chad wackerman

Chad Wackerman auditioned for Frank Zappa's band in 1981. He toured and recorded with FZ until 1988.

In the early nineties he was a member of the Band From Utopia. He also toured and recorded with Allan Holdsworth and has released several albums as a solo artist as well.

The picture on the right was taken by Bazbo during the Zappanale 18 concert, 2007/08/05.

July 4, 2012, Bobby Marquis aired an interview with Chad Wackerman on CKCU-FM, Ottowa's community radio station, as a part of his "Frank Zappa Alumni Special" series.

25	frank zappa: sleep dirt (1979, lp, usa, discreet)
	1980 bill watrous: i'll play for you
	1980 bill watrous: coronary tromboss
	allan holdsworth: road games (1981, ep, usa, wb records) - feat.chad wackerman
35	frank zappa: ship arriving too late too save a drowning witch (1982, lp, usa, barking pumpkin)
36	frank zappa: the man from utopia (1983, lp, usa, barking pumpkin)
38	the london symphony orchestra: zappa vol.1 (1983, lp, usa, barking pumpkin)
40	frank zappa: them or us (1984, 2lp, usa, barking pumpkin)
41	frank zappa: thing-fish (1984, 3lp, usa, barking pumpkin)
	the mothers of invention: we're only in it for the money (-) the 1984 release: overdubs
	the mothers of invention: cruising with ruben & the jets (-) the 1984 release: overdubs
	steve vai: flex-able (1984, lp, usa, urantia records) - feat.bob & suzanne harris, chad wackerman, billy james
	1984 vai, steve: flex-able leftovers
44	frank zappa: frank zappa meets the mothers of prevention (1985, lp, usa, barking pumpkin) – american version (1985, lp, eur, emi) – european version
	1985 allan holdsworth: metal fatigue
	dweezil zappa: havin' a bad day (1) (1986, lp, usa, barking pumpkin records st 74204) - feat. thunes, wackerman, moon & ahmet, produced by fz
45	frank zappa: does humour belong in music? (1986, cd, ger, emi)
47	frank zappa: jazz from hell (1986, lp, usa, barking pumpkin)
	1986 allan holdsworth: atavachron
	colin james hay: looking for jack (1986, cd, usa, columbia) - feat. chad wackerman
	1986 maynard ferguson: body and soul (producer)
48	the london symphony orchestra: zappa vol.2 (1987, lp, usa, barking pumkin)
	frank zappa: the guitar world according to frank zappa (1987, mc, usa, ??)
	the mothers of invention: uncle meat (7) (-) the 1987 reissue, on an extra track
	1987 colin james hay: looking for jack (percussion, drums)
	1987 allan holdsworth: sand
	1987 barbara streisand: one voice
50	frank zappa: guitar (1988, 2cd, usa, ryko)
51	frank zappa: you can't do that on stage anymore vol.1 (1988, 2cd, usa, ryko)
53	frank zappa: broadway the hard way (1988, 2lp, usa, barking pumpkin)
	1988 spies: by way of the world
	ed mann: get up (1) (1989, cd, ger, cmp cd 38) - feat.bruce & walt fowler, chad wackerman
54	frank zappa: you can't do that on stage anymore vol.3 (1989, 2cd, usa, ryko)
	1989 allan holdsworth: secrets
	ed mann: perfect world (2) (1990, cd, ger, cmp cd 45) - feat.bruce & walt fowler, chad wackerman
	1991 summers, andy: charming snakes
	frank zappa: as an am (1991, cd, usa, rhino foo-eee records r2 70537)
	frank zappa: sleep dirt (25) (-) the 1991 reissue, drum overdubs
55	frank zappa: the best band you never heard in your life (1991, 2cd, usa, barking pumpkin)
56	frank zappa: make a jazz noise here (1991, 2cd, usa, barking pumpkin)
57	frank zappa: you can't do that on stage anymore vol.4 (1991, 2cd, usa, ryko)
	frank zappa: as an am (1991, cd, usa, rhino foo-eee records r2 70537)
	1991 summers, andy: world gone strange
1	chad wackerman: forty reasons (1991, cd, ger, cmp cd 48)
	1991 summers, andy: andy summers
	1991 kbb: n (snare)
58	frank zappa: you can't do that on stage anymore vol.5 (1992, 2cd, usa, ryko)
59	frank zappa: you can't do that on stage anymore vol.6 (1992, 2cd, usa, ryko)
	1992 various artists: cmpler 2 (drums, producer)
	1992 allan holdsworth: wardenclyffe tower (drums, keyboards)
2	chad wackerman: the view (1993, cd, ger, cmp 64) - feat. walt fowler
	1993 tom grant: view from here
	1994 d2: the mighty ducks
	the band from utopia: a tribute to the music of frank zappa - live vol.1 & 2 (1994, cd-pro, muffin records) - all compositions by frank zappa, feat. lots of zappa alumni
	the band from utopia: the band from utopia (1) (1995, cd, usa, muffin records productions) - all compositions by frank zappa, feat. lots of zappa alumni
	frank zappa: lather (65) (1996, 3cd, usa, ryko)
	1996 mickey sports songs
	1996 louie shelton: guitar
67	frank zappa: have i offended someone? (1997, cd, usa, ryko)
	1997 ed kuepper: frontierland
	1997 various artists: jazz fusion, vol. 2
	1997 red rivers: hillbilly heart
