He served three terms on the board of governors of the Chicago chapter of NARAS (the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
).
In addition to Wertico's awards as a member of the Pat Metheny Group, he was voted Fusion Drummer Of The Year in Drum!'s readers' poll and placed in the top five in the electric-jazz category in Modern Drummer's readers' polls. Wertico has appeared on the covers of Drum Tracks, Modern Drummer, Chicago Jazz, Percussioni (Italy), Belgo Beat (Belgium), PerQsja (Poland) and Bateristas al Sur (South America). He was a featured clinicians at the 1994, 1999 and 2002 Percussive Arts Society International Conventions and the 1997 Modern Drummer Festival, and performed in videos at two of those events. Wertico is featured on the Drum Workshop
videos "The American Dream II" and "The American Dream III."
Pat Metheny Group
The Pat Metheny Group is a jazz group founded in 1977. The core members of the group are guitarist and bandleader Pat Metheny, composer, keyboardist and pianist Lyle Mays , and bassist and producer Steve Rodby...
from 1983 until 2001, leaving the group to spend more time with his family and to pursue other musical interests. Metheny heard the Simon Bard Group with Wertico and bassist Steve Rodby
Steve Rodby
Steve Rodby is an American bassist.He joined the Pat Metheny Group in 1981. Prior to joining Metheny, he was a member of the Simon-Bard Group and the Fred Simon ensemble. Rodby continues to collaborate with Simon .Rodby studied bass at Northwestern University, a student of Warren Benfield of the...
, and invited both to join his band. During his tenure with Metheny Wertico played on ten recordings and four videos, appeared on television and toured around the world. He also won seven Grammy Awards (for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Best Contemporary Jazz Performance and Best Rock Instrumental Performance) and magazine polls, and received several gold records
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
.
In recent years, Wertico has continued to tour and perform around the Chicago metropolitan area, where he is based. This led to the creation of his own band (the Paul Wertico Trio) and collaborations with jazz notables such as Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
, Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling is an American jazz vocalist, composer, lyricist and vocalese performer. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling first became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church...
and Jeff Berlin
Jeff Berlin
Jeff Berlin is an American jazz, jazz fusion and progressive rock electric bass player.Jeff Berlin's bass playing is somewhat similar to that of Jaco Pastorius, though Berlin plays a fretted bass and has stated his distaste for Jaco imitators.-Early life:Jeff Berlin was born to parents who were...
. These collaborations enabled Wertico to be featured on group recordings in a variety of musical genres, and gave him an opportunity to produce
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
records. In 2009, Wertico's trio joined forces with Marbin
Marbin
Marbin is a Jazz-Rock group based in Chicago IL.Marbin first started in 2007 as an improvised music duo consisting of Israeli-American guitarist Dani Rabin and Israeli saxophonist Danny Markovitch. Markovitch and Rabin met shortly after Markovitch had completed his military service as an infantry...
, which consists of Israeli musicians Danny Markovitch (saxophone) and Dani Rabin (guitar). The group performs as Paul Wertico's Mideast-Midwest Alliance, and recorded an album for the Chicago Sessions label. The recording received positive reviews from the Chicago Tribune, Drum! and Modern Drummer. It received a 4.5 (out of 5)-star rating by Down Beat, and was rated one of the best 50 albums of 2010.
When not touring, Wertico divides his career among session work
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, producing, teaching, composing and leading his own groups. Among the musicians with whom he has played are Eddie Harris
Eddie Harris
Eddie Harris was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ...
, Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
, Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman is an American saxophonist and flautist. In June 2010, he received a NEA Jazz Masters lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts.-Biography:...
, Sam Rivers
Sam Rivers
Samuel Carthorne Rivers , is an American jazz musician and composer. He performs on soprano and tenor saxophones, bass clarinet, flute, harmonica and piano....
, Bob Mintzer
Bob Mintzer
Bob Mintzer is a jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader based in Los Angeles, California. Mintzer is a member of the jazz rock band the Yellowjackets.-With The Yellowjackets:*Greenhouse, 1991;*Live Wires, 1992;...
