Paul Wertico was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 5, 1953. He began playing drums when he was 12 years old and became a professional drummer at age 15. He was self-taught to play the drumset and developed his unique musical idea by listening to different musical styles, not just jazz and rock but from around the globe. These styles were then incorporated into his drumming, both in a rhythmic and melodic way. His playing has been compared with that of an Impressionist painter, while he’s also been called “an inspired madman” or “a restless innovator”. In 1997, DRUM voted Paul “Fusion Drummer of the Year”. Magazine Reader’s Poll. Paul was ranked in the Top Five in the “Electric Jazz” category in Modern Drummer Magazine’s 1997 issue.
