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Steve Smith and Vital Information 2023

Featuring:


Steve Smith
(Journey/Steps Ahead) - drums
Manuel Valera (Dafnis Prieto/John Patitucci) – keyboards
Janek Gwizdala (Peter Erskine/Mike Stern) - bass

Drummer Steve Smith has been touring and recording with his group Vital Information since
1983 making 2023 the 40th Anniversary of the group. Steve Smith and Vital Information
celebrate the occasion with a newly recorded double CD release entitled TIME FLIES.

The newest line-up of Vital Information features two virtuoso musicians with vast experience.
Keyboardist
Manuel Valera, is a Guggenheim Fellow and Grammy nominated artist, born and
raised in Havana, Cuba, now living in NYC. Manuel plays and records with many of the New
York jazz elite like Antonio Sanchez, Dafnis Prieto and John Patitucci. Electric bassist
Janek
Gwizdala
, originally from London, currently living in Los Angeles, records and tours with Peter
Erskine, Mike Stern and Randy Brecker and is one of today’s most in-demand bass players.
Both new members of Vital Information are bandleaders, in their own right, and recording artists
with multiple recordings to their names.

The new trio version of
Steve Smith and Vital Information collectively creates a powerhouse
sound. Although the band is rooted in the straight-ahead swing of bebop, at times the group
explores exotic time-signatures from the world of South Indian Carnatic music and have
arranged adventurous funk-driven renditions of jazz standards. Seeing Steve Smith and Vital
Information live in concert is a perfect opportunity to experience their high-level musicianship,
sense of joy onstage and collective virtuosic improvisation.

Steve Smith had this to say about Vital Information’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.”


As part of the 40th Anniversary celebration, Wounded Bird Records has recently released Steve
Smith and Vital Information: The Complete Columbia Recordings, a four CD set combining the
first four Vital Information albums into one package. Steve Smith, the former drummer for the
iconic rock band
Journey, has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has
won numerous
Modern Drummer Readers Polls including being named one of the Top 25
Drummers of All Time.

www.vitalinformation.com  www.manuelvalera.com  https://janekgwizdala.com

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

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