Steve Smith And Vital Information NYC Edition - Viewpoint

High-energy, creative jazz!

Album download included, offer subject to expiration

In a musical world where keeping a working band has proven difficult for many bandleaders, drummer-bandleader Steve Smith has managed to keep three bands working for the past three decades. His jazz-rock band, Steve Smith and Vital Information, has been touring and recording for more than 30 years.

The updated version of his recording and touring ensemble is called Steve Smith And Vital Information - NYC Edition. Smith refers to this new line-up as, "The best of all worlds. With my band-members all living and working in NYC area, where I live, this group can be organized in a moment's notice. VI NYC Edition is a lot of fun to play with and is a high-energy, creative, jazz unit!"

The lineup of Vital Information NYC Edition brings together members of all of his bands: saxophonist Andy Fusco (from Jazz Legacy and Buddy's Buddies) guitarist Vinny Valentino (from Vital Information), pianist Mark Soskin (from Jazz Legacy and Buddy's Buddies), bassist Baron Browne (from Jazz Legacy, Buddy's Buddies and Vital Information), and Steve Smith on drums.

Steve keeps his touring schedule quite busy and you may have seen him on tour with Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion, The Mike Stern Band or Hiromi — The Trio Project. Smith's constantly evolving drumming career has earned him Modern Drummer Magazine's No. 1 All-Around Drummer award five yeas in a row, which led him to being named by Modern Drummer Magazine as one of the "Top 50 Drummers of All Time!" in 2014. Smith's nine-year stint as the drummer with the rock group Journey resulted in nine multi-platinum albums and 18 Top 40 hits. His drumming can still be heard almost daily on the ubiquitous hit song by Journey, "Don't Stop Believin'."

Musicians:
Steve Smith (Hiromi/Journey), drums
Mark Soskin (Sonny Rollins/Herbie Mann), keyboards
Andy Fusco (Buddy Rich/Mel Lewis), alto sax
Vinny Valentino (Jimmy McGriff/Bill Evans), guitar
Baron Browne (Jean-Luc Ponty/Billy Cobham), bass

Side 1

Bemsha Swing

Time Check

Viewpoint One

The Brush Off

Side 2

Willowcrest

Take Five

Viewpoint Two

Chan’s Song (Never Said)

Oleo

A Final Viewpoint

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