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 Over the past eight years, Steve Smith & Buddy's Buddies has been developing a unique "small big band" sound and direction, and has matured into an exhilarating and vibrant The group has been moving away from exclusively playing music associated with Buddy Rich to playing music that is dedicated to the legacy of many great jazz drummers.
Pianist Mark Soskin, a prolific writer and arranger, has been adding exciting original compositions and arrangements to the book, allowing the band to evolve with its own voice.
The sad and unexpected passing of Steve Marcus in September 2005 created a void that the group had to consider carefully how to fill. Where a door closes, a window opens, and Walt Weiskopf came to mind. He brought a fresh approach to the band with his virtuosic playing, writing and arranging. Walt has already been adding great contemporary charts to the band's repertoire, expanding their musical direction.
At that point it was clear that the band had outgrown its original concept, thus a new band was born -- Steve Smith's Jazz Legacy.
Steve Smith reveals, "Part of our mission will be to perform music honoring great drummers of jazz history. We have charts dedicated to Philly Joe Jones and Art Blakey and we're developing new material for each tour. We also intend to carry on the tradition of many of the drummer-led jazz bands, which is to communicate with music lovers of all generations, strive for excellence and play non-compromising, burning, straight-ahead jazz."
The lineup of Steve Smith's Jazz Legacy is Andy Fusco (Buddy Rich/Mel Lewis), alto sax; Walt Weiskopf (Buddy Rich/Steely Dan), tenor and soprano saxes; Mark Soskin (Sonny Rollins/Herbie Mann), piano; Baron Browne (Vital Information/Billy Cobham), bass; and Steve Smith (Vital Information/Journey), drums.
MORE ABOUT STEVE SMITH'S JAZZ LEGACY
 Steve Smith - drums - Smith's early inspiration was drawn from the great drumming stars of the big bands such as Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson and Kenny Clarke, among others.
Smith performed in the usual school band program and garage bands while in his teens, but also began to broaden his performing experience by playing in a professional Brockton concert band and even the big band at the local college, Bridgewater State. After high school, Smith began studying music at the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1972. There he received valuable instruction from such renowned teachers as Gary Chaffee and Alan Dawson. His drumming influences at this time came to include such notables as Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, Lenny White and Steve Gadd.
In 1974 Smith's professional career began in full, at 19 years old, with his tenure in the Lin Biviano Big Band, which he toured and recorded with for the next two years. At that same time he also performed with bebopper Buddy DeFranco and was a member of free-jazz group The Fringe featuring George Garzone. In 1976, Smith began his association with jazz fusion by joining violinist Jean Luc Ponty and recording the album "Enigmatic Ocean" (Atlantic 1977), which also featured guitarist Allan Holdsworth. However, it was while touring with rocker Ronnie Montrose a year later that Smith was asked to join the popular rock band Journey which brought his playing to the attention of a young rock audience.
Smith began leading his own fusion band Vital Information (currently featuring Tom Coster on Hammond B-3, Frank Gambale on guitar and Baron Browne on bass) in 1983 while still a member of Journey. This powerful ensemble allowed Smith the opportunity to fully develop his uniquely robust drumming style and express his developing concept as a band leader. His explosive solos and intricate timekeeping served to gain him much acclaim from sources such as Modern Drummer Magazine, whose readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row. Vital Information's '97 release, Where We Come From, was voted Best Contemporary Jazz Recording Of 1998 by the Association For Independent Music.
Smith has also maintained an extensive touring and recording career, appearing with many jazz luminaries such as Mike Mainieri's group Steps Ahead. This band, which included virtuosos such as Michael Brecker and Mike Stern, was one of the most successful of the '80s electric jazz groups and Smith contributed greatly to their tight, energetic sound for seven years (1986-1993). Other high profile jazz touring and/or recording gigs that have filled the drummer's schedule include such artists as Ahmad Jamal, Jeff Berlin, Michael Manring, Stanley Clarke, Randy Brecker, Zakir Hussain and the Buddy Rich Big Band, with whom he has performed in many tribute concerts to the late drumming idol. He also rejoined Journey for a short time in 1996 to record the reunion album "Trial By Fire" (Columbia 1996). Smith's calendar often includes many drum clinics in which he is able to display his phenomenal techniques to drumming students around the world.
 Walt Weiskopf - tenor sax - Tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf was born in Augusta, Georgia and grew up in Syracuse, New York. He moved to New York City in 1980 and joined the Buddy Rich Big Band the following spring at the age of 21. Walt joined the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra in 1983 when Toshiko relocated to New York from Los Angeles. During his tenure with the Akiyoshi Band Walt began working with and writing for his own quartet and recorded the first of his nine CDs in 1989. Walt's most recent recording, Siren (Walt Weiskopf Nonet - Criss Cross Jazz 1187), was released in September, '00.
In the November '00 issue of JazzTimes, Chuck Berg observed "...there's electiricity in Weiskopf's sound. Dark and edgy, it's a sonic bulldozer, relentlessly probing and pushing...".JazzTimes described Walt's CD Sleepless Nights, as "yet another first-rate offering from a major talent." JazzTimes' Bill Milkowski counted Walt among his "five most underrated players" and Walt's CD, Song for My Mother (Criss Cross Jazz), was recently awarded four stars in Downbeat. Bret Primack of Jazz Central Station listed Song for My Mother as one of the ten best jazz albums of 1997. Crusader Magazine chose Song for My Mother as its number one Jazz Pick of the Year.
