Steve Smith and Vital Information

Steve Smith and Vital Information - Come On In - 2004 - Mascot/Tone Center

"Come On In features some of their finest music. This set, which crosses many musical boundaries, reveals Steve Smith's Vital Information to be one of the most underrated bands in modern jazz..." - Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

"Vital Information has evolved from a relentlessly rocking fusion outfit into a supple, funk-driven ensemble, far more attuned to the dynamics of acoustic jazz on their new recording, Come On In, expands upon its rootsy approach, building on the fierce funk and captivating New Orleans beats."- Andrew Gilbert, Down Beat

"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
"Vital Information means business on their 11th album. Hard to believe this project started 21 years ago Smith is the perfect blend of virtuosity and taste, America's premier jazz/fusion export continues to get better with age." - Don Zulaica, Drum!

"Drummer Smith and this powerhouse band prove once again they are just about the best fusion band in music." - Bob Karlovits, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"Vital Information is clearly moving towards the jazz side of the fusion equation... while the band is leaning towards cleaner, crisper behavior, there are plenty of chops to keep fusion fans happy... Come On In demonstrates the maturity that develops from a group of seasoned players who have been playing long enough to no longer have anything to prove. As much as the formidable skills of each musician are clear, Vital Information is becoming less and less about pure chops and more and more about establishing an identity." - John Kelman, AllAboutJazz.com

Steve Smith's Vital Information has evolved from being a fusion band into one that is closer to soul-jazz. He had led units under the Vital Information name for 21 years when he recorded Come On In, a tight quartet album featuring guitarist Frank Gambale (of Chick Corea's Elektric Band), keyboardist Tom Coster (who also plays accordion), and bassist Baron Browne. The music includes some grooves worthy of Joe Zawinul, straight-ahead sections, catchy themes, and plenty of funky rhythms that avoid being predictable, plus a heated up-tempo blues "A Little Something." Smith is mostly in the background, content to propel and inspire his sidemen into playing some of their finest music. This set, which crosses many musical boundaries, reveals Steve Smith's Vital Information to be one of the most underrated bands in modern jazz and serves as an excellent introduction to the group's music. © Scott Yanow © 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/come-on-in-mw0000169041

"Come On In" is the 11th release from the all-star soul/jazz/funk/fusion super group Steve Smith & Vital Information. The group features the incredible line-up of guitarist Frank Gambale (Chick Corea Elektric Band), keyboardist Tom Coster (Santana), bassist Baron Browne (Jean-Luc Ponty, Billy Cobham) and drummer Steve Smith (Journey, Steps Ahead). Included in the package are extensive liner notes by renown author Bill Milkowski, who writes, "Vital Information continues to hone its 'American music' direction while staking out some adventurous new territory. With this third VI recording to showcase this line-up, the listener is invited to a veritable banquet of sounds to satisfy a wide variety of tastes. From slamming funk and syncopated second line grooves to seriously swinging, uptempo B-3 burners, South Indian Carnatic inspired jams and sizzling fuzoid romps, these seasoned veterans cover a lot of bases on "Come On In" and do it all in such convincing fashion. © 1996-2013 Guitar Nine All Rights Reserved http://www.guitar9.com/comeonin.html

"Come On In" deservedly received rave reviews around the world. This is soul jazz fusion at it’s best. Steve Smith is backed by guitar maestro, Frank Gambale, bassist Baron Browne, and Tom Coster on keys. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out album liner notes @ http://www.vitalinformation.com/store/comeliner.htm and read more @ http://www.vitalinformation.com/ Try and listen to Steve Smith and Vital Information’s “Live! One Great Night” CD/DVD [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 145 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Time Tunnel - Baron Browne / Tom Coster / Steve Smith 5:38
2 Come on In - Tom Coster 5:40
3 Beneath the Surface - Tom Coster / Frank Gambale / Steve Smith 2:06
4 Cat Walk - Baron Browne / Tom Coster / Frank Gambale / Steve Smith 6:05
5 Around the World - Baron Browne / Tom Coster / Frank Gambale / Steve Smith 9:35
6 Soho - Frank Gambale 6:25
7 A Little Something - Frank Gambale 8:22
8 From Naples to Heaven - Frank Gambale 4:08
9 Baton Rouge - Baron Browne / Tom Coster / Frank Gambale / Steve Smith 6:18
10 Fine Line - Tom Coster / Frank Gambale / Steve Smith 2:18
11 High Wire - Tom Coster / Frank Gambale 5:52

