Actually, I hope you have heard of this drummer! You may or most likely may not recognize the reference of the title. Frank Zappa’s final tour with a full band was 1988. He recorded it and released a live compilation album of many songs from that tour and release it as “The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life”. The drummer on that album is Chad Wackerman, one of the best drummers in the world. Despite his illustrious career, many may not be familiar with his contributions to the drumming world. Let’s face it. Not everyone can take Zappa’s approach to music. Even if they could, it’s easy to fall in to the camp that has never been exposed to Frank’s music.



Chad also spent a good amount of time playing with guitarist Allan Holdsworth as well. Allan is considered to be one of the top guitarist to ever have lived yet his playing was perhaps even more esoteric. Even though his playing is championed by many in the jazz and rock world, he’s flown under the mainstream radar for the most part. He played his own brand of fusion and Chad played with him quite often.

I first noticed Chad’s playing through Frank Zappa. I’m a Zappa fan, but to be honest I can’t tell you how I got into it.... actually it’s starting to come back to me.

I think my first exposure was actually on a Boy Scout camping trip. The older scouts were playing (quite possibly on an eight track player) a tune (what seemed like) over and over. “Watch our where the husky’s go, and don’t you each the yellow snow”, was the line that stuck with me.

Not long after, I had a friend in junior high who said he just got back from visiting a cousin and he exposed him to “Joe’s Garage” which he then played me an LP of in his room. Many of the songs we memorable and it told of a story of joining a “rock group” and all the trouble that one could get you in doing so with serious dose of humor.

Fast forward many years later post college graduation.... I’m hanging out with my good friend Brad Sarno, an excellent St. Louis based guitarist and he pops in Frank Zappa’s “Guitar Album” which features some 100 minutes worth of Frank Zappa guitar solos accompanied by his always killer musicians in the band.

That album featured Chad Wackerman primarily (but not exclusively ... Vinnie played on one tune... Vinnie primarily played on it’s predecessor, “Shut Up And Play Your Guitar”). Fresh out of college, as someone who was a fledgling drummer trying to make it as a professional, I instantly fell in love with this album. It was just awesome. It floored me. The drumming, the guitar playing... never mind that most of it is Chad playing largely on an early Simmons electronic kit, the rhythms were just so amazing. And the the approach of the jams, usually a repetitive riff that Frank would solo over. It just captured me and I listened to that album over and over again (later, “Shut Up And Play Your Guitar”, had the same effect in me, and still does to this day).

There were so many amazing things about this guy, how he got the gig with Frank, how young he was at the time (I think he was about 21), how incredible his playing was and is.

Fast forward many years later to 2009. I was finally at a point in my life where I had achieved some success and still enjoying the drums as much as ever if not more. I’d been playing professionally pretty much since a graduated college in 91”, at that time I was 41 years old and, after checking out Chad’s website where he offered lessons, I sent an email inquiring about lessons. I’m in a band, after all, that travels the country and visits his area in a fairly regular basis.

That first lesson with Chad over at his house is a whole blog in itself. I did learn a few things, primarily, the roots of his grip on the sticks (Taught to him by Murray Spivack) which is one of the fascinating features of his playing.

Years later, I think 2014, I decided to enroll in semi regular lessons with him. The Internet and Skype made that a possibility. ... “Skype lessons”. When he first told me about Skype lessons I asked how that works out. “Actually very well”, his replied. So I gave it a whirl. He spoke the truth. There is a lot you can learn from one of the best drummers in the world, even over Skype.

Chad knows very little about Grateful Dead music (He did get to see the Jerry Garcia Band when Zappa’s band played a gig together). But everything he taught me, is something I can put to use musically in the the Grateful Dead world of drumming. Not to say I can play everything he has showed me. But the beauty of Grateful Dead music is that there is a time and place for virtually any musical idea that can be conceived. So if I can learn to play it and internalize it, then there is most likely a time and place within the music to use it.

DSO was scheduled to play in Anaheim California at the House Of Blues recently in February (2018) which is not far from where Chad lives so I scheduled a lesson with him and invited him to the show and also invited him to sit in. With a little coaxing from a special lady friend of Chad’s, he agreed to come down with her and accept my offer to sit in with the band (of course with the bands approval). So it was with honor that I (and Rob Koritz) got to play with a musical hero live in a public performance. Thanks Chad! And Thank You Kate.

At the top is a little clip Rob took form behind. You can see me playing (on Rob’s Kit, Chad is on my kit) and I turned around to check out why I wasn’t hearing Koritz as I thought he was going to play congas and smiled when I realized he was shooting this clip. Then he pans over to Chad just as he unleashes one of his effortlessly played ideas.