| | Steve Smith Vital Information CD Steve Smith Discography of CDs
 (2 Customer Reviews)
Personnel: Dean Brown (guitar, piano); Mike Stern (guitar); David Wilczewski (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Steve Smith (piano, drums).
Arranger: Steve Smith .
Pre-dating Steve Perry's solo endeavor by a whole year, Vital Information was a peculiar solo release in an age where singers from highly successful bands were the only ones permitted to venture off into solo endeavors. Steve Smith, the drummer from one of arena rock's best bands ever --Journey -- broke the taboo by assembling a small group of musicians and releasing Vital Information, an all-instrumental, seven-song session. Electric jazz in the vein of Pat Metheny and later-era Miles Davis, this album may be a disappointment for those who were expecting more of the pop-friendly anthems Journey has previously delivered. The closest to a "Journey moment" arrives midway through the disc during Mike Stern's blistering guitar workout on "All There Is." But that's exactly what makes this record work: Smith is free of constraints and proves himself quite a versatile and intense drummer, well, capable of brushing things up a bit beyond what Zappa termed the "petrified forest of boom-bap" that rock drummers have become so well-known for. ~ Rob Theakston Steve Smith Vital Information Songs | 1. | Looks Bad Feels Good |
| 2. | Questionable Arrivals |
| 3. | V.G. |
| 4. | Vital Information |
| 5. | All That Is |
| 6. | Stoughton to Stockholm |
| 7. | 13th Month |
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Vital Information Music Review Purchase Vital Information CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Uncle Moe's Space Ranch CD (2001)
Vital Information
 $13.45 
Uncle Moe's Space Ranch: Brett Garsed, T.J. Helmerich (guitar); Scott Kinsey (keyboards); Gary Willis (bass); Dennis Chambers (drums).
Additional personnel includes: Djemel Chergui, Virgil Donati.
Engineers include: T.J. Helmerich, Caio Amnon, Mehdi Hassine.
Recorded at Musicians Institute Studios, Hollywood, California.
Personnel: Virgil Donati (drums).
Audio Mixer: T.J. Helmerich.
Recording information: Musicians Institute, Studio A, Hollywood, CA.
The fourth offering from the guitar partners Brett Garsed and T.J. Helmerich finds the duo surrounded by some of fusion's best. The music has a distinctive Tribal Tech influence thanks to the presence of bassist Gary Willis, but the guitarists' distinctive voices make this a unique sounding quintet. Garsed's long flowing lines are complemented nicely by Helmerich's experimental sonic adventures, which are cohesively held together by the excellent ...
| | Vital Information Show 'Em Where You Live CD (2002)
Vital Information
$13.89 
Vital Information: Tom Coster (keyboards); Frank Gambale (guitar); Baron Browne (bass); Steve Smith (drums).
Recorded at Neverland Studio, Marin County, California on October 4-17, 1999.
This tenth recording from the now legendary quartet reminds listeners that, while smooth jazz often gets better press, there are still fans of honest to God inventive electric fusion who will eat up this type of powerfully rocking and energetic project. Bassist Baron Browne joined the core trio of Steve Smith (drums), Frank Gambale (guitar), and Tom Coster (keyboards) in 1998, and provides a rollicking bouncy energy throughout on tunes like the feisty Herbie Hancock ode "Soul Principle" and the '60s soul-jazz-flavored "Cat and Mouse" (featuring some of Coster's slyest Hammond B-3 lines). A few new changes include the addition of the Fender Rhodes to Coster's rack and more organic, exotic guitar sounds by Gambale. It's fun trying to identify the band's specific influences, and it's easy to pinpoint Booker T. (the swinging, ultra-hip "Shagadelic Boogaloo," one of the disc's catchiest, dare it be said, pop numbers) and Lee Morgan ("The Blackhawk," a soulful tribute to the San Francisco nightclub of the same name). They also specifically identify which tune is dedicated to the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Peppered in the midst of the stronger tunes here are seven experimental pieces called "Cranial No. 1," "No. 2," etc., with lengths varying from one to over seven minutes. These show off some spectacular ...
| | Greg Howe Extraction CD (2003)
Vital Information
$14.29 
/Victor Wooten/Dennis Chambers.
Personnel: Greg Howe (guitar, keyboards, guitar synthesizer); Greg Howe; Victor Wooten (bass guitar); John Grant (drums); Dave Cook (keyboards); Dennis Chambers (drums).
