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Influenced as much by Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes or Art Blakey as by Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell or Keith Moon, Paul Wertico is an all-around drummer who built his reputation as a colorist with Pat Metheny. Although Wertico learned to play the snare drum in grade school, he is self-taught on the drum kit.
By age 15, he was already playing professionally with various rock and jazz bands and later his role as a star soloist with the Cary-Grove High School Band led to a music scholarship. In the early '70s, he left college and soon became a fixture of the Chicago music scene, playing and recording with a multitude of diverse artists including jazz saxophonist Joe Daley, ethnomusicologist Paul Berliner, blues-rock vocalist/guitarist Ellen McIlwaine, folk singer Terry Callier and the fusion-based imon & Bard Group. Always active in various realms of creative music, he most notably started two cooperative bands: Earwax Control with multi-instrumentalist Jeff Czech and keyboardist Gordon James, and Spontaneous Composition with multi-reed player Rich Corpolongo and bassist Doug Lofstrom. In 1983, Wertico replaced Danny Gottlieb in the Pat Metheny Group.
A long and fruitful collaboration, including ten recordings, seven Grammy Awards and several gold records, ensued. Wertico left the group in 2001. During his tenure with the guitarist, he nurtured several of his own projects that would end up gaining exposure in the ‘90s. He also continued recording with many other artists including new age music pioneer Paul Winter, "word jazz" creator Ken Nordine, rock-fusion violinist Jerry Goodman and jazz vocalist Kurt Elling. In 1993, he recorded his first disc as a leader, The Yin And The Yout, featuring a legion of guest stars. Later, he went on to form the highly democratic Union Trio with pianist Laurence Hobgood and bassist Brian Torff, as well as releasing a drum duo recording with fellow percussionist Gregg Bendian.
He also led various other combos, most notably the Paul Wertico Trio, a band that helped redefine fusion and includes guitarist John Moulder and bassist Eric Hochberg. Soon after leaving Metheny, Wertico joined a trio led by another prominent guitarist, Larry Coryell, and also became a member of the legendary Eastern European rock band, SBB. In parallel to his career as a musician, Paul Wertico has also remained quite active as a producer and an educator and clinician, a field he has always had a passion for.
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Source: — Alain Drouot - AMG
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Don't Be Scared Anymore
Taliaville
Paul Wertico (dr),
John Moulder (gtr),
Eric Hochberg (bs, gtr, trp)
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Paul Wertico's reputation as a light-handed cymbal-oriented player is in serious jeopardy with his latest trio release. Not in jeopardy, however, is his reputation for taste and chops. He just combines all that with fierce focused power. The Trio's first release, Live In Warsaw, featured the same personnel, yet was more in a Scofield vein. Don't Be Scared Anymore is more inventive, raw, and musically complete. Highlights: Wertico building a very nice solo over the vamp of "African Sunset." "The Underground," a slow 6/8 that gets large. And "Testament," which is nearly as "out" as the Sign Of Four sessions Paul did with Gregg Bendian, Derek Bailey, and Pat Metheny in '97. This is the heaviest and most musical playing yet on record from Wertico. (Premonition)
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Released on September 1, 2002, the international release of the Paul Wertico instructional video entitled
Paul Wertico's Drum Philosophy
on Warner Bros. Publications
PAUL WERTICO'S DRUM PHILOSOPHY Warner Bros. Publications (Sheet Music/Song Books) Price $34.95 - "Long-time drummer for the Pat Metheny Group, Paul Wertico is widely acknowledged as one of the premier players in jazz drumming. His unique approach to the drums is as much mental as it is physical. His analysis of the performances included in the program will give you great insight into the philosophy he employs when he sits down at the drum set. If you've been wanting to take your playing up to the next level, there is no better person to lead you there than Paul Wertico." * Stick technique * Approach to soloing * Ghost notes * Practicing * Listening & interacting with other players * Performance & analysis of original songs - Features the Paul Wertico Quintet: Rich Corpolongo on saxophone, John Moulder on guitar, Laurence Hobgood on piano, Eric Hochberg on bass & Paul Wertico on drums (Formerly released exclusively in Japan as "Sound Work Of Drumming" on Rittor Music)
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| performed with:
Pat Metheny Group
John Moulder
Erich Hochberg
Larry Coryell
Kahil El'Zabar
Hamid Drake
Ed Harrison
Eddie Harris
Alejo Poveda
Tom Gullion
Harrison Bankhead
Laurence Hobgood
Brian Torff
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
Steve Rodby
Lyle Mays
Kurt Elling
Bobby Lewis
David Onderdonk
David Blamires
Paul Winter
Armando Marcal
Mark Ledford
Eugene Friesen
Rob Eaton
John Clark
Glen Velez
Fred Simon
Paul Halley
Chris Brown
Bob Belden
Don Bennett
Terry Callier
Rich Corpolongo
Brad Goode
Frank Gregory
Bobby Lewis
Ken Nordine
Rex Richardson
Willie Schwarz
Simon & Bard Band
Paul Winter
...and many more
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