#223 Paul Wertico- Drummer, Educator, Writer & More!
This episode is sponsored by Dream Cymbals.
This week’s guest is Paul Wertico. Hailed in the press as "One of the most versatile and musical drummers in music today", Paul Wertico was born January 5, 1953 in Chicago. He gained worldwide recognition as a member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1983 to 2001. During his tenure with Metheny, Wertico played on ten recordings and four videos, appeared on numerous television shows, and frequently toured around the world. He also won seven Grammy Awards (for "Best Jazz Fusion Performance," "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance," and "Best Rock Instrumental Performance"), magazine polls, and received several gold records.
In recent years, Wertico has continued to tour and perform around the world, as well as 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 also gave him an opportunity to produce records. In 2009, Wertico's trio joined forces with Marbin, which consisted of Israeli musicians Danny Markovitch (saxophone) and Dani Rabin (guitar). The group performed as Paul Wertico's Mid-East/Mid-West Alliance, and recorded an album for the Chicago Sessions label that received accolades from publications such as the Chicago Tribune, DRUM!, and Modern Drummer. Wertico's current group is Wertico Cain & Gray, featuring multi-instrumentalists David Cain and Larry Gray. A 2013 recording by Wertico Cain & Gray, entitled Sound Portraits, won "Best Live Performance Album" in the 13th Annual Independent Music Awards (2014).
When not touring, Wertico divides his career doing session work, producing, composing, and leading his own groups, as well as teaching. Among the musicians he has played with 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, Ramsey Lewis, David Bowie, Charlie Haden, George Coleman, Diane Schuur, Nelson Riddle, Sonny Fortune, Ken Nordine, Tierney Sutton, and many others. Wertico was a member of the Larry Coryell Power Trio until Coryell's death in 2017. From 2000 to 2007, he was a member of the platinum-record-winning Polish progressive rock band, SBB. He is also the inventor of TUBZ, made by Promark, who also makes the “Paul Wertico Signature Hickory Wood Tip Drumstick” (TX808W ).
Shout-out to friend of the show Ed Toth, for making the connection to having Paul on the show!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to three friends of the show. Randy Schrager (Episode 149), Bruno Esrubilsky (Episode 182), and Steve Fidyk (Episode 177)
Gig Alerts
Bonnaroo is going to September 2-5th in Manchester, TN. You can get more info from their WEBSITE or even BUY TICKETS.
Country star Jason Aldean (Shout-out to his drummer and friend of the show Rich Redmond) announced today that he’ll perform a pair of socially distanced outdoor shows in May, while Live Nation unveiled a comprehensive U.S. tour from comedian Bill Burr. -Article
Indoor concerts, theater performances and other private gatherings will soon be allowed at reduced capacities, the California Department of Public Health announced Friday. To attend, people will have to either be tested or show proof of full vaccination. April 15th is notably the same day vaccination eligibility extends to all Californians 16+. -Article
The Hit Like a Girl Contest deadline for entry is coming up on April 11th.
JammCard is excited to announce that they are now hiring three Regional Chapter Leads: New York, Nashville, and Atlanta! This is a paid role that will see you work closely with the musicians and professionals in your region, and with the Jammcard team on a variety of our company’s most exciting initiatives.
They have a big year in front of them, and they’re looking for the best people to join the team to help them build. This is an incredible opportunity for a music professional looking to expand their career and bring it to the next level. If you’re interested in joining the Jammcard team or know someone who would be great, click this link for more info and to apply. If you have any specific questions about these roles feel free to email them at team@Jammcard.com.
JammCard teamed up with Splice to release sample and loop packs for their artists. Damon has been working on a percussion loop/one-shot library as well. That will be released at some point TBD. For now, you can enjoy some of the sounds you might hear on it.
Educational Spotlight
There is a Summer Drum Camp at Northern Illinois University from July 6-10, 2021 Grades 6-12 (grade completion). this summer, unlock the many opportunities your drumset has to offer! Two dozen of NIU's incredible and successful drumming alumni, faculty and friends from across the country will work with Drumset Camp participants online from the safety of home. Areas of study will include:
Rock, funk, jazz combo, big-band, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian, worship, theatre pit orchestra and experimental drumming styles with at-home drum-along Zoom classes.
How to supercharge your hands with daily drumpad workouts.
History of the drumset.
Practice and rehearsal strategies.
Videos of live and recorded performances of some of the world's most extraordinary drummers.
How to tune tour drums.
What to look for when buying gear.
Recording strategies for social media content.
How to navigate a career in drumming.
Optional private lessons with camp faculty and staff.
All campers will receive a camp T-shirt.
Participants will receive a pair of sticks, pair of brushes and additional study supplies in the mail.
