After serving a longer tenure under music legend Frank Zappa than any other drummer, Chad Wackerman's abilities as a world-class drumming ace will be forever secure. SCREAM, his third release as a leader, further expands on this reputation and includes his inventive composing skills as well. Wackerman's earthy slipstream drumming, extremely agile while remaining solidly powerful, serves to compliment the colorfully eclectic pieces that are collected here. His assembled ensemble, which features guitarist James Muller and vibraphonist Daryl Pratt in the majority of the lead roles, is a crack team of electric jazz pros who pull off amazing fetes of musical expression.Wackerman is an entire ensemble himself, of course, as he is able to orchestrate intensely artistic statements on his drums that form the basis for the melodic inventions that are created on top. Also included are some intriguing solo spots for the drummer like the expressive "Looking In" and the Zappa-esque "The Grey Chair." Elsewhere, electronic textures and worldly percussion meld into a poetic mix with numerous angular melodies to tie them together. Guiding it all is Wackerman's forward-reaching drumming.
Chad Wackerman Biography A phenomenally skillful jazz and rock drummer, Chad's professional career began in 1978 with the Bill Watrous band. Since then he has amassed a remarkable body of work including a seven year association with Frank Zappa, with whom he toured the USA and Europe and recorded 26 albums including the London Symphony recordings. He has also recorded 6 albums and toured with guitar legend Allan Holdsworth, played on the 'One Voice' album and video with Barbra Streisand, and recorded albums and toured with artists as diverse as Steve Vai, Andy Summers, Men At Work,Ed Mann, Albert Lee, Colin Hay, Dweezil Zappa and Tom Grant. Chad has also toured with James Taylor, John Patitucci, Joe Sample, Banned From Utopia and The World Drummers Ensemble (Bill Bruford, Luis Conte, Dou Dou Ndiaye Rose and Chad Wackerman) and most recently toured the USA with another ex Zappa drummer-Terry Bozzio. As a band leader and composer Chad has four critically acclaimed CDs titled 'Forty Reasons' ,' The View', 'Scream' and his latest release 'Legs Eleven' . Chad has written music for the television show 'The Dennis Miller Show', as well as composing music for Allan Holdsworth's 'Secrets' , 'Wardenclyffe Tower' and 'Sixteen Men of Tain' CDs. Chad's drumming combines the power and conviction of rock with the sensitivity and finesse of jazz. His playing is remarkably free of predictable patterns and licks, relying instead on invention and interplay with the musicians around him.
Recorded at Megaphon Studios, Sydney, Australia and at Castle Oaks Studio, Calabasas, California.
Personnel: Chad Wackerman (drums, percussion); Walt Fowler (flugelhorn); Daryl Pratt (vibraphone, synthesizer, percussion); Jim Cox (piano, organ, synthesizer); James Muller (guitar); Leon Gaer (bass).
01.Scream
02.Between the Dog and the Wolf
03.City, The
04.Looking In
05.Days Gone By
06.Timeless
07.Cycles
08.Way Out, The
09.Holland
10.Grey Chair, The
11.My Two Worlds
12.Youse From Here?.
