Drummer’s Review
Organiser of The Europe Drum Show, who also organise The UK Drum Show in Liverpool, are pleased to announce their first main stage act for their debut event which takes place in Friedrichshafen, Germany spring 2025.
Steve Smith’s drumming, while decidedly modern, can best be described as a style that embodies the history of U.S. music. Steve is active as a bandleader (Steve Smith and Vital Information) as a featured sideman (Mike Stern Group, Zakir Hussain’s Masters of Percussion, Steps Ahead, Hiromi-The Trio Project) and as an educator/clinician.
Steve Smith grew up in the Boston area and started playing drums at the age of nine in 1963. He studied music at the Berklee College of Music from 1972 to 1976 with Alan Dawson and Gary Chaffee as his private instructors. Over the past 50 years he has toured and recorded with some of the biggest names in jazz and rock – appearing on recordings that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide – including Journey, Bryan Adams, Mariah Carey, Zucchero and Jean-Luc Ponty. Other notable jazz artists Smith has played with include Buddy DeFranco, Benny Golson, Ahmad Jamal, Dave Liebman, Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, Bill Evans, Hiromi and Zakir Hussain.
Smith produced and played on a series of sixteen jazz albums for the Tone Center label featuring players such as Frank Gambale, Stu Hamm, Oteil Burbridge, Larry Coryell, Jerry Goodman, Howard Levy, Steve Marcus, Scott Henderson and Victor Wooten. His release The Best Of Steve Smith – The Tone Center Collection is a sample of some of his favorite tracks from those collaborations. From 2016-2019 Steve Smith toured with the iconic rock band Journey, the group in which he recorded nine albums with massive hits. A highlight of that collaboration is DVD/CD set titled Journey Live In Japan 2017 Escape & Frontiers. In 2017 Smith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
2023 was the 40th Anniversary of Smith Smith’s group Vital Information. The new trio incarnation of Vital Information features two young virtuosos: Manuel Valera on keyboards and Janek Gwizdala on electric bass. Their 2023 release is titled TIME FLIES. Wounded Bird Records has also recently released The Complete Columbia Recordings, a four CD set of the first four Vital Information albums recorded and released from 1983-1988.
Steve Smith was voted “#1 Fusion Drummer” in the 2012 Modern Drummer readers poll and his Modern Drummer Legends book was voted #1 Educational Product of 2023. Smith has previously been voted “#1 All-Around Drummer” in the Modern Drummer Magazine Readers Poll for five consecutive years from 1987-1991. The 2008, 2009 and 2010 Drum! Magazine readers voted Smith #1 Jazz Drummer. In 2001 Steve was named by Modern Drummer Magazine as one of the “Top 25 Drummers of All Time.” In 2002, he was voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame and in 2003 his Hudson Music DVD Steve Smith Drumset Technique – History of the U.S. Beat was voted #1 Educational DVD.” Hudson Music released Steve’s DVD/CD Drum Legacy – Standing on the Shoulders of Giants in 2008, which was voted Best DVD of 2009 by the readers of Drum! Magazine. In 2017 Steve topped an unprecedented three categories in the Modern Drummer poll: #1 Rock Drummer, #1 MVP and #1 Educational Product for his Hudson Music Book/Video Pathways Of Motion. In 2018 MD readers voted Smith #1 Classic Rock Drummer.
“We are so pleased to welcome the talents and skills of Steve Smith to the debut of The Europe Drum Show, in association with Sonor Drums. Steve will take to the main stage on Saturday 29th March 2025, along with an appearance in the Mike Dolbear Clinic Room on Sunday 30th,” says organiser Neil Golding.
Continuing Golding said, “the momentum and success of The UK Drum Show has been infectious for many, with 2023 being our most successful and best attended show to date. However, we are thrilled to now offer the drum and percussion sector this additional opportunity to have this type of event replicated in Europe to engage with those consumers that are possibly unable to travel to the UK. Interest from artists, brands and distributors has been hugely popular with a variety of brands booking in advance to secure space and plan for what we expect will be some something very special.”
For companies wishing to exhibit at either The UK Drum Show in September 2024 or in Friedrichshafen spring 2025, they can contact the organiser at:
organiser@theukdrumshow.com or organiser@theeuropedrumshow.com
The post Steve Smith Confirmed as First Main Stage Artist for The Europe Drum Show 2025 appeared first on Drummer’s Review.
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