Record Reviews

STEVE SMITH ~ BUDDY’S BUDDIES TONE CENTER 40062 (Barcode: 8712725400622) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1999 Released: 1999 Legendary drummer Buddy RichFind albums by this artist is usually associated with soaring Big Bands, but he also made several recordings with small ensembles, using the members of his band to play in a much more intimate setting. This album is a tribute to these small ensemble recordings, initiated by ex-Buddy Rich alumni Steve MarcusFind albums by this artist and Andy FuscoFind albums by this artist (both sax players). They joined forces with two other alumni, who also played with Rich on his small group recordings: pianist Lee MusikerFind albums by this artist and the extraordinary bassist Anthony JacksonFind albums by this artist. To drive the quintet and fulfill the place of their legendary drummer / leader they invited one of the most respected and musical US drummers Steve SmithFind albums by this artist. Smith is not only a fantastic player, but also one of the most versatile musicians around. His illustrious career spans back to the 1970 when he played with the Rock group JourneyFind albums by this artist during their hay days and with the French violin virtuoso Jean-Luc PontyFind albums by this artist and his Fusion group. Later on he played in several jazz small groups, Big Bands and a myriad of Fusion ensembles (including Steps AheadFind albums by this artist), always being one of the most solid and sought after drummers around. Since the early 1980s Smith also leads his own Fusion group Vital InformationFind albums by this artist, recording several albums over the years. It’s no wonder therefore that Smith is up to the challenge set up by this album, leading the quintet with grace and elegance. The music includes a selection of standards mostly associated with Buddy Rich ensembles. The level of musicianship is outstanding, with Smith and Jackson providing rock-solid rhythm foundation for the other musicians to solo. Although the music is well framed within the swing genre, it is fascinating and beautifully played. This album deserves to be considered as one of the best jazz recordings of the 1990s. Definitely a must for all people who cherish the memory of Buddy Rich and hard swinging well played jazz.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

STEVE SMITH ~ FLASHPOINT MASCOT 7175 (Barcode: 8712725717522) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2005 Released: 2005 Veteran Fusion drummer Steve SmithFind albums by this artist combines forces with three other extraordinary musicians to form one the best Fusion ensembles ever. Legendary saxophonist Dave LiebmanFind albums by this artist needs no introduction and his exceptional work since his days with the Miles DavisFind albums by this artist group has always been a beacon of innovation and excellence in the jazz world. The same can be said about the legendary bassist Anthony JacksonFind albums by this artist, whose illustrious career includes playing with Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist, Michel PetruccianiFind albums by this artist and countless other jazz stars. The fourth member of the band, Turkish keyboards player Aydin EsenFind albums by this artist, is the only relatively unknown musician in the group, but his performances and compositions prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that he belongs to the same class of musicianship with his three companions. The music is simply breathtaking and overwhelming from the very first moment this record starts playing to the very last note. The music (written mostly by Liebman and Esen) is rich in textures and incredibly intense. The performances are stellar, with one solo chasing another. The entire session just flows beautifully, simultaneously filling the listener with energy and stimulating his intellect. Definitely one of the strongest, cleverest and most fulfilling Fusion albums recorded in the 21st Century. Wholeheartedly recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

STEVE SMITH / VITAL INFORMATION ~ LIVE! ONE GREAT NIGHT Q-RIOUS 124 (Barcode: 4260027621244) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2007 Released: 2012 This is a live recording the American Jazz / Fusion drummer Steve SmithFind albums by this artist and his quartet Vital InformationFind albums by this artist, which includes veteran keyboardist Tom CosterFind albums by this artist, bassist Baron BrowneFind albums by this artist and the new guitar player Vinny ValentinoFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by the group members, often co-composed by more than one person, which originate from the "Come On InFind albums with this title" and "VitalizationFind albums with this title" albums. The music was recorded in 2007 during a tour promoting the "Vitalization" album. The set also includes a DVD recording of the music present on the audio album, with one additional track. Vital Information has been active since the early 1980s and is one of the steadiest and most consistent American Fusion bands and Steve Smith is one of the most respected and revered American drummers with an impressive resume and practically limitless experience. The album presents an interesting twist on two of the tracks, which is the result of Smith´s studies of Indian rhythms, which he utilizes by using konnakol (Indian vocal, i.e. sung, percussion). The rest of the material is completely straight forward Fusion stuff, perfectly executed by all the musicians, with a lot of Funky beats and incredible feel. The music is quite nice, but does not offer anything that the genre did not present earlier on. Basically the album epitomizes Fusion (and particularly American Fusion) as a genre that got out of wind decodes ago and has been threading in one place since. In spite the fact that there are incredibly talented musicians involved, the music offers more of the same time after time. Perhaps Fusion is still a viable environment for live music, but on record it lost its impact long time ago. Fusion fans will find this definitely interesting and worth listening to; as for the rest of the music loving community, it is always great to play this music while driving an open car in hot climates.

