Editing Paul Wertico (section)

==Critical reception==
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Wertico's debut CD as a leader, ''The Yin And The Yout'', received a four-star rating in ''[[DownBeat]]''. His 1998 trio CD, ''Live In Warsaw!'', received four and a half stars from ''DownBeat'' and featured guitarist John Moulder and bassist Eric Hochberg. The trio's 2000 studio recording, entitled ''Don't Be Scared Anymore'', received reviews of "This album is like the soundtrack to the world's coolest vacation" from ''All About Jazz'' and "Jazz-rock in the truest sense" from ''[[AllMusic]]''.

Wertico's 2004 CD, ''StereoNucleosis'', was released to extremely positive reviews. The ''Chicago Tribune'' wrote: "A brilliant release – Wertico shows a thrilling disregard for stylistic boundaries. ''StereoNucleosis'' is one of the most intelligent, creative and alluring percussion recordings of the past decade. Wertico reaffirms his position among the most restlessly inventive drummers working today." ''Allmusic'' reported: "Wertico and his players have done something wonderful and rare: they've actually created something not only different, but also truly new." ''[[LA Weekly]]'' wrote: "His recent records, such as 2000's ''Don't Be Scared Anymore'' and the new ''StereoNucleosis'' are stunning examples of the electronic, rhythmic and intellectual directions jazz could be going." Wertico's 2006 CD, ''Another Side'', was released on the audiophile [[Naim Records|Naim Label]]; it was described as "a brilliant collaborative effort between these three uniquely talented musicians."

His 2010 CD, ''Impressions Of A City'', featuring his band, Paul Wertico's Mid-East/Mid-West Alliance, has been described in reviews as "One of the most impressively spontaneous albums you'll find on this planet – or any other"; "Haunting and memorable…an engaging musical experiment and one that is highly unique."; "This is musical narrative at its finest. A fanfare for the common (and mechanically exploited) 21st century man and woman."; "Sometimes beautiful, other times tense or just plain spooky, ''Impressions of a City'' ought to go some way toward correcting the dubious reputation of avant-garde music."; "A wildly unpredictable journey into one man's apparently inexhaustible sonic imagination."

''DownBeat'' magazine awarded it four and a half stars, listed it as of the Best CDs of 2010, and wrote "What makes the music work is not only that Wertico is not content to just "play it straight" as a drummer but that his skills as a conceptualist/leader may even be greater. A heads-up for all budding drummers (check out Wertico's inventive pause of a solo on "My Side of the Story") who would like to hear and create music that goes beyond just keeping time."

This band also released a live in concert DVD, entitled ''Live From SPACE'', that has been reviewed by the ''Chicago Jazz Music Examiner'' as "More than setting tones, moods, and the stage for future, like-minded experimentation, these talented musicians have managed to also push the limits of what jazz can be, while entertaining a wider form of audience."; and thiszine.org wrote "For Wertico fans, this DVD is a must have, showcasing innovative, finely tuned jazz talent. For new fans of modern jazz, this would be a staple, and a great place to start before your journey backwards."

In 2007 Wertico and Brian Peters released their CD, ''Ampersand'', which Drummerszone.com called "Simply a musical masterpiece" and ''Classic Drummer'' described as "one of the most ambitious records ever released. Recorded over a period of four years, it documents a completely new approach to combine elements of both rock and jazz music while resulting in a very listenable and captivating final product." That same year he released ''Jazz Impressions 1'' with pianist Silvano Monasterios and bassist [[Mark Egan]]. ''Chicago Jazz'' wrote: "From the first note of ''Jazz Impressions 1'', you know you're in for something interesting and different. What these three do with that format, however, is nothing short of breathtaking."