From a drumming family and with an enviable resume, Chad Wackerman continues to leave his own unique mark on the music world.

Wackerman was born March 25, 1960, in Long Beach, Calif. His father, Chuck, was director of the Los Alamitos High School Band. Chad’s also the older brother of Brooks Wackerman, who’s been a member of groups such as Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves, and is currently the drummer of the long-lived and always evolving punk group, Bad Religion.

Chad Wackerman joined forces with the Bill Watrous band in 1978, and was the drummer for legendary rock artist Frank Zappa from 1981 to 1988. In between, he toured with Australian rock group Men at Work, but never recorded with them.

Other collaborations by Wackerman include: guitar virtuoso Steve Vai; Zappa’s son, Dweezil; Allan Holdsworth; Andy Summers; Albert Lee; Ed Mann; Colin Hay; and Tom Grant.

Wackerman has been the drummer for the house band on comedian Dennis Miller’s late-night talk show. He played on the “One Voice” album and video with Barbara Streisand. And, he’s with folk rock legend James Taylor, progressive guitarist John Petrucci, and keyboardist/composer Joe Sample. Along with another Zappa drummer, Terry Bozzio, Wackerman performed a series of all-percussion concerts.

From the artist’s Web site, Wackerman says his style, “combines the power and conviction of rock with the sensitivity and finesse of jazz.” Thus, Wackerman says, his playing “is remarkably free of predictable patterns and licks, relying instead on invention and interplay with the musicians around him.”

Wackerman spent 10 years (1995-2005) living in Australia, but has returned to the States. He’s also now a bandleader and composer, and his various groups have released four albums: “Forty Reasons;” “The View;” “Scream;” and, most recently, “Legs Eleven.” The first three were recorded as the Chad Wackerman Group (with Leon Gaer on bass, Daryl Pratt on MIDI vibraphone and James Muller on guitar) and the last album was released as the Chad Wackerman Trio, with bassist Doug Lunn and guitarist Mike Miller.