CD+DVD 2 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

STEVE SMITH / VITAL INFORMATION ~ VITALIZATION HUDSON 101 (Barcode: 884088156442) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2006 Released: 2007 This is the twelfth album by the American Jazz / Fusion drummer Steve SmithFind albums by this artist and his quartet Vital InformationFind albums by this artist, which includes veteran keyboardist Tom CosterFind albums by this artist, bassist Baron BrowneFind albums by this artist and the new guitar player Vinny ValentinoFind albums by this artist. Several guest musicians also take part in the recording, including the excellent saxophonist Bill EvansFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve original compositions, all by the group members, often co-composed by more than one person. Vital Information has been active since the early 1980s and is one of the steadiest and most consistent American Fusion bands and Steve Smith is one of the most respected and revered American drummers with an impressive resume and practically limitless experience. The album presents an interesting twist on two of the tracks, which is the result of Smith´s studies of Indian rhythms, which he utilizes by using konnakol (Indian vocal, i.e. sung, percussion). The rest of the material is completely straight forward Fusion stuff, perfectly executed by all the musicians, with a lot of Funky beats and incredible feel. The music is quite nice, but does not offer anything that the genre did not present earlier on. Basically the album epitomizes Fusion (and particularly American Fusion) as a genre that got out of wind decodes ago and has been threading in one place since. In spite the fact that there are incredibly talented musicians involved, the music offers more of the same time after time. Perhaps Fusion is still a viable environment for live music, but on record it lost its impact long time ago. Fusion fans will find this definitely interesting and worth listening to; as for the rest of the music loving community, it is always great to play this music while driving an open car in hot climates.

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

HIROMI UEHARA ~ ALIVE TELARC 35307 (Barcode: 888072353077) ~ JAPAN ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the ninth album by the extraordinary Japanese female pianist / composer Hiromi UeharaFind albums by this artist, and the third recording with her current trio (called The Trio ProjectFind albums by this artist) with the legendary veteran American bassist Anthony JacksonFind albums by this artist and the outstanding British drummer Simon PhillipsFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of nine original compositions, all by Hiromi. Seeing Hiromi on stage, which I was fortunate to experience once again just a few weeks ago (with drummer Steve SmithFind albums by this artist replacing the otherwise busy Simon Phillips), clearly reaffirms the impression that Hiromi is in a class of her own, blessed by powers like a force of Nature. The moment she steps on the stage the fragile and modest women turns into a Diva with an irresistible personality and overwhelming performing skills, simply stunning her audiences for the entire duration of the concert. She is a complete pianist, able to play in every style and in every genre with the same ease and elegance, regardless if she plays a Classical piece or a Jazz improvisation or a Rocky riff. The Trio Project finds Hiromi supported by two Masters of their trade, which turn it into a mean and lean music machine, which is unstoppable. With this trio Hiromi consistently moves away from the traditional Jazz environment and creates her own niche, which is somewhere in between Fusion, Prog and Vaudeville. Jackson lays a wonderful background sound upon which Hiromi´s improvisations ride securely and confidently. Phillips is right behind her, supporting her every move and emphasizing the rhythmical structures, forcefully but non-aggressively. As a composer Hiromi manages to come up every time with a set of superbly melodic pieces, which manage to sound different from everything she did earlier and yet somehow are consistently familiar, even catchy, from the first time one listens to them. She surely is one of the best song-weavers on the contemporary scene, proving time after time that nice little tunes can be anything but trivial or simplistic. Such a collection of talents in several areas, like composition, performance and showmanship is very rare indeed. With nine albums (and four DVDs) in just a decade Hiromi emerged as one of the most prolific, impressive and talented new arrivals on the world´s music scene, and she absolutely deserves every bit of the admiration and following she enjoys all over the world.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend