Steve Smith and Vital Information

Vital Information is:
Tom Coster, keyboards
Baron Browne, bass
Vinny Valentino, guitar
Steve Smith, drums

One of the longest-running and most diverse fusion groups, Vital Information has been keeping their music exciting and fresh for 25 years. This supergroup serves up a veritable banquet of sounds, from slamming funk and syncopated second line grooves to seriously swinging, up-tempo B-3 burners, South Indian Carnatic-inspired jams, and sizzling fuzoid romps. Each member comes to the group with their own impressive resume:

Steve Smith is the group’s founder and leader. He has played with artists like Ahmad Jamal, Zakir Hussein, Andrea Bocelli and Journey. He has won Modern Drummer’s “#1 All-Around Drummer” award five years in a row.

Baron Browne has played with Gary Burton, Billy Cobham, and Tom Jones. Possessing a serious groove, Browne is a key factor in the group’s versatility and longevity.

Tom Coster has played keyboards for Gabor Szabo and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, but is best known for his work with Santana.

Vinny Valentino has played guitar with Randy Brecker and Jimmy McGriff, among many others. The newest member of the band, he joined the group in July of 2006.

“Drummer Smith and this powerhouse band prove once again they are just about the best fusion band in music.” – Bob Karlovits, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Check out this band interview with some live footage:
http://vitalinformation.com/steve/drumtalk.html

---