(BFM Jazz)

Drummer Steve Smith presents his Vital Information franchise, which is celebrating 30 years on the jazz scene, in a fantastic CD-DVD combo package, Live! One Great Night. Three decades since the formation of the project, Smith is pushing the envelope with his fusion of rock and jazz, and a touch of the blues. Recorded live in 2007 at The Mobius in Ashland, Oregon, the performances are high energy from start to finish. Smith is, as always, assisted by a solid group of musicians, including Tom Coster on keyboards, Baron Browne on bass and Vinny Valentino on guitar and some very innovative scat vocalizations. The CD and DVD are a thoroughly entertaining showcase of the outstanding musicianship we’ve come to expect from a Vital Information project over these many years.