, Terry Gibbs
Terry Gibbs
Terry Gibbs is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader.He has performed and/or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Louie Bellson, Charlie Shavers, Mel Tormé, Buddy DeFranco, and others...
, Buddy DeFranco
Buddy DeFranco
Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco is an American jazz clarinet player.-Biography:DeFranco began his professional career just as swing music and big bands — many of which were led by clarinetists like Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Woody Herman — were fading in popularity...
, Roscoe Mitchell
Roscoe Mitchell
Roscoe Mitchell is an African American composer, jazz instrumentalist and educator, mostly known for being "a technically superb—if idiosyncratic—saxophonist." He has been called "one of the key figures" in avant-garde jazz who has been "at the forefront of modern music" for the past...
, Evan Parker
Evan Parker
Evan Shaw Parker is a British free-improvising saxophone player from the European free jazz scene.Recording and performing prolifically with many collaborators, Parker was a pivotal figure in the development of European free jazz and free improvisation, and has pioneered or substantially expanded...
, Jay McShann
Jay McShann
Jay McShann was an American Grammy Award-nominated jump blues, mainstream jazz, and swing bandleader, pianist and singer....
, Herbie Mann
Herbie Mann
Herbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...
, Randy Brecker
Randy Brecker
Randal "Randy" Brecker is an American trumpeter and flugelhornist. He is a highly sought after performer in the genres of jazz, rock, and R&B, and has performed or recorded with Stanley Turrentine, Billy Cobham, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Sandip Burman, Charles Mingus, Blood, Sweat & Tears,...
, Jerry Goodman
Jerry Goodman
Jerry Goodman is an American violinist best known for playing electric violin in the bands The Flock and the jazz fusion Mahavishnu Orchestra. Goodman actually began his musical career as The Flock's roadie before joining the band on violin. Trained in the conservatory, both of his parents were...
and Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. is an American jazz composer, pianist and radio personality. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.-Biography:...
and many others. Wertico is a member of the Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
Trio. From 2000 to 2007, he was a member of the platinum-record-winning Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band SBB.
Wertico's playing has been compared to that of an Impressionist painter; he has also been described as "an inspired madman", "a restless innovator", "a true legend of jazz drums", "a master of drumming insanity" and "a genius of the sticks". In 2004 Wertico was honored as a Chicagoan of the Year by the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
; he has been recommended by that newspaper and the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
for album-of-the-year awards.
Teaching career
Wertico is also active in the field of education. In addition to teaching drums privately for 40 years, he is Assistant Professor of Jazz and Head of Jazz Studies at the Chicago College of Performing ArtsChicago College of Performing Arts
Chicago College of Performing Arts is a performing arts college that is housed at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois. The college has two divisions: the Music Conservatory and the Theatre Conservatory.- History :...
of Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University is a coeducational, private university with campuses in Chicago, Illinois and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university is named in honor of both former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university's curriculum is based on...
in Chicago. Wertico has also served on the faculty of the percussion and jazz-studies programs at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in Evanston, Illinois. He has written educational articles for magazines such as Modern Drummer, Drum!, Drums & Drumming, Drum Tracks and Down Beat, and for Musician.com. Wertico conducts drum clinics and master classes at universities, high schools and music stores. He has released two instructional videos: "Fine-Tuning Your Performance" and "Paul Wertico's Drum Philosophy."
Recordings as leader
Wertico's debut CD as a leader, "The Yin And The Yout", received a four-star rating in Down Beat. His 1998 trio CD, "Live In Warsaw!", received 4½ stars from Down Beat and featured guitarist John Moulder and bassist Eric Hochberg. The trio's 2000 studio recording, entitled "Don't Be Scared Anymore", received reviews of "This album is like the soundtrack to the world's coolest vacation" from All About JazzAll About Jazz
All About Jazz is a leading jazz music website for enthusiasts and industry professionals based in Philadelphia in the United States.Founded by Michael Ricci in 1995, the Web-Site is maintained by a volunteer staff of writers, editors, and musicians, and provides coverage of all genres of jazz from...
