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Paul Wertico and Frank Catalano each have been perfecting the sax and drum duo since their teens. PAUL WERTICO AND FRANK CATALANO Wunderkinder turned pro jazzers revisit a first love: the sax and drum duo. You don't need to live in the Big Apple to live a bustling life in jazz. Just look at Chicago's Frank Catalano or Paul Wertico. Catalano emerged as a wunderkind on the saxophone in high school, complete with his own blazing style. Mentored by Chicago sax legend Von Freeman, he jammed with Miles Davis as a teen and has gone on to a career as a recording artist for Savoy after signing to Chicago's own Delmark at the tender age of 18. Wertico is best known for his 18 years with the Pat Metheny Group, which netted him seven Grammys. While his place in fusion and electric jazz is set in stone, his work on the kit can be heard on literally hundreds of recordings. 116-121_MA_FEAT_Jazz_SUMMER13.indd 121 Their new album, Topics of Conversation (Blue Sky Fable), recorded at Reelsounds Studio in Skokie, brings the sax and drum duo together in an improvised set. The concept for a sax and drum duo is something each has held dear since their high school days. Catalano, in particular, seems to appreciate it for its freeing aspect—there's no pesky piano player or bassist following his lines. He insists that Topics is neither a reboot of Coltrane/Ali's Interstellar Space, nor is it totally free. He insists that its pulsing, head-bobbing qualities can find an audience in "anyone who is open-minded and likes improvised music." Catalano maintains an average of 20 gigs per month (including a 2 AM Wednesday set at the Green Mill) and five clinics and plays in bands with both Malcolm Jamal Warner of The Cosby Show and with former Smashing Pumpkin Jimmy Chamberlin. He even had a recording session with guitar god Bill Frisell. Catalano's motto? "I don't say 'no' as long as it's cool." Wertico, an assistant professor of jazz at Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts and a member of the board of governors for the Recording Academy's Chicago Chapter, also maintains a furious schedule, which includes lectures and clinics. "I'm going to keep going until I drop." paulwertico.com; catalanomusic.com MA 6/18/13 12:38 PM