Vital Information
Encyclopedia
Steve Smith and Vital Information is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...

 group led by drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...

 Steve Smith
Steve Smith (musician)
Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

.

Vital Information was formed from the two groups, Frank Keyboard and The Keyboards and Pennywhistle Pokkett, both massively influential on the jazz and blues scene, by Steve Smith in 1983 with friends Tim Landers
Tim Landers
Timothy Gerard Landers is an American bass guitarist, composer and record producer.He graduated from Brockton High School in 1975 and attended the Berklee College of Music from 1976 to 1977, studying under Neil Stubenhaus and Whit Browne...

, Dave Wilczewski, Dean Brown
Dean Brown (guitarist)
Dean Brown is an American jazz fusion guitarist and session musician.-Career:Dean Brown graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1977...

, and Mike Stern
Mike Stern
Mike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing for a few years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he landed a gig with Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis' comeback band from 1981 to 1983, and again in 1985. Since then, he launched a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums...

.

Discography and personnel

  • Vitalization - Hudson Music LLC/Vital Info Inc. 2007
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drumset and konnakol
    • Tom Coster
      Tom Coster
      Tom Coster is an American keyboardist and composer. Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S...

      : Keyboards and accordion
    • Baron Browne
      Baron Browne
      Baron Browne is an American bassist.Born and raised in Georgia, USA, Baron Browne gravitated to music at a very early age, learning to play his uncle's drumset at 7 years old...

      : Bass
    • Vinny Valentino: Guitar
    • special guests:
    • Bill Evans: Tenor and soprano saxophones
    • Pete Lockett
      Pete Lockett
      Peter Robert Lockett is an English percussionist and recording artist. Lockett is known as a versatile and prolific percussionist, collaborating with many artists. He is well-versed in percussion traditions from music cultures around the world, including, Arabic, Japanese, Indian and...

      : Tabla
      Tabla
      The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...

      , kanjira
      Kanjira
      The kanjira, khanjira or ganjira, a South Indian frame drum, is an instrument of the tambourine family. It is used primarily in concerts of Carnatic music as a supporting instrument for the mridangam...

      , percussion, and konnakol
    • Gilad: Congas and percussion
    • Juan Carlos Melian: Congas and percussion

  • Come On In - Tone Center/Mascot 2004
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drumset and udu
      Udu
      for other uses see Udu The udu is an African drum originated by the Igbo people of Nigeria. In the Igbo language, udu means vessel. Actually being a water jug with an additional hole, it was played by women for ceremonial uses. Usually the udu is made of clay...

    • Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released eleven studio albums over a period of more than two decades, and is renowned for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques.-Recording career:...

      : Guitar
    • Tom Coster
      Tom Coster
      Tom Coster is an American keyboardist and composer. Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S...

      : Keyboards and accordion
    • Baron Browne
      Baron Browne
      Baron Browne is an American bassist.Born and raised in Georgia, USA, Baron Browne gravitated to music at a very early age, learning to play his uncle's drumset at 7 years old...

      : Bass

  • Show 'Em Where You Live - Intuition Records/Tone Center 2001
    • Tom Coster
      Tom Coster
      Tom Coster is an American keyboardist and composer. Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S...

      : Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes, Korg Trinity, accordion
    • Baron Browne
      Baron Browne
      Baron Browne is an American bassist.Born and raised in Georgia, USA, Baron Browne gravitated to music at a very early age, learning to play his uncle's drumset at 7 years old...

      : Bass
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drums
    • Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released eleven studio albums over a period of more than two decades, and is renowned for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques.-Recording career:...

      : Guitar

  • Live From Mars - (Official Concert bootleg) 2001
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drums
    • Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released eleven studio albums over a period of more than two decades, and is renowned for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques.-Recording career:...

      : Guitar
    • Tom Coster
      Tom Coster
      Tom Coster is an American keyboardist and composer. Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S...

      : Keyboards
    • Baron Browne
      Baron Browne
      Baron Browne is an American bassist.Born and raised in Georgia, USA, Baron Browne gravitated to music at a very early age, learning to play his uncle's drumset at 7 years old...

      : Bass

  • Live Around The World: Where We Come From Tour '98-'99 - Intuition Records 2000
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drums
    • Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released eleven studio albums over a period of more than two decades, and is renowned for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques.-Recording career:...

      : Guitar
    • Tom Coster
      Tom Coster
      Tom Coster is an American keyboardist and composer. Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S...

      : Hammond B-3, accordion, Korg Trinity
    • Baron Browne
      Baron Browne
      Baron Browne is an American bassist.Born and raised in Georgia, USA, Baron Browne gravitated to music at a very early age, learning to play his uncle's drumset at 7 years old...

