Steve Smith
(Journey/Steps Ahead) - drums Mark Soskin
(Sonny Rollins/Herbie Mann) – keyboards Vinny Valentino
(Jimmy McGriff/Bill Evans) - guitar Baron Browne
(Jean-Luc Ponty/Billy Cobham) – bass
Steve Smith has been touring and recording with
his all-star group Vital Information since 1983.
The line-up of
Vital Information NYC Edition
incorporates players from all of Smith’s bands:
guitarist Vinny Valentino (from Vital
Information and The Groove Blue Organ Trio),
pianist Mark Soskin (from Jazz Legacy and
Buddy’s Buddies), bassist Baron Browne (from
Jazz Legacy, Buddy’s Buddies and Vital
Information), with Smith on drums.
Since
2016 Smith started touring again with the iconic
rock band
Journey, the
group in which he recorded nine albums with
multiple massive hits. In 2018 alone, Journey
played for over 1,000,000 fans in arenas and
stadiums across North America.
With VI NYC Edition
performing at clubs and festivals around the
world, it’s a perfect opportunity to see Smith
with his jazz-fusion band in an intimate
setting, with great sound, where you can
appreciate the details of their high-level
musicianship, their sense of joy onstage and
experience their collective virtuosic
improvisation.
Steve Smith had this to
say about Vital Information NYC Edition’s
philosophy: “Our music allows for individual
expression and re-invention. We thrive on swing,
groove and creativity. We want to surprise each
other every night on the bandstand with new
ideas and in the process keep our audience ‘in
the moment’ with us.”
Over the years,
Steve has won a number of Modern Drummer
reader’s polls including "#1 All- Around
Drummer" five years in a row. In 2001, he was
named "one of the Top 25 Drummers of
All Time," and in 2002 he was voted into the Modern Drummer
Hall of Fame.
In 2012 and 2015, the
readers of
Modern Drummer
voted Smith "#1 Fusion drummer" and in 2017, he
topped an unprecedented three categories: "#1
MVP," "#1 Rock drummer" and "#1 Educational
Product" for his Hudson Music Book/DVD Pathways
of Motion. On April 7, 2017 Smith was inducted
into the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame
for his work with Journey. And in 2018 Modern
Drummer
readers voted him #1 Classic Rock drummer.
JazzTimes
says: "Vital Information is one of improvised
music's best-kept secrets, the tunes are
adventurous and they always groove. The
musicians shoot for, and achieve, real emotion
rather than soulless fireworks." - Felix Contreras,
JazzTimes
