Seven-time Grammy winner Paul Wertico has been drumming since he was 12, has worked with musicians from around the world, and of late has decided to put his family first.

Wertico was born Jan. 5, 1953, in Chicago. He took up the drums, self-taught, at age 12 and was a pro by the age of 15. He developed his own style by listening not only to American jazz and rock music, but to a variety of genres from throughout the world. His playing has been compared to the work of impressionist painters – he’s also been described as an “inspired madman.”

In 1983, Wertico joined the noted Pat Metheny Group. The band won seven Grammy Awards during his 18-year tenure on the drum set, three for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, three for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance and one for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. He also played on Metheny’s Grammy-winning solo project, “Secret Story,” in 1992.

Along the way, Wertico also has manned the drum kit for one of Poland’s most legendary rock bands, SBB. The Silesian Blues Band was formed in 1971 and went through a number of lineups – and was on-again, off-again – before Wertico joined to play the drums in a year-2000 revival.

In 2001, Wertico decided to leave the Pat Metheny Group to spend more time at home with his family. (His wife, Barbara Unger-Wertico, is a vocalist and composer.) He now leads his own band, performing around Illinois and other locations in and around Chicago.

He was named one of the “Chicagoans of the Year” for 2004 by the Chicago Tribune.