      : Bass

  • Where We Come From - Intuition Records 1998
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drums
    • Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released eleven studio albums over a period of more than two decades, and is renowned for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques.-Recording career:...

      : Guitars
    • Tom Coster
      Tom Coster
      Tom Coster is an American keyboardist and composer. Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S...

      : Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes, accordion
    • Jeff Andrews: Electric and acoustic basses

  • Ray Of Hope - Intuition Records 1996
    • Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released eleven studio albums over a period of more than two decades, and is renowned for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques.-Recording career:...

      : Guitars
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drums
    • Tom Coster
      Tom Coster
      Tom Coster is an American keyboardist and composer. Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S...

      : Keyboards
    • Jeff Andrews: Bass

  • Easier Done Than Said - Blue Note Records 1992
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drums, finger snaps, keyboards, keyboard programming
    • Tom Coster
      Tom Coster
      Tom Coster is an American keyboardist and composer. Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S...

      : Keyboards, piano, synth programming
    • Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released eleven studio albums over a period of more than two decades, and is renowned for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques.-Recording career:...

      : Electric and acoustic guitars
    • Jeff Andrews: Bass, keyboards
    • Tim Landers
      Tim Landers
      Timothy Gerard Landers is an American bass guitarist, composer and record producer.He graduated from Brockton High School in 1975 and attended the Berklee College of Music from 1976 to 1977, studying under Neil Stubenhaus and Whit Browne...

      : Keyboards
    • Bob Marlette
      Bob Marlette
      Bob Marlette is an American record producer, recording engineer, mixer, keyboarder and songwriter.-Musician:Bob Marlette started out as a session musician and the first album he appeared on was Al Stewart's 24 Carrots...

      : Keyboards
    • Kit Walker: Keyboards, piano, synth programming, keyboard comp, finger snaps
    • Tom Coster Jr.: Organ, keyboards, synth programming
    • Andy Narell
      Andy Narell
      Andy Narell is a musician and composer specialized in the steelpan.-Biography:He was born in New York City and moved to California in his teens. He took up the steelpan at a very young age in Queens, New York...

      : Steel drums
    • Ian Wallace: finger snaps
    • Rob Jones: finger snaps

  • Vitalive! - Vera Bra Records/Blue Note Records 1990
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drums
    • Tom Coster
      Tom Coster
      Tom Coster is an American keyboardist and composer. Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S...

      : Keyboards
    • Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released eleven studio albums over a period of more than two decades, and is renowned for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques.-Recording career:...

      : Guitar, voice
    • Larry Schneider: Saxophone
    • Larry Grenadier
      Larry Grenadier
      Larry Grenadier is an American jazz double bassist.His father, Albert, was a trumpet player, and his two brothers, Phil and Steve, would eventually play trumpet and guitar respectively. Grenadier too began on trumpet when he was 10 years old. His father taught him to read music and gave him his...

      : Acoustic bass
    • Tom Coster Jr.: Additional keyboards

  • Fiafiaga (Celebration) - Columbia Records 1988
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drums, keyboards
    • Dave Wilczewski: Tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, piano
    • Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale
      Frank Gambale is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released eleven studio albums over a period of more than two decades, and is renowned for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques.-Recording career:...

      : Electric and acoustic guitars
    • Tom Coster
      Tom Coster
      Tom Coster is an American keyboardist and composer. Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S...

      : Keyboards, piano
    • Kai Eckhardt
      Kai Eckhardt
      Kai Eckhardt is a German musician and composer who plays bass, best known for his work with John McLaughlin, Vital Information, the band he co-founded Garaj Mahal and Billy Cobham...

      : Bass
    • Jay Oliver
      Jay Oliver
      Jay Oliver is an American jazz musician , composer, record producer, programmer & engineer; residing in Los Angeles. He began his professional music career at the age of 19 as the youngest member of Maynard Ferguson’s band...

      : Keyboards, rhythm guitar programming, computer programming, synth programming
    • Kit Walker: Keyboards
    • Prince Joni Haastrup: Vocals
    • Torsten De Winkel
      Torsten de Winkel
      Torsten de Winkel is a German musician and composer primarily active in the jazz and world music genres...

      : Guitar, guitar comping
    • Barry Finnerty
      Barry Finnerty
      Michael Barry Finnerty is an American jazz guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist, best known for his work as a session musician for artists like Miles Davis and the Crusaders...

      : Guitar
    • Andy Narell
      Andy Narell
      Andy Narell is a musician and composer specialized in the steelpan.-Biography:He was born in New York City and moved to California in his teens. He took up the steelpan at a very young age in Queens, New York...

