Has Steve Smith sold more albums than any jazz drummer alive? It’s a distinct possibility.
Not playing jazz, of course.
Jazz is the dominant musical impulse in Smith’s life. The Massachusetts native studied it at Berklee in Boston and plays it these days primarily in two bands, the veteran fusion act Vital Information and the newer, Indian-accented Raga Bop Trio.
The album sales, naturally enough, come through Smith’s pop credits, most notably his stretch with Journey during that band’s late ‘70s-early ‘80s heyday. For five-plus years, Smith was part of a true hit-making machine, one of the world’s most successful groups. And those songs still resonate for many, as the “Glee”-ful retread of “Don’t Stop Believin’” testifies.
(It is worth noting, however, that in an earlier incarnation Journey was primarily a fusion band. It only fully embraced pop in 1977 at its record company’s urging.)
That’s something akin to ancient history now. At the moment, Smith is focusing on Vital Information. He and bandmates – Santana alum Tom Coster (keyboards), Baron Browne (bass) and Vinny Valentino (guitar) – perform Monday at Yoshi’s in San Francisco.
Here’s what Smith told me regarding the band, its sound and its past.
Question: Let me start by noting that these questions reach you in India. You clearly have a strong connection to Indian music (as fans of Raga Bop can attest) but what specifically finds you there now?
Smith: I played a concert in Chennai with two of the leading musicians of India: Selvaganesh and U. Shrinivas. Both of those musicians play in the group Shakti and I’ve loved their playing for years but it was the first time I really got to play with them outside of an informal jam a few years ago. Selvaganesh play the percussion instrument called the kanjira and U. Shrinivas plays the mandolin. We had Jonas Hellborg on bass, who is also quite familiar with Indian music. So together we had a powerful quartet.
Question: Vital Information is creeping up on its 30th year together. Remind us how the project initially came about -- what musical longing did you envision it satisfying? Moreover, how has the band's sound evolved over the past three decades?
Smith: I started the band in 1983 when I was still a member of Journey and I needed an outlet for my jazz playing. We made four albums for Columbia from 1983-88 and did a lot of touring. Vital Information has always served as a vehicle for me to express my new musical ideas and collaborate with some of my favorite musicians.
The current lineup has been together for quite a few years. We use each member’s strengths to develop and personalize the music. Tom has gotten back to his Hammond B3 roots along with playing the accordion on some songs. Vinny Valentino and Baron Browne are adding some vocalizing to their playing, which brings in a nice texture to the music and I’ve added the Indian artform of Konnakol – the percussive vocal language from south India.
Question: Tom has been in VI since 1986. What does it take for musicians such as yourselves to maintain not just that long a professional relationship but a friendship as well?
Smith: Tom and I get along very well and share a common experience of both being musicians that were in rock bands but remained most passionate about playing jazz. Tom has kept his enthusiasm for playing and composing for Vital Information and that is a key too. I need musicians that really want to play in this band and, even though they will play music in many other situations, when we are on tour as Vital Information they make this music a priority.
Question: When can we expect to see a new Vital Information album?
Smith: We have an extensive tour of Japan coming up this June and we plan on recording some of the shows for a live album. I’ve wanted to document this band’s live performance for a while. Vital Information has a large catalog of music and this lineup has taken that music to a very high level and has developed the music in very creative ways. I feel that it’s important to record that for the fans. In the past, when a non-subscriber wanted an Arena seat, they would have to wait months to know where they were sitting...and this schedule eliminates that waiting period. We have tried to do this in the past, but 2011 just seemed to be the year; we could not put it off any longer. Your comments are valued by the staff, and we know there will be an adjustment period...for us as well. We're all in this together!
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