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Vital Information
Versatile keyboardist Tom Coster has been firmly entrenched in the San Francisco music scene for over 30 years. He was playing with Gabor Szabo and Rahsaan Roland Kirk long before he came to prominence in Carlos Santana's band, a stay that lasted eight years. Explorative guitarist Frank Gambale, first hit the scene (like Smith) playing with Jean-Luc Ponty, he later gained more attention as a member of Chick Corea's popular Elektric Band. Both Coster and Gambale are Vital Information mainstays, having been featured on the last five recordings, as well as leading many recordings under their own names. Bassist Baron Browne is the newest member of Vital Information. His funky four string approach gives the band a more grounded feeling. He firmly roots the band in the true essence of funk, as one will immediately notice. Browne has worked in the past with Gary Burton, Billy Cobham, Jean-Luc Ponty, Steps Ahead and Kevin Eubanks but has never sounded better than he does with Vital Information. The group's founder and drummer, Steve Smith, has a resume that stretches from Ahmad Jamal to Steps Ahead to Mariah Carey and Journey. It is no surprise that he won Modern Drummer Magazine's #1 All Around Drummer award five years in a row. In the last two years, Smith has led or co-led eight different projects. He is one of the most constantly evolving drummers on the scene today. Steve has strong feelings about his many recent recordings, "I try to put a real individual stamp on all of the projects, so they each have a different, and distinct concept." Where We Come From was a new beginning for Vital Information. The band had decided to reintroduce themselves to their musical roots. This process found them reinvestigating many different styles of music including New Orleans music, the Blues, Bebop, R&B, Soul Jazz, and Free Jazz. Each member of the band wound up rediscovering forgotten influences, and bringing them to the sessions. After musically reinventing themselves, recording Where We Come From, and a good deal of touring, the concept of reinvention has now taken on a complete life of its own. Show 'Em Where You Live finds the band further exploring the process of reinvention, and introducing new ingredients from the drum 'n bass, and the California surf music worlds, while further immersing themselves in their own musical roots. While there aren't many bands utilizing this exploration in their creative process, it is nothing new. The American art form known as jazz, was created by fusing different styles of music. These many styles of music came to this country via ships at the busy seaport of New Orleans, and fused with the blues, creating a new musical genre called jazz. Jazz has always survived by absorbing popular influences, as it has recently with hip hop music. The early fusion bands were firmly based in the blues, rock 'n roll, and jazz. But as fusion evolved, it became more diluted, and eventually became a self-centered genre, cut off from most outside influence. It eventually developed into the bland musical orphan known as smooth jazz that proliferates the airwaves today. By reinvestigating the past, and spicing up the recipe with those forgotten musical ingredients, Vital Information has redeveloped the sound of fusion. "With the last record, we made a conscious decision to go back to our roots, and inject them directly into our music," Smith recalls, "That was the idea behind keyboardist Tom Coster incorporating the Hammond B3 and the accordion, and guitarist Frank Gambale playing a hollow body instrument." For the recording Smith is playing a different instrument as well. He explains, "I grew up playing a small drumset, but I haven't recorded very much on a small kit. So for this record I went back to playing a small four piece set and a few cymbals." Coster points out, "Without the different instruments this would be just another fusion band, but the unique instruments keep the music in sync, and focused." After showing us Where We Come From, Vital Information was anxious to Show 'Em Where You Live. Many of the compositions on the new record were written with specific influences in mind. "Soul Principle" draws inspiration from the Herbie Hancock Headhunter band. Tom Coster's "Shagadelic Boogaloo" is a direct descendant of Booker T & the MG's, and "The Blackhawk" conjures up the feeling of Lee Morgan at the classic San Francisco nightclub of the same name. "Awaken The Hoodoo" is a nod to the Tony Williams Lifetime, and the jazz classic "Gingerbread Boy" is played with the same elasticity that Miles Davis' band performed it in the 60's. Many of Vital Information's tunes grow out of collective ideas that the band develops in the studio. The group documents some of these spontaneous collaborations and has inserted them on the new record, this time around calling them "Cranials." Expounding on this process Smith states, "Lots of times we just turn on the tape, and let the creativity flow." "The Fire Still Burns" is a jam that grew out a drum 'n bass groove and a Jimi Hendrix bass motif. The tune "Brake Failure" evolved out of this process also, and features Gambale exploring some of the darker sounds of the guitar. The band's extensive touring has given them a chance to explore and grow together. This exploration has given us the swinging new tune "Mr. T. C." and the rhythmically evasive "Sideways Blues." The members of Vital Information write together, and they play together with the depth and experience that can only develop from an ongoing, working, touring band. This is a band in every sense of the word. All of the disparate influences, challenging compositions, along with an intelligent and creative approach to the music makes this a very special group, and this their best record. The music world owes a big thanks to Smith, Coster, Gambale, and Browne. Vital Information is a band whose music resonates from the past but surges fearlessly towards the future. Through reinventing themselves, they have formulated an eclectic and exciting new brand of music. Show 'Em Where You Live will substantiate the importance and the eloquence of the music we call "fusion". -- Mark Griffith, Modern Drummer/Recording Artist Live Around The World |
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