Audio Mixers: Mark Gifford; Tony Gross.
Recording information: Ashmoon Studio; Dave Cook's Home Studio; Greg's Home Studio; Moore Music Recording; Secret Sound Studio; Victor Wooten's Home Studio.
Photographer: Lisa Lake.
Although he's primarily known as a heavy metal shredder, guitarist Greg Howe can pretty much adapt to any style thrown his way -- including jazz fusion. And this is precisely the style that is featured throughout 2003's Extraction, which saw Howe joined by such top-notch instrumentalists as Victor Wooten on bass and Dennis Chambers on drums (as well as David Cook on keys). Longtime fans of Howe who are hoping for at least a glimpse of his hard rock roots are out of luck here, as the tunes often recall the carefree fusion days of the 1970s, when such artists as Billy Cobham, Stanley Clarke, and Al di Meola were consistently giving a clinic with chops-heavy tunes. As far as modern-day fusion goes, Extraction is pretty darn consistent from front to back, as evidenced by such uptempo ...
| | Vital Information Come On In CD (2004)
Vital Information
$14.49
Steve Smith (Drums): Steve Smith ; Baron Browne (bass guitar); Frank Gambale, Tom Coster.
Personnel: Steve Smith (drums); Frank Gambale (guitar); Tom Coster (accordion, keyboards); Baron Browne (electric bass).
Audio Mixer: Robert Biles.
Liner Note Author: Bill Milkowski.
Recording information: Neverland Studio, Marin County, CA (03/16/2004-03/24/2004).
Photographers: Bryan Kilfoil; Ian Cameron Smith; Tim Ellis.
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 ...
| | Steve Smith Orion CD (1984) Reissued
Vital Information
$10.49 
Personnel: Dean Brown (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, guitar synthesizer); Eef Albers (guitar, electric guitar); David Wilczewski (saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Steve Smith (piano, drums, percussion); Tim Landers (bass guitar).
Audio Mixers: Kevin Elson; Phil Greene.
Recording information: Normandy Sound, Warren, RI (01/1984).
Illustrator: Simon Zadovsky.
Photographer: Joe Quever.
Again, a noticeable departure from his work as the timekeeper in Journey, Steve Smith's Vital Information project is straight-ahead, ...
| | Dennis Chambers Boston T Party CD (2006)
Vital Information
$13.85
Personnel: Dennis Chambers (drums); T Lavitz (keyboards); David Fiuczynski (fretless bass).
Audio Mixers: Glenn A. Tabor III; T Lavitz; Wade Starnes.
Recording information: Media Central Studios, Brandon, FL (09/2005); Wellspring Studios, Acton, MA (09/2005).
Editor: Wade Starnes.
Photographer: T Lavitz.
In the '80s, there appeared to be an onslaught of fusion releases that managed to incorporate elements of funk into the mix, while also favoring an incredibly clean production. Although the style appeared to go largely out of vogue in the '90s, several veteran players continued to stick to their guns, including drummer extraordinaire Dennis Chambers. Chambers has been releasing solo albums since the late '90s, yet he's probably best known as a hired gun, having played alongside several renowned artists of the rock world -- Santana, Steely Dan, and Parliament-Funkadelic -- as well as guitarist John Scofield. In 2006, Chambers united with three other musicians equally skilled on their respective ...
| | Super Disco Band CD (1996)
Vital Information
$10.19
Super Disco Band includes: Billy Nichols (guitar).
Personnel: Jerry Ciccone (guitar); Assunta d'Aquilla (harp); Marty Salyk (violin, viola); Al Wagner, Sy Mifoff, Lonny Buinis, Sam Zimmerman, Paul Smith (violin); Morris Sutow (viola); Joe Furia (cello); George Dessinger (flute, tenor saxophone); Harold Keinz (flute, ...
| | Phil Woods Pairing Off CD (1991)
Vital Information
$9.29
Phil Woods Septet: Phil Woods, Gene Quill (alto saxophone); Kenny Dorham, Donald Byrd (trumpet); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Doug Watkins (bass); Philly Joe Jones (drums).
Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey on June 15, 1956. Originally released on Prestige (7046). Contains original ...
| | Urban Smooth Jazz CD (2002)
Vital Information
$14.49
| | Jaga Jazzist Magazine CD (2004)
Vital Information
$16.19
| | bionic brit Schlicht Und Ergreifend CD (2006) (Import)
Vital Information
$15.39
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