Steve Smith & Vital Information: “Charukeshi Express” from the NEW PERSPECTIVE album (2025)

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“Charukeshi Express” was written by saxophonist George Brooks and myself and originally appeared on the 2017 Vital Information album Heart Of The City. The piece started as a solo drumset composition with just drums and konnakol. (Konnakol is a rhythmic language from south India) I played it for George and he wrote melodies to go with the konnakol sections. The raga that he used is called Charukeshi, which is where the title comes from. When Manuel Valera (keyboards) and Janek Gwizdala (bass) joined Vital Information in 2020 they took this piece of music into the stratosphere!
In the middle of an East Coast tour supporting our album Time Flies, Manuel, Janek and I stopped by Studio Mozart in Little Falls, NJ June 29, 2023 to record “Charukeshi Express.” When we play “Charukeshi Express” live, I put on a headset and perform the konnakol syllables as I play the drums. For this recording, we played the piece and then I overdubbed two tracks of konnakol. That afternoon we also recorded “Don’t Stop Believin,’” “Open Arms,” and a new version of “The Perfect Date.” You can hear all these tunes on the Vital Information album New Perspective:

Stream Links: https://ffm.to/vitalnewperspective
Signed CDs: www.vitalinformation.com/store/vi.htm
Vinyl LP: https://www.amazon.com/NEW-PERSPECTIVE-Manuel-Valera/dp/B0DV773DSY/
Dolby ATMOS: https://immersiveaudioalbum.com/product/new-perspective-steve-smith-vital-information-atmos-mkv-mp4/

Enjoy!

- Steve Smith