	1998 steve vai: flex-able leftovers (cd re-issue)
	andy summers: a windham hill retrospective (1998, cd, uk, windham hill) - feat. chad wackerman & ed mann // = compilation
3	chad wackerman: scream (1999, cd, usa, efa jazz) - feat. walt fowler
	2000 allan holdsworth: the sixteen men of tain
	"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Courier New";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"> surf ninja- surf ninja
	bozzio / wackerman: alternative duets - volume 1 (2000, cd, usa, slam international)
	bozzio / wackerman: alternative duets - volume 2 (2000, cd, usa, slam international)
	the band from utopia: a tribute to the music of frank zappa (2001, dvd, ger, ??) - all compositions by frank zappa
	terry bozzio - chad wackerman: solos & duets (2001, vhs, usa, dw) - incl. 'the black page' (frank zappa)
	the banned from utopia: so yuh don't like modern art (2) (2002, cd, usa, favored nations) - various compositions by frank zappa; feat.various zappa alumni
	allan holdsworth: all night wrong (2002, cd, japan, sony music entertainment xscp 3) - feat.chad wackerman
4	chad wackerman: legs eleven (2003, cd, australia, chad wackerman cwcd-4)
	terry bozzio - chad wackerman: solos & duets (2004, 2dvd, usa, dw dvd pr04duetsdvd) - incl. 'the black page' (frank zappa)
	sean wayland: australian rhythm changes (????) - feat.chad wackerman
	various artists: drum nation volume one (2004, cd, usa, magna carta max-9065-2) - feat.terry bozzio & chad wackerman ; incl. zappa reference by tim alexander and brain
79	frank zappa: trance-fusion (2006, cd, usa, zappa records)
	world drummers ensemble: a coat of many colors (2006, cd/dvd, usa, summerfold records) - feat. chad wackerman
	various artists: the frank zappa aaafnraa birthday bundle (2006, itunes, -) - feat. frank, moon, dweezil, ahmet & diva zappa
	allan holdsworth and alan pasqua featuring chad wackerman and jimmy haslip: s/t (2007, dvd, usa, altitude digital productions)
	terry bozzio, zakir hussain, chad wackerman, steve smith, mike portnoy: the drum pad's 20th anniversary show (200?, 2dvd, ??, ??)
	terry bozzio - chad wackerman: duets volume 2 (2007, dvd, usa, dw)
81	frank zappa: the dub room special (2007, cd, usa, zappa records)
83	frank zappa: one shot deal (2008, cd, usa, zappa records)
	various artists: zappanale 18 (2008, 2cd, ger, arf society) - incl. various artists playing frank zappa compositions
	various artists: zappanale 18 - retrospective (2008, dvd, ger, the arf society) - feat. various artists playing frank zappa compositions
	various artists: the frank zappa aaafnraaa birthday bundle 21 dec 2008 (2008, itunes, -) - feat. frank, dweezil, ahmet & diva zappa
	mike miller quintet: world goes round (2008, cd, usa, wakonda music) - feat. walt fowler, alber wing, chad wackerman
	various artists: dc collection: vol.1 - the drummers of frank zappa (2009, dvd, usa, drum channel dc dvd) - feat. terry bozzio, ralph humphrey, chester thompson, chad wackerman & ruth underwood
	holdsworth, pasqua, haslip & wackerman: blues for tony (2009, 2cd, usa, moonjune records mjr0029)
	jason sadites: weve (2009, cd, ??, ??) - feat. chad wackerman
	chad wackerman: hits live (2010, dvd, usa, drumchannel) - feat. mike miller
	various artists: the frank zappa aaafnraaaa birthday bundle 21 dec 2010 (2010, itunes, -) - feat. frank, dweezil, ahmet zappa
	chad wackerman: dreams, nightmares and improvisations (2011, cd, usa, cwcd-5) - feat. allan holdsworth, jim cox
	billy sherwood: the fusion syndicate (2012, cd, usa, purple pyramid records) - feat. chad wackerman, chester thompson
	antoine fafard: occultus tramitis (2013, cd, ??, unicorn digital) - feat. terry bozzio, chad wackerman
	various artists: the frank zappa aaafnraa 2014 birthday bundle (2014, download, --, barfko-swill)
	steven wilson: hand. cannot. erase (2015, 2cd+dvd+blu-ray / in hardcover book, poland, kskope522) - feat. marco minnemann, guthrie govan, chad wackerman
	dwiki dharmawan: so far so close (2015, cd, usa, moonjune records) - feat. chad wackerman
105	frank zappa: frank zappa for president (2016, cd, usa, zappa records zr 20021)
	various artists: mr. moonjune recommends : volume 1 - the open road (2017, download, usa, moonjune records) - feat. chad wackerman
	documentary: frank zappa - eat that question (2017, dvd, ger, arsenal filmverleih) - includes interviews with frank zappa, tommy mars, arthur barrow, bruce fowler, tom fowler, ed mann, kurt mcgettrick, chad wackerman and robert martin
	allan holdsworth: i.o.u. - live in japan 1984 (2018, cd+dvd, usa, manifesto) - feat. chad wackerman