      : Steel drums
    • Corrado Rusticci: Electric and acoustic guitars
    • Lenny Castro
      Lenny Castro
      Lenny Castro is an American freelancing percussionist in the studio recording industry in the Los Angeles area.-Early life:Castro is a percussionist of Puerto Rican descent and was born and raised in New York City. His father, Hector Castro, played the keyboard in a Latin style and gave his son...

      : Percussions
    • Vladimir Johnson: Vocals
    • Tim Landers
      Tim Landers
      Timothy Gerard Landers is an American bass guitarist, composer and record producer.He graduated from Brockton High School in 1975 and attended the Berklee College of Music from 1976 to 1977, studying under Neil Stubenhaus and Whit Browne...

      : Bass

  • Global Beat - Columbia Records 1987
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drums, cowbell, synthesizer
    • Dean Brown
      Dean Brown (guitarist)
      Dean Brown is an American jazz fusion guitarist and session musician.-Career:Dean Brown graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1977...

      : Guitar
    • Tim Landers
      Tim Landers
      Timothy Gerard Landers is an American bass guitarist, composer and record producer.He graduated from Brockton High School in 1975 and attended the Berklee College of Music from 1976 to 1977, studying under Neil Stubenhaus and Whit Browne...

      : Bass, synthesizers
    • Dave Wilczewski: Tenor, alto and soprano saxophones
    • Tom Coster
      Tom Coster
      Tom Coster is an American keyboardist and composer. Detroit-born and San Francisco-raised, Coster played piano and accordion as a youth, continuing his studies through college and a productive five-year stint as a musician in the U.S...

      : Keyboards, DX7 harmonica
    • Ray Gomez: Pickin' guitar, guitar
    • Mike Fisher: Percussion
    • Andy Narell
      Andy Narell
      Andy Narell is a musician and composer specialized in the steelpan.-Biography:He was born in New York City and moved to California in his teens. He took up the steelpan at a very young age in Queens, New York...

      : Steel drums
    • Prince Joni Haastrup: Voice, talking drum, shaker
    • Kwaku Daddy: Congas, talking drum, percussion
    • Barry Finnerty
      Barry Finnerty
      Michael Barry Finnerty is an American jazz guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist, best known for his work as a session musician for artists like Miles Davis and the Crusaders...

      : Guitar
    • Armando Peraza
      Armando Peraza
      Armando Peraza is a Latin jazz percussionist. Through his long associations with jazz pianist George Shearing, vibraphonist Cal Tjader and guitarist Carlos Santana, he has been internationally known from the 1950s through to the 1990s...

      : Bongos
    • Jeff Richman: Guitar
    • Brad Dutz: Tablas, percussion

  • Orion - Columbia Records 1984, reissued by Wounded Bird Records 2005
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drums, piano, percussion
    • Dean Brown
      Dean Brown (guitarist)
      Dean Brown is an American jazz fusion guitarist and session musician.-Career:Dean Brown graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1977...

      : Electric and acoustic guitars, synthesizer guitar, piano from space
    • Tim Landers
      Tim Landers
      Timothy Gerard Landers is an American bass guitarist, composer and record producer.He graduated from Brockton High School in 1975 and attended the Berklee College of Music from 1976 to 1977, studying under Neil Stubenhaus and Whit Browne...

      : Bass guitar, tenor bass guitar, taurus pedals
    • Dave Wilczewski: Tenor, alto and soprano saxophones
    • Eef Albers: Electric guitar

  • Vital Information - Columbia Records 1983, reissued by Wounded Bird Records 2005
    • Steve Smith
      Steve Smith (musician)
      Steve Elliott Smith is an American drummer who has worked with hundreds of artists in his career, but is mostly known for being the drummer of the rock band Journey during their peak years of success. Modern Drummer magazine readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row...

      : Drums, piano
    • Mike Stern
      Mike Stern
      Mike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing for a few years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he landed a gig with Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis' comeback band from 1981 to 1983, and again in 1985. Since then, he launched a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums...

      : Guitar
    • Dean Brown
      Dean Brown (guitarist)
      Dean Brown is an American jazz fusion guitarist and session musician.-Career:Dean Brown graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1977...

      : Guitar
    • Tim Landers
      Tim Landers
      Timothy Gerard Landers is an American bass guitarist, composer and record producer.He graduated from Brockton High School in 1975 and attended the Berklee College of Music from 1976 to 1977, studying under Neil Stubenhaus and Whit Browne...

      : Bass
    • Dave Wilczewski: Tenor saxophone

External links

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