Welcome to PaulWertico.com!
Press Kit:
Download a 3.2MB printable JPEG (6.26x9.07 inches @ 300.00 pixels/inch) of the above photo.
Download a 2.6MB printable JPEG (9.1x4.77 inches @ 300.00 pixels/inch) of the above photo.
Download a 2.2MB printable JPEG (12.05x9.02 inches @ 300.00 pixels/inch) of the above photo.
Download a Microsoft Word version of the following biography.
Paul Wertico - Bio:
Hailed in the press as "One of the most versatile and musical drummers in music today", Paul gained worldwide recognition as a member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1983 to 2001. During that time with the group, he won seven Grammy Awards (for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Best Contemporary Jazz Performance, and Best Rock Instrumental Performance), won numerous magazine polls, and received several gold records.
In addition to winning numerous awards as a member of the PMG, Paul has also been voted "Fusion Drummer Of The Year" in DRUM! magazine's Reader's Poll and he’s also placed in the "Top Five in the Electric Jazz Category" in Modern Drummer magazine's Reader's Polls. Wertico was also named one of the Chicago Tribune’s 2004 "Chicagoans of the Year". In 2010, the Cape Breton International Drum Festival in Canada awarded him with a “Life Time Achievement Award” for his “Major Contribution To The World Of Drumming & Education”, and he also received the Montréal Drum Fest’s coveted career recognition award. In reviews, his playing has been compared to that of an "Impressionist painter", while Paul has also been described in the international press as "an inspired madman", "a restless innovator", "a true legend of jazz drums", "a master of drumming insanity", and "a genius of the sticks". Paul has been featured on the covers of Drum Tracks magazine and Modern Drummer magazine, as well as on international drum publications such as Italy's Percussioni, Belgium's Belgo Beat, Poland's PerQsja and South America's Bateristas al Sur. He's also the inventor of TUBZ, made by Pro-Mark.
Paul has played and/or recorded with artists such as Larry Coryell, 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, Ramsey Lewis, David Bowie, Charlie Haden, George Coleman, Diane Schuur, Nelson Riddle, SBB, Jeff Berlin, Sonny Fortune, Tierney Sutton, and many others, and he’s performed in all 50 states and in more than 60 countries.
Paul has played drums and percussion on countless recordings, including Paul Winter's 1990 Grammy nominated release, "Earth: Voices Of A Planet", and he's played on, as well as been involved in the production of, a number of CDs for various artists, including four of vocalist Kurt Elling's Grammy nominated releases: "Close Your Eyes", "The Messenger", "This Time It's Love", and "Man In The Air".
Paul is also extremely active in the field of education. In addition to teaching drums privately for over 40 years, Paul is an Assistant Professor of Jazz at Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Before becoming a full-time faculty member at CCPA, he served on the wind & percussion faculty of Northwestern University for 16 years and also taught several years at the Bloom School of Jazz. He's written educational articles Modern Drummer, DRUM!, Drums & Drumming, Drum Tracks, and Downbeat magazines, as well as for Musician.com. He also serves on the advisory board of Modern Drummer, as well as being one of MD’s 2011 Pro-Panelists, as well as serving on both the Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Advisory Board, and their Education Committee. Paul is also serving his fourth term on the Board of Governors of The Recording Academy Chicago Chapter.Paul has performed numerous drum clinics and master classes at universities, high schools, and music stores in the U.S. and around the world, including Drummers Collective in NYC, Percussion Institute of Technology in LA, North Texas State University, and the University of Miami, as well as Musicians Institute in England, Drummers Institute in Germany, Università della Musica in Italy, Escuela de Música de Buenos Aires in Argentina, and the Rimon School of Jazz in Israel. He’s also been a featured clinician/soloist at numerous drum festivals including the Cape Breton International Drum Festival and the Montreal Drum Fest in Canada, the Montevideo Drum Festival in Uruguay, the CrossDrumming International Festival of Percussive Arts in Poland, the Mendoza International Drum Festival in Argentina, the Percussion Camp International Percussion Festival in Greece, and the First International Drummers Week in Venezuela, and as well as the 1994, 1999 & 2002 Percussive Arts Society International Conventions, and the 1997 Modern Drummer Drum Festival. In addition, he's released two instructional videos, "Fine Tuning Your Performance" and "Paul Wertico's Drum Philosophy"; the latter, that is also available on DVD, was named “One of the best drum videos of the last 25 years” by Modern Drummer Magazine.
As a solo recording artist, Paul's debut CD as a leader, entitled "The Yin And The Yout", received great critical acclaim including 4 stars in Downbeat magazine. Paul's 1998 CD is a live recording of the Paul Wertico Trio and is entitled "Live In Warsaw!" It received 4 1/2 stars in Downbeat. His trio's 2000 release, "Don't Be Scared Anymore", received reviews such as: "This album is like the soundtrack to the world's coolest vacation" and "Jazz-rock in the truest sense". Paul's 2004 CD, "StereoNucleosis", earned rave reviews such as "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." and "Wertico and his players have done something wonderful and rare: they've actually created something not only different, but also truly new." LA Weekly even 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." Paul's trio 2006 CD "Another Side" has been described as "a brilliant collaborative effort between these three uniquely talented musicians."
His CD, “Impressions Of A City”, featuring his band, Paul Wertico’s Mid-East/Mid-West Alliance, has been described in reviews as “One of the most impressively spontaneous albums you'll find on this planet - or any other"; “Haunting and memorable…an engaging musical experiment and one that is highly unique.”; “This is musical narrative at its finest. A fanfare for the common (and mechanically exploited) 21st century man and woman.”; “Sometimes beautiful, other times tense or just plain spooky, "Impressions Of A City" ought to go some way toward correcting the dubious reputation of avant-garde music.”; “A wildly unpredictable journey into one man’s apparently inexhaustible sonic imagination.”; and Downbeat magazine gave it 4 1/2 stars, listed it as one its “Best CDs of 2010”, and wrote "What makes the music work is not only that Wertico is not content to just "play it straight" as a drummer but that his skills as a conceptualist/leader may even be greater. A heads-up for all budding drummers (check out Wertico's inventive pause of a solo on "My Side Of The Story") who would like to hear and create music that goes beyond just keeping time." This new band also recently released a Live In Concert DVD, entitled “Live From Space”, that has been reviewed by the Chicago Examiner as “More than setting tones, moods, and the stage for future, like-minded experimentation, these talented musicians have managed to also push the limits of what jazz can be, while entertaining a wider form of audience.”; and thiszine.org wrote “For Wertico fans, this DVD is a must have, showcasing innovative, finely tuned jazz talent. For new fans of modern jazz, this would be a staple, and a great place to start before your journey backwards.”
His latest CD & DVD are entitled, David Cain & Paul Wertico "Feast For The Senses"
Visit Paul’s website at: www.paulwertico.com
To listen to Paul's music, go to www.paulwertico.com/listen
To view Paul's videos, go to www.paulwertico.com/multimedia
You are here: Home > Press