In late 2005, Chamberlin joined Corgan in reforming Smashing Pumpkins; he eventually left the group in March 2009, though he returned again in 2015 for a summer tour, and has officially performed with the band since then.

Chamberlin originally trained as a jazz drummer and cites jazz musicians Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich, as well as rock drummers Keith Moon, Ian Paice, and John Bonham as major influences on his technique, and primarily strives for emotionally communicative playing.

[8] His early instruction included Latin, Brazilian, and big band techniques, but focused on jazz, under the tutelage of Charlie Adams, known for working with Yanni.

[10] After several years with JP and the Cats, Chamberlin, wearied by the touring schedule, reduced his role and got a job building custom homes with his brother-in-law.

The Smashing Pumpkins had been using a drum machine for early gigs, but were looking for a live drummer to open a show at Chicago club the Metro.

[6]Corgan had his own concerns: He was wearing a pink t-shirt, stonewashed jeans, he had a mullet haircut, and he was driving a 280Z, and had yellow drums.

[11]Chamberlin made "tons of cash" as a carpenter,[6] before giving up the job to move to Chicago and devote himself to the band.

During the recording of 1993's Siamese Dream in Marietta, Georgia, Chamberlin often disappeared for days at a time into the drug underworld of Atlanta, while the rest of the band feared for his life.

[12] He later said of his drug addiction that "It's pretty textbook [...] Guy makes it in rock band, gets very full of himself, starts thinking he's indestructible, and all of a sudden he destroys himself.

"[13] In the midst of the lengthy world tour supporting 1995's multi-platinum Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Chamberlin's father died, and his substance abuse hit a fever pitch.

[15] Corgan later told MTV News that Chamberlin had already overdosed on two different occasions during the Mellon Collie tour prior to the July 1996 event, but that the band had managed to keep those situations private.

[12] The band yielded two albums in 2000, Machina/The Machines of God and the freely distributed Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music, before performing a farewell show in Chicago on December 2, 2000.

Although Chamberlin predicted that "the band's going to be huge,"[13] Zwan produced only one album, Mary Star of the Sea, before disbanding in 2003.

Describing the music as 'progressive, symphonic pop' he reported that the band, also including multi-instrumentalists Mike Reina and guitarist Anthony Pirog, would record with Roy Thomas Baker in Washington, D.C. in early 2010.

In 2011, after introductions by then 1871 CEO Kevin Willer, Chamberlin began working with the burgeoning Chicago tech scene as an investor and advisor.

Founders Tim and John Ganschow (of Chicago) were presenting their new social platform, CrowdSurfing, to an investment group that included Chamberlin.

While there, he spoke of his time with the Smashing Pumpkins as well as on the future of digital music[22] at the Web Summit Centre Stage with Adrian Grenier, Chris Kaskie, and Brian Morrissey.

On July 29, 2014, Love Supreme Collective - EP featuring Jimmy Chamberlin, Percy Jones, Chris Poland, and Adam Benjamin was released and quickly became the #1 selling jazz album on iTunes USA.

After appearing on Life Begins Again, Corgan announced plans to "renew and revive" the Pumpkins through a full-page advertisement in his hometown's newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, on June 21, 2005.

[7] He has also been compared to jazz drummer Dennis Chambers for his "quick hands, furious snare rolls, and crackling rimshots.

When asked about his influences in 2007, he responded: Aside from the obvious – Keith Moon, John Bonham, Ian Paice – I would have to say Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, any of the jazz greats – Gene Krupa, those people.

[33]Other drummers that influenced Chamberlin around the recording of Zeitgeist included Bobby Caldwell of Captain Beyond, Lalo Schifrin's Dirty Harry soundtrack, Weather Report, and Return to Forever's Lenny White.

"[37] On the Smashing Pumpkins album Zeitgeist and subsequent tour, Chamberlin used a Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute kit with 60° bearing edges, rather than the standard 45°.