Steve Smith & Vital Information at Birdland Theater

Drummer Steve Smith brings his long-running jazz group Vital Information to Birdland Theater for a night of high-level musicianship and collective improvisation. The current trio features Manuel Valera on keyboards and Janek Gwizdala on bass, performing material from their 2025 release *New Perspective*, which reimagines songs Smith previously recorded, including Journey classics like "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Open Arms." Rooted in bebop swing, the group explores exotic time signatures from South Indian Carnatic music and delivers adventurous, funk-driven renditions of jazz standards.

Smith, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and former Journey drummer, has led Vital Information since 1983, making this a rare chance to see him with his own band in an intimate club setting. Expect virtuosic improvisation and a setlist that spans the group's rich history, from early fusion to their latest explorations.