FRANK GAMBALE · STUART HAMM · STEVE SMITH — Show Me What You Can Do (1998) Two Version | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Gambale and the gang tear it up! Stu Hamm is Levinesque-thundering, Stanley Clarke-kicking bass. Vital Information's Steve Smith's drumming keeps right up when it gets wild and hold things together during spacy chordal splurges. These pros got pumped watching old Mahavishnu Orchestra videos and cranked up the old fusion fires. Gambale surprised me on this one. So many of his other releases exhibit more of that bouncy jazz with clean, fast, sweep picking and an obvious structured disciplined approach. This album shows he can get mean, edgy, overdriven, and raw, and be a downright awesome riff monster. Hamm is an earthquake, Smith a splinter-slingin' tornado.

I heard McLaughlin's odd modes and moods clearly influencing "The Promise" and "Dangerous Curves." Tasteful harp-plucked chord progressions build in a Summers/Metheny/Holdsworth meshwork. Everyone gets space to stretch on "Beyond The Bridge" and "Sink." Hamm goes bassman crazy on "Wrong and Strong." Watch out Manring. On "Astral Traveler," Gambale does the Eric Johnson/Satriani dance, throws in a dose of his own machine gun bullet notes in a Scott Hendersonian bluesy-rock raunch, and deftly so at full throttle. "Tanya's Touch" sets you soul-travelin' the rain-slick, empty streets, wandering thru whispering snows, and then over the earth's glowing, blue-fired atmosphere. Find out for yourself what other nice surprises await you here. Pick this one up for end-of-the-millenium fusion finesse. Highly recommended. John W. Patterson
Tracklist :
1. Bad Intent 7:03
 Frank Gambale / Stuart Hamm / Steve Smith 
2. The Promise 5:39
 Frank Gambale / Stuart Hamm / Steve Smith 
3. Dangerous Curves 6:39
 Frank Gambale / Stuart Hamm / Steve Smith 
4. Beyond The Bridge 6:32
 Frank Gambale / Stuart Hamm / Steve Smith 
5. Sink 4:33
 Frank Gambale / Stuart Hamm / Steve Smith 
6. Wrong And Strong 6:12
 Frank Gambale / Stuart Hamm / Steve Smith 
7. Astral Traveler 5:42
 Frank Gambale / Stuart Hamm / Steve Smith 
8. Tanya's Touch 5:28
 Frank Gambale / Stuart Hamm / Steve Smith 
9. Lydia's Love Van  9:43
 Frank Gambale / Stuart Hamm / Steve Smith 
Credits :
Frank Gambale - Guitar
Stuart Hamm - Bass
Steve Smith - Drums

VITAL INFORMATION — Ray Of Hope (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Ray of Hope is Vital Information's seventh release, the first for Intuition Records and their first in four years. The material was actually recorded long before the release, while leader/drummer Steve Smith shopped around for a record deal. The majority of the selections have heavy commercial overtones, but the heavy grooves, nice melodies, and superb musicianship save this from being just another light fusion affair. Ever the selfless leader, Smith gives all bandmates plenty of opportunities to shine. In particular, keyboardist Tom Coster and bassist Jeff Andrews both shine on their duet of Horace Silver's "Peace." Drummers will be most pleased with the Max Roach-inspired drum solo "Maxed Out," a three-minute tour de force that proves why Smith is held in such high regard among his colleagues. While Ray of Hope may not be the most inspired recording the band has released, there is enough here to please most fans of high-energy jazz/rock fusion and/or contemporary jazz. Robert Taylor
Tracklist :
1. Clouds ( 1:01 )
 Jeff Andrews / Tom Coster / Frank Gambale / Steve Smith 
2. Celebrate Life ( 4:57 )
 Jeff Andrews / Tom Coster / Frank Gambale / Steve Smith 
3. Rio Lize ( 4:48 )
  Frank Gambale / Morris Pleasure
4. Lorenzo`s Soul ( 5:32 )
 Jeff Andrews / Tom Coster / Frank Gambale / Steve Smith 
5. Sacred Treasure ( 5:49 )
 Frank Gambale / Narada Michael Walden 
6. Sixth Sense ( 4:37 )
 Jeff Andrews 
7. Ray Of Hope ( 5:41 )
 Jeff Andrews / Tom Coster / Frank Gambale / Steve Smith 
8. Maxed Out ( 2:56 )
 Steve Smith 
9. All My Love, Always ( 6:30 )
  Frank Gambale
10.Peace ( 4:13 )
 Horace Silver 
11.Fit To Be Tied ( 6:25 )
 Jeff Andrews 
12.Over And Out ( 5:39 ) 
 Jeff Andrews / Tom Coster / Frank Gambale / Steve Smith 
Credits :
Steve Smith - Drums
Tom Coster - Keyboards
Frank Gambale - Guitar
Jeff Andrews - Bass