Shout-out to Iajhi Hampden and Terreon Gully who spent some time at that university.
Product Review
Friend of the show, Carter McLean, has released new signature series sticks with Pro-Mark.
Iconic Recording
The iconic recording this week is “Shout” by the Isley Brothers.
If you would like to learn this style of tambourine playing, this video below by Herlin Riley is a good starting place.
Damon mentions Tweedy Thomas taking it to another level on the Harry Connick Jr. Show.
You can find the song “Shout” and other iconic pop percussion tracks on THIS PLAYLIST that Damon and Marcos put together.
Music News
More than a year after the pandemic forced it to shutter, and just shy of its 20th anniversary as a Hollywood fixture, music retailer Amoeba Music reopened in its new location Thursday morning. -Article
The Weeknd (the artist) has donated $1 million (which will be used to provide a total of two million meals) to Ethiopian hunger relief over Easter weekend. -Article
If you would like to donate to Ethiopia, you can do so FROM THIS LINK.
Paul Wertico Interview
The song leading into the interview is “Almost Sixteen” by Wertico from the ‘StereoNucleosis’ album.
Damon starts the interview bringing up the lesson Ed Toth had with Paul, and Paul gives a Chicago Pizza recommendation.
Paul mentions he is a southsider and a White Sox fan. His dad worked for Borden Dairy company.
Paul is a big fan of trains and owns some model trains. He recounts some of his childhood and how he got started on drums.
Paul mentions his book “Turn The Beat Around” and its dedication to his teacher Donald Ehrensperger.
Paul mentions a couple of his students that have had success. Glenn Kotche and Hannah Welton-Ford are two he mentions.
Damon and Paul talk about expanding vocabulary and creativity in improvising (in all styles and genres). Paul mentions the book “Music, a Subversive History” by Ted Gioia. He also mentions the book “Notes and Tones” by Art Taylor.
Paul mentions some albums he was listening to like: “The Drums” by Jo Jones, “Talking and Drum Solos” by Baby Dodds, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, and more. He talks about how Ginger Baker was influenced by drummer Phil Seamen. You can learn more about his (Phil’s) story HERE.
Paul talks about how he teaches for the future. He mentions that he teaches at Roosevelt University.
Paul brings up Earl Palmer (who also has a book, titled "Backbeat") and Earl Young (who invented Disco). He mentions the differences of some drummers including Dave Tough with Woody Herman.
Damon can be seen next to Pat Metheny in this photo from the Boston Crusaders.
Damon mentions the “Cowboys and Africans” song from the ‘The Yin and The Yout’ album.
Paul tells the story of how he got the gig with Pat Metheny.
Paul talks pitch and dynamics. He talks about his approach playing and the path of his stick hitting surfaces like drums and cymbals.
Damon and Paul talk about synesthesia.
Paul mentions the Loren Schoenberg interview with Mel Lewis.
Damon talks about the conversation he had with Nate Smith about the “J Dilla” lilt.
Paul talks about his book, “Turn the Beat Around”. You can see the promo vid below.
Paul invented an instrument called the Tubz that you can get from ProMark.
Paul talks about his new albums. One with the Paul Wertico - John Helliwell project and another called “Free The Opera”.
Health Pass is a free service on the CLEAR mobile app that connects your verified identity - using CLEAR’s established biometric platform - with your health insights to allow you frictionless access anywhere you go, from your office to the ball game and beyond.
Components of Health Pass may include a real-time health survey screening, temperature screening and/or COVID-related test results directly from an approved lab provider. Festivals are looking to integrate this or similar platforms to help get back to festivals, sporting events and more.
Ahead of the full-scale return of non-socially distanced entertainment events, the British live concert industry is backing “vaccine passports” for shows and festivals.
Multiple British live concert industry bodies and organizers have come out in favor of developing a vaccine-passport system, which would presumably enable attendees to quickly demonstrate that they’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition for admittance.
UK Music indicated in a report that it was “working with government to develop guidance for how to hold events safely,” for instance. Hospitality Weekend in the Woods’ Josh Robinson said in a statement that he and others “want to urge government to follow the example set up already in other areas,” including the travel sphere, in terms of mandating a COVID-19 vaccine passport. -Article
To read how Israel is already on top of the Vaccine Passport, you can CLICK HERE.
Paul talks about his outlook on life and positivity.
Paul uses Drum Workshop Drums, Dream Cymbals, ProMark Sticks and Mallets, Remo Drumheads, Shure Microphones, & Slug Percussion.
You can find Paul teaching at Roosevelt University.
Paul talks about his life experiences through music and social dynamics. He wrote an essay about that and you can READ THAT HERE.
The song leading out of the interview is “The Great Dinosaur Dance That Never Was” by Wertico, Cain & Gray.
