Steve Smith's Vital Legacy
Playing the music of Vital Information and Jazz Legacy
Featuring:
Steve Smith (Steps Ahead/Journey) - drums
Andy Fusco (Buddy Rich/Mel Lewis) - alto sax
Mark Soskin (Sonny Rollins/Herbie Mann) - keyboards
Vinny Valentino (Jimmy McGriff/Bill Evans) - guitar
Baron Browne (Jean-Luc Ponty/Billy Cobham) – bass

In a musical world where keeping a working band has proven difficult for many bandleaders, drummer-bandleader Steve Smith has managed to keep two bands working for the past decade. Smith’s jazz-rock band Vital Information, has been touring and recording for 27 years, while his straight-ahead group Jazz Legacy (which began as a Buddy Rich alumni group called Buddy’s Buddies) has been working since 1999. Therefore, it makes perfect sense for this prolific bandleader, who has made a career out of amalgamating the many twists of his musical calling, to blend both bands for his 2010 engagement at The Iridium in New York.
This version of his band is called VITAL INFORMATION - NYC EDITION, which Smith refers to as, “The best of both worlds!”

The lineup of Vital Information NYC Edition brings together members of both bands: saxophonist Andy Fusco (from Jazz Legacy) guitarist Vinny Valentino (from Vital Information), pianist Mark Soskin (from Jazz Legacy), bassist Baron Browne (from Jazz Legacy and Vital Information), with Steve Smith on drums.

Smith’s constantly evolving drumming career has earned him Modern Drummer Magazine's #1 All Around Drummer award five years in a row, which led to him being voted one of the Top 25 Drummers of All Time. In 2002 Smith was voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame. For more info go to Steve Smith's website: www.vitalinformation.com