Drummer Steve Smith Announces Birdland Residency For Next Month

Drummer Steve Smith will perform at Birdland Jazz Club in New York City for an unprecedented five consecutive weeks with five different groups September 16 through October 16. Smith is known for playing with Jean-Luc Ponty, Journey, Steps Ahead and his own group Steve Smith and Vital Information. Smith will unveil the newest version of his Vital Information group in the Birdland Theater, September 16, 17 and 18. The new trio version of Vital Information features Manuel Valera on keyboards and Janek Gwizdala on electric bass.

The group Coltrane Revisited will celebrate the music, and September 23rd birthday, of John Coltrane from September 20 through 24. In addition to Smith on drums, Coltrane Revisited features Vincent Herring, Jimmy Greene, and Greg Osby on saxes, Helen Sung on piano (Sept 20,21), Jeremy Pelt on trumpet (Sept 22-24) and Lonnie Plaxico on bass. Coltrane Revisited plays Birdland each September performing different material from John Coltrane's varied recorded output. This year the group will perform the entire Giant Steps album.

The Bouncin' With Bud Trio performs the music of Bud Powell September 29 through October 2. Steve Smith will join pianists Helen Sung (Sept 29), Manuel Valera (Sept 30, Oct 1, 2) and bassist Lonnie Plaxico to perform the music from Bud Powell's album The Scene Changes.

The Misterioso Quartet, featuring Tim Hagans on trumpet, Steve Cardenas on guitar, Ben Allison on bass with Steve Smith on drums, will play the music of Thelonious Monk October 7, 8 and 9. For his fifth week at Birdland, Smith will play with the group called Four In One, which features Jimmy Greene and Greg Osby on saxes, Paul Bollenback and Mitch Stein on guitars, also playing the music of Thelonious Monk from October 13 through 16. For details and to make reservation, go to birdlandjazz.com

Vital Information is approaching its 40th Anniversary in 2023 as the first Vital Information album was released in 1983. Wounded Bird Records recently released a four CD set of the first four Vital Information albums called The Complete Columbia Recordings. For more info: vitalinformation.com

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