Steve Smith & Vital Information

Drummer Steve Smith has been touring and recording with his all-star group Vital Information since1983. The new line-up of Vital Information incorporates players with vast experience. Keyboardist Manuel Valera, a Guggenheim Fellow and Grammy-nominated artist, who was born and raised in Havana, Cuba and now living in NYC, plays with many of the NY jazz elite like Antonio Sanchez, Dafnis Prieto, and John Patitucci. Bassist Janek Gwizdala, originally from London, records and tours with Peter Erskine, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker and is one of the most in-demand bass players in the world. Although the band is rooted in the straight-ahead swing of bebop, at times the group explores time-signatures from the world of South Indian Carnatic music, and they have arranged adventurous funk-driven renditions of jazz standards.

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.” In addition to his forty years leading Vital information, from 2016-2019 Steve Smith toured with the iconic rock band Journey, the group in which he recorded nine albums with massive hits. In 2018 alone, Journey played for over 1,000,000 fans in arenas and stadiums across North America. Smith has won numerous Modern Drummer Readers Polls and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Vital Information Website 
Sponsored by Jon Hoech
(Ticket Includes 5% City of Santa Cruz Admission Tax)