Paul Wertico (born January 5, 1953 in
Chicago, Illinois) is an American drummer. He gained recognition as a member of the
Pat Metheny Group from 1983 until 2001, leaving the group to spend more time with his family and to pursue other musical interests. Metheny heard the
Simon and Bard Group with Wertico and bassist
Steve Rodby, and invited both to join his band. During his tenure with Metheny, Wertico played on ten recordings and four videos, appeared on television and 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.