	jane getter: ?? (scheduled, cd, usa, ??) - feat. bryan beller and chad wackerman

chad wackerman: drum kit
leon gaer: bass
james muller: guitar
daryl pratt: vibes

Allan Holdsworth, Alan Pasqua, Jimmy Haslip and Chad Wackerman: european tour 2006

... He also has been doing back-up drumming for a variety of people in the studio including Ed Mann, Fowler Brothers, and he also appeared a few years back as drummer to Barbara Streisand!

Chad Wackerman plays on the following Alan Holdsworth : Road Games, Metal Fatique, Atavachron, Sand, one song on Secrets, Wardensclyffe Tower.

From: unknown
Chad was in the house band on the ill fated (of course, it was a great show) Dennis Miller Show. One night Miller decided to give the band the name "The Wackermen".

The discography in the tribute to FZ issue of PULSE! earlier this year has him down as the drummer from the "ill-fated Pat Sajak show". I think they confused the two shows; I remember Wackerman taking over the Miller band leader role when Andy Summers quit.

I believe he was also in the house band for the Pat Sajak show (talk about your bad luck with steady jobs...).

Chad Wackerman was just in Salt Lake City, drumming for John Tesh (The Entertainment Tonight guy).

I saw a Chad Wackerman CD called "Forty Reasons" in a used record shop. It features Allan Holdsworth on guitar. Any thoughts?

It's really good, at least if you're a drummer. :) It's all instrumental, somewhere in the jazz/rock domain, quite a bit of improvisation, very tight playing. I don't think the composing is very awe-inspiring, but the playing certainly is.
[But what is even better are Ed Mann's CDs, especially "Get Up."]

Co-incidentally, I only logged on today to post about the new CW CD that apparently has the same line-up as FORTY REASONS. From an ad in JAZZIZ, Dec/Jan 1994:

