Drummer extraordinaire Steve Smith has a couple incarnations of his Vital Information band; this one is the trio format with Manuel Valera/p-key and Janek Gwizdal/eg, with some guest work by George Garzone/ts and Mike Mainieri/vibes. The result is a wide ranging and inspiring two disc set, one consisting of hard bopping material and the other a collection of “instant group compositions” that contradicts the idea that “spontaneous” equals “cacophony”. Both discs simmer!Smith shows he’s got bebop in his blood, with the team taking on creative reads of material from pioneer Bud Powell on a “Tempus Fugue-It” has brush work akin to Astaire’s dancing, and a sizzling “Un Poco Loco” that needs road clearance to pick up after the avalanche. Vakera’s keys add rich depth to Thelonious Monk’s Ugly Beauty” , and when Garzone brings in his tenor, things start shaking on “What Is This Thing Called Love” and a ricocheting “Inception”. Gwizdala adds rich electric bass work to “Ernase” and Mainieri’s vibes percolate on “No Qualm”.
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The second session claims to be spontaneous, but it’s hard to believe that something this cohesive and tight could be off the cuff, but who am I to say? A take of Coltrane’s “One Down, One Up” skips like a stone on Lake Superior, and then an8 part “Prayer For the Generations” is a glorious group effort of a quartet with Garzone glowing on “Part 3”, the tam getting into a funk fest on ”Part 6” and Smith lighting the fusion fuse on “Part 8”, but the entire opus is jaw dropping in wonderment. Take this band on the road!!!