and "Jazz-rock in the truest sense" from Allmusic. Wertico's 2004 CD, "StereoNucleosis", was released to positive reviews. The Chicago Tribune wrote: "A brilliant release - Wertico shows a thrilling disregard for stylistic boundaries. 'StereoNucleosis' is one of the most intelligent, creative and alluring percussion recordings of the past decade. Wertico reaffirms his position among the most restlessly inventive drummers working today". Allmusic reported: "Wertico and his players have done something wonderful and rare: they've actually created something not only different, but also truly new". LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
wrote: "His recent records, such as 2000's 'Don't Be Scared Anymore' and the new 'StereoNucleosis' are stunning examples of the electronic, rhythmic and intellectual directions jazz could be going" (sic). Wertico's 2006 CD "Another Side" was released on the audiophile Naim Label; it was described as "a brilliant collaborative effort between these three uniquely talented musicians".
Wertico has also released nine recordings as co-leader: a self-titled LP, "Earwax Control", and a live Earwax Control CD entitled ,2 LIVE"; a self-titled LP, "Spontaneous Composition"; a drum/percussion duo CD (with Gregg Bendian
Gregg Bendian
Gregg Bendian is a jazz percussionist and composer, primarily a vibraphonist. He was born on July 13, 1963 in Englewood, New Jersey.Bendian studied under Noel DaCosta. He has played and recorded with Nels Cline, Pat Metheny, Derek Bailey, Peter Brötzmann, Steve Hunt, Gary Lucas and Cecil Taylor...
) entitled "BANG!"; a double-guitar/double-drum three-CD set (with Derek Bailey, Pat Metheny and Bendian) entitled "The Sign Of 4"; and two piano/bass/drums trio CDs (with Laurence Hobgood and Brian Torff) entitled "Union" and "State Of The Union." In 2007 Wertico and Brian Peters released their CD, "Ampersand," which Drummerszone.com called "Simply a musical masterpiece" and Classic Drummer described as "one of the most ambitious records ever released. Recorded over a period of four years, it documents a completely new approach to combine elements of both Rock and Jazz music while resulting in a very listenable and captivating final product". That same year he released "Jazz Impressions 1" with pianist Silvano Monasterios and bassist Mark Egan
Mark Egan
Mark Egan is an American jazz bass guitarist and trumpeter, arguably best known for his membership in the Pat Metheny Group from 1977 to 1980, and the Gil Evans Orchestra...
. Chicago Jazz wrote: "From the first note of Jazz Impressions, you know you're in for something interesting and different. What these three do with that format, however, is nothing short of breathtaking".
Wertico played drums on Paul Winter's 1990 Grammy-nominated release, "Earth: Voices Of A Planet"; he has also played on and produced a number of CDs for artists including vocalist Kurt Elling's 1995 Grammy-nominated release "Close Your Eyes", Elling's 1997 Grammy-nominated release "The Messenger", Elling's 1998 Grammy-nominated release "This Time It's Love" and Elling's 2003 Grammy-nominated release "Man In The Air." He served three terms on the board of governors of the Chicago chapter of NARAS (the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
).
In addition to Wertico's awards as a member of the Pat Metheny Group, he was voted Fusion Drummer Of The Year in Drum!'s readers' poll and placed in the top five in the electric-jazz category in Modern Drummer's readers' polls. Wertico has appeared on the covers of Drum Tracks, Modern Drummer, Chicago Jazz, Percussioni (Italy), Belgo Beat (Belgium), PerQsja (Poland) and Bateristas al Sur (South America). He was a featured clinicians at the 1994, 1999 and 2002 Percussive Arts Society International Conventions and the 1997 Modern Drummer Festival, and performed in videos at two of those events. Wertico is featured on the Drum Workshop
Drum Workshop
Drum Workshop is a drum and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Their slogan is "The Drummer's Choice".-History:...
videos "The American Dream II" and "The American Dream III."