CHAD WACKERMAN, the view (CMP CD 64)
~~~~~~~~
Long time Zappa drummer Chad Wackerman reassembles the virtuosic band that burned through his solo debut, Forty Reasons (CMP 48) for an intense set of hip, intelligent electric-jazz. Jimmy Johnson, bass and Jim Cox, keyboards return in support of Wackerman along with trumpeter Walt Fowler guitarist Carl Verheyen and guest soloist Allan Holdsworth.
Chad can be seen playing the drums (smoking I should say) on the 1993 Drum Workshop promotional video. He is actually the prominent drummer out of the numerous others on the video. Recently, he played with the Band From Utopia, cover band made up of mostly, alumni musicians (so, is it a cover band?).

Confirmed that Chad is touring with "Banned from Utopia", my brother saw and spoke with him backstage at "the Middle East", which is a nightclub in Cambridge Massachusetts, on Nov. 8, 1995. He also had his photo taken with Chad, Ike Willis, Tommy Mars, the Fowler brothers and a rubber chicken! Ike Willis was wearing a really cool Zappa T shirt! The music was a mixture of Zappa and some original stuff by Tommy Mars and Chad.

Gabriele Bulfon sez:
Chad played with Patitucci's band this summer in Sardegna (ITALY).I couldn't go and see, but I guess the duo doesn't match too much as they have different musical approaches. I would like to see them here in Milano.

mauricio garcez(mgarcez@nutecnet.com.br) sez:
when I hear chad with allan holdsworth I feel that they aren't goin'to the same place. A perfect example of this is "Zarabeth", a track from allan's wardenclyffe tower album.Chad is doing his thing and so is allan. In my opinion, gary husband is the drmmer for allan.Just hear Atavacrhon songs like Mr. Berwell and you will see what I'm talking about. but, anyway, Chad is one of the most interesting players I have ever heard.

From: Peter ^Ùberg (PETEROBE@vbtn.sr.se)
On Oct. 25th ('97) I saw Chad Wackerman play with Allan Holdsworth on Umeå Jazz festival. I think Chad played better this time than when he played with Allan in Umeå last time (Oct. 91). But they had a trio this time...(in 91 there was also a keyboard player) and it's a tough task for a trio to keep an audience interested for 2 hours. I was there for the press conferrence but it didn't take place. The "chaps" were taking a shower at the hotel instead.
(Maybe stealing the towels and evv'er goddam thing)

From: Nigel Honey (nigeh@southcom.com.au)
I couldn't believe my eyes today at work at my radio station when I saw a CD by Australian Country singer Tania Kernighan that Chad had played the drums on the 2nd track of a CD single!!!!

From: David Wren (wookie@ains.net.au)
(posted approx. 4/98)
Chad Wackerman, apparantly is married to an Australian lady and now lives in Sydney Australia. He has just been in the studio recording his third solo album (nearly called it an LP). The musicians in his band are Daryl Pratt: Vibes, James Muller: Guitar, Lean Gaer: Bass. To put it bluntly... they are shit hot... I was totally knocked out by the gig I saw last sunday, here in Melbourne (Australia).. and the tape I made is damn good as well.

From: Dean Carse (dcarse@geocities.com)
I live in Sydney and have seen Chad three times here, once at the Manly Jazz festival about two years ago and twice at the Basement fairly recently. He was kind enough to autograph one of his albums 'The View' for me at a recent show.
The last show I remember he mentioned Frank Zappa a little and did a Zappa drum bit from a song followed by a new song which ended the evening but he really got the crowd going. The band also did a completely improvised bit which didn't quite work out, James Muller was a little hesitant.

From: j.vankemenade3@chello.nl
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999
Chad Wackerman is currently touring with guitar player Carl Verheyen (http://carlverheyen.com/) who also has played on Chad Wackermans album "the View"...

From: Jan (j.vankemenade3@chello.nl)
Hi Patrick, I just found this ...
http://www.audiophileimports.com/news.php

TERRY BOZZIO AND CHAD WACKERMAN * SOLOS & DUETS
(D)VIDEO $29.99
2001 release. Audiophile customers who saw the Bozzio Wackerman drum clinic tour last year are still talking about it. During the fall 2000 tour, the two drummers performed at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, CA. which was recorded using state of the art digital audio and video equipment. The video captures Terry Bozzio and Chad Wackerman's incredible performances of their original compositions for solo and dual drumsets, and exclusive footage of their note-perfect duet of Frank Zappa's infamous 'Black Page #1.' Also included is extensive interview footage of the two musicians discussing their choice of instruments, experiences working with the legendary Zappa, and their approach to both written and improvisational drumming.

	frank zappa: puttin' on the ritz (2014, 2cd, ??, goldfish records golf009)
	frank zappa: puttin on the ritz (2014, 4lp, uk, moonunit records) = 1981/11/17 concert // vinyl reissue of the 2 cd set
	frank zappa: teenage rockin' combo - dumb all over live 1981 (2015, 2cd, uk, broadcasting radio records brr5011) = 1981/11/17 new york city concert
	frank zappa: puttin on the ritz - volume 1 (2015, 2lp, uk, let them eat vinyl letv206lp) = 1981/11/17 concert // vinyl reissue of the 2 cd set
	frank zappa: puttin on the ritz - volume 2 (2015, 2lp, uk, let them eat vinyl letv206lp) = 1981/11/17 concert // vinyl reissue of the 2 cd set
	frank zappa: teenage rockin' combo - dumb all over live 1981 (2015, 3lp, uk, broadcasting radio records brr4011) = 1981/11/17 new york city concert // vinyl reissue of the 2 cd set

	frank zappa: the dub room special (1982)
	frank zappa: does humor belong in music? (1985)
	frank zappa: video from hell (1987)
	terry bozzio and chad wackerman: solos & duet (2001)