MUSICIANS

Frank Gambale - Guitar
Tom Coster - Hammond B-3 Organ, Fender Rhodes, Accordion
Baron Browne - Electric & Acoustic Bass
Steve Smith - Drums

BIO (WIKI)

Steve Smith and Vital Information is an American jazz-fusion group led by drummer Steve Smith. The core members of the original line-up of Vital Information — Steve Smith (drums), Tim Landers (bass) and Dave Wilczewski (sax) — met in 1971 during their high school years while playing together in the Bridgewater State College Big Band, a Boston area college band that also featured outstanding high school students, the band was under the direction of Vincent Gannon. By 1977 Smith was touring with Jean-Luc Ponty, Landers with Al Di Meola and Wilczewski with Freddie Hubbard. They met in Boston once a year for a “reunion” gig using various guitarists such as Dean Brown, Daryl Stuermer orBarry Finnerty to complete the band. From 1977–1982 the three principle band members wrote many compositions, played a number of gigs and developed the sound and concept that became the first edition of Vital Information. After Smith was in Journey for a few years he was able to secure a Columbia record deal for his first solo album. The group recorded Vital Information (1983), which featured Landers, Wilczewski and Smith along with guitarists Dean Brown and Mike Stern. The album was recorded in Warren, RI in January 1983 and released that summer. In September ‘83 the band toured the USA with the Dutch guitarist Eef Albers replacing Mike Stern, who was on the road with both Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius. At the end of the tour the group returned to RI and recorded Orion (1984), their second album.After leaving Journey in 1985 Steve Smith continued on as the bandleader of Vital Information with Tim Landers and Dave Wilczewski eventually leaving the group to pursue their own careers. Landers is a successful studio musician in Los Angeles and Wilczewski moved to Stockholm, Sweden, where he was a key player in the European music scene until his untimely death on August 22, 2009. Tom Coster (keyboards), formerly of Santana, joined Vital Information in 1986 and first appeared on Global Beat (1987), which integrated hand percussion and steel drums into the direction of the music. Kai Eckhardt (bass), later with John McLaughlin, and Torsten de Winkel (guitar), later with the Pat Metheny Group, joined Vital Information in 1986 and 1987 for tours in the United States and Europe and appeared on and composed for the group's next album, Fiafiaga (1988), which generally continued with the Global Beat direction but added computer-based and funkier sounds to the stylistic mix. A more straight-ahead jazz version of the group, with Larry Grenadier (acoustic bass), Larry Schneider (sax), Tom Coster(keys), Frank Gambale (guitar), Steve Smith (drums), recorded Vitalive! (1990). The album has recently been re-mastered and rereleased. Jeff Andrews (bass) joined the band in the early 1990s recording Easier Done Than Said (1992) and Ray of Hope (1996). Vital Information re-invented themselves as a more organic groove-oriented band with the direction of Where We Come from(1998). Baron Browne (bass) joined the band in 1998, which further solidified their more funk-oriented approach. With the line-up of Smith (drums) Tom Coster (keys), Frank Gambale (guitar) and Browne (bass) they recorded Live Around the World(2000), Show ‘Em Where You Live (2001) and Live from Mars (2002). With the recording Come on in (2004) Smith started introducing Indian rhythms into the music. On Vitalization (2007) Vinny Valentino joined Vital Information on guitar and Smith featured himself on his recently developed konnakol chops along with integrating more Indian rhythms into the music. Live! One Great Night is Vital Information’s latest release and is the first of number of releases to commemorate their 30th Anniversary. Steve Smith has been recently been touring with a version of the band called “Vital Information NYC Edition” that features Valentino and Browne along with Mark Soskin on keyboards and Andy Fusco on alto sax. Fusco and Soskin are two musicians from Smith’s other bands Buddy’s Buddies and Jazz Legacy. With VI NYC Edition the band plays the classic Vital Information songs along with the music of Jazz Legacy and Buddy’s Buddies. In November 2012 VI NYC Edition recorded a live album and new studio album. The Vital Information NYC Edition recordings will be released in 2013 as part of the groups 30th Anniversary Celebration.