STEVE SMITH | TOM COSTER | LARRY CORYELL — Cause And Effect (1998) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Produced by Bob Thiele and recorded at Electric Lady studios with engineer Eddie Kramer, Barefoot Boy is one of Larry Coryell's finest recordings as a leader. "Gypsy Queen" was recorded prior to bassist Mervin Bronson's arrival at the studio, and features the percussion section locking into a groove over which Coryell lays down a riff and Steve Marcus cuts loose with a fiery soprano sax solo. When it's his turn to solo on this opening number, Coryell turns up the heat, sounding like a cross between Jimi Hendrix and Sonny Sharrock. (Coryell played with Sharrock on Herbie Mann's Memphis Underground.) "The Great Escape" finds Coryell cooking over a bass and percussion groove, with Marcus on tenor sax. "Call to the Higher Consciousness" is a side-long 20-minute jam in which all the players take a ride, with Marcus once again cooking on the soprano sax. Roy Haynes is superb throughout, working in tandem with the percussionists to keep the music moving. This recording is a noteworthy example of the possibilities inherent in the early days of fusion, blending the electrifying energy of rock with the improvisational excitement of jazz.  Jim Newsom
Tracklist :
1. These Are Odd Times ( 7:54 )
Written-By – Larry Coryell, Steve Smith, Tom Coster
2. Plankton ( 4:34 )
Written-By – Larry Coryell, Steve Smith, Tom Coster
3. Wrong Is Right ( 7:16 )
Written-By – Larry Coryell
4. Bubba ( 6:02 )
Written-By – Larry Coryell
5. Cause & Effect ( 0:49 )
Written-By – Steve Smith, Tom Coster
6. Night Visitors ( 8:08 )
Written-By – Larry Coryell, Steve Smith, Tom Coster
7. Miss Guided Missile ( 8:37 )
Written-By – Larry Coryell, Steve Smith, Tom Coster
8. First Things First ( 7:51 )
Written-By – Larry Coryell
9. Night Visitors Revisited ( 2:19 )
Written-By – Steve Smith, Tom Coster
10. Finale Wes & Jimmy ( 11:13 )
Written-By – Larry Coryell, Steve Smith, Tom Coster
Personnel :
Bass – Benny Rietveld (tracks: 2, 6, 10), Victor Wooten (tracks: 1)
Drums, Producer – Steve Smith
Guitar, Co-producer – Larry Coryell
Keyboards, Co-producer – Tom Coster

LARRY CORYELL | STEVE SMITH | STEVE MARKUS | KAI ECKHARDT – Count's Jam Band Reunion (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

First some background: Before fusion became popular in the early '70s, there was a community of  musicians in NYC experimenting with jazz-rock in the mid- to late '60s. Two of the leaders of this movement were guitarist Coryell and a saxophonist known as Steve "The Count" Marcus. They documented these radical new ideas on two classic recordings made in 1967 and 1968 using the name Count's Rock Band. The two also collaborated on many of Coryell's later projects. They met up again in 1999, and decided to go at it again with drummer Steve Smith and bassist Kai Eckhardt. The music's not so radical anymore, since everyone's been through the fusion days, but the playing is incredible and as spirited as ever (musicians never seem to age, do they?). "Scotland" features a furious flurry of a melody testing the racing skills of Coryell and Marcus in tandem. "Reunion" features an off-meter percussion pattern and a push-and-pull interaction between Marcus' percussive soprano lines and Coryell's acoustic swirls. "Rhapsody in Blues" pays homage to Gershwin in a unique way, with the tandem jumping to and fro and overlapping each other and Smith banging away; they break for a lively piano solo by pianist Jeff Chimenti. "Blues for Yoshiro Hattori" shows off Marcus' wistful soprano skills, but is even more notable for its pulsing rhythm section. "Jammin' With the Count" is a crazy free for all that's best enjoyed by fans of these guys. Some of the other stuff will attract fusion curiosity seekers, but to get the full pleasure, you should know the history or be fans of the players in question. Jonathan Widran

Tracklist :
1. Scotland (6:33)
Larry Coryell
2. Reunion (9:55)
Kai Eckhardt
3. Rhapsody & Blues (11:14)
Larry Coryell
4. Pedals and Suspensions (5:52)
Larry Coryell
5. Foreplay (8:09)
Larry Coryell
6. Blues For Yoshihiro Hattori (6:48)
Larry Coryell
7. Tomorrow Never Knows (12:45)
John Lennon, Paul McCartney
8. Ballad For Guitar And Soprano (5:37)
Larry Coryell
9. Jammin' With The Count (5:45)
Steve Marcus, Steve Smith, Kai Eckhardt
(Total Time 73:01)
Larry Coryell : Guitars
Steve Smith : Ddrums
Steve Marcus : Soprano Ssaxophone
Kai Eckhardt : Bass
Jeff Chimenti : Piano (on 1,3,6,7)