Walt's first release, Exact Science (Iris Records) received unanimous praise; Jazztimes magazine said, "The music presented in this collection is rhythmically and harmonically innovative ...introspective and sometimes haunting, but always fresh and swinging." Cadence called it "a very auspicious debut"; and Jazziz remarked that it "explodes with intriguing ideas." Jazztimes characterized a second recording for Iris entitled MindWalking as "a robust and virile session sparked by Weiskopf...the first thing you're apt to notice is the hefty tone and the ease with which he handles the challenging tempos..."
His 1993 release, Simplicity (Criss Cross Jazz) was number one on Eurojazz radio for four straight weeks. In its "Recommended Recordings" Mel Martin of Saxophone Journal said: "Walt Weiskopf's prime influence as a player appears to be John Coltrane, but he is no slavish imitator. He seems to have developed an approach that gets to musical matters in a powerful and positive way, asserting a definite viewpoint. He does this, for the most part, through original compositions that are descriptive of events, real and imagined, that put musical substance ahead of style. He displays much technical accomplishment, yet makes it sound basic and accessible, which is no mean feat...he appears to be ready and able to make a substantive contribution to the music. This is definitely recommended listening."
Walt wrote the music for his next project, A World Away (Criss Cross) for a foursome including organist Larry Goldings, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart. In 1995 he departed briefly from his original music to record Night Lights (Doubletime); a CD of mostly standard tunes arranged by Walt for a quartet including his brother Joel on piano, Drew Gress on bass and Steve Davis on drums. Walt's current tour de force, Song arranged by Walt for a nonet including flutist Anders Bostrom, Jim Snidero on alto sax, Scott Robinson on baritone sax, Joe Magnarelli on trumpet, Conrad Herwig on trombone, Joel Weiskopf on piano, bassist Peter Washington and Billy Drummond on drums.
Walt received a Bachelor of Music degree in 1980 from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. At Eastman he studied saxophone with Ramon Ricker who, ten years later, teamed up with Walt to write Coltrane: A Player's Guide To His Harmony and The Augmented Scale in Jazz (both are published by Jamey Aebersold). Downbeat's Trent Kynaston called Coltrane "the best treatise I have seen on the study of Coltrane substitutions." In 1994 Walt completed Intervalic Improvisation (pub. Aebersold); a 136 page player's guide used and recommended by saxophone greats James Moody and Michael Brecker for broadening the horizons of modern jazz improvisation.
In the fall of 1980 Walt moved to New York City joining the Buddy Rich band just six months later at the age of 21. Weiskopf's association with Toshiko Akiyoshi began shortly after he left the Rich band in 1983. He recorded four CD's with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra as well as three with Ms. Akiyoshi's small group before leaving the band in 1996. Walt formed his own small group in 1985 - a quartet with his brother Joel as pianist, bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Jeff Hirshfield. He began recording with the quartet in 1989 for Iris Records.
In a recent review for L.A. Jazz Scene, Bill Cunliffe said "Walt Weiskopf is one of the great composers of modern jazz...." - a statement not to be taken lightly from a pianist who himself won the prestigious Thelonius Monk competition. Walt was recently featured in Saxophone Journal (September, '00).
Walt studied under clarinetist Leon Russianoff in 1988-89 and earned a Master of Arts in clarinet performance from Queens College of the City University of New York. He has performed with the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, the American Composer's Orchestra and the Concordia Chamber Orchestra. In 1994 he performed the Aaron Copland Concerto for Clarinet as guest soloist with the Gotham Chamber Orchestra in New York City.
Walt received performance grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1989, 1991 and 1994 to fund live performances of his music in New York City. Since 1992 Walt has been a regular fixture at Jamey Aebersold's Summer Jazz Workshops where his relaxed, no-nonsense teaching style has come to be in great demand. He has done clinics and concerts at the University of Southern California, Paris Conservatory, Richard Strauss Conservatory (Munich, Germany), University of Alaska, Western Michigan University, Lawrence University, University of Kentucky and the Cincinatti Conservatory of Music. He has lectured and coached at the Manhattan School of Music, the Eastman School of Music, The Aaron Copland School of Music, and is currently on the faculty at New Jersey City University in Jersey City, New Jersey.
 Andy Fusco - alto sax - New York City-based alto saxophonist Andy Fusco first earned notice for his 1978-1983 stint with the Buddy Rich Big Band, also touring with Gerry Mulligan and Mel Lewis. He made his headlining debut in 1996 with Big Man's Blues; Out of the Dark followed three years later.
 Mark Soskin - piano - Mark Soskin has recorded and performed with such diverse musicians as Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Randy Brecker, Billy Cobham, Buster Williams, Eddie Henderson, Stanley Turrentine, Cornell Dupree, Herbie Mann, John Abercrombie, Claudio Roditi, Sheila Jordan, Gato Barbieri, Joe Locke, David"Fathead"Newman, Mark Murphy, Slide Hampton, Pete and Sheila Escovedo, Bobby Watson, Miroslav Vitous, The NY Voices and others.
Soskin attended Colorado State University where he pursued classical studies, but at this time his interests in jazz music were growing. In 1973 he enrolled in The Berklee College of Music, studying composition as well as arranging. In Boston he began to work professionally until moving to San Francisco, eventually going on to work with some of the west coast's finest players.
Shortly after arriving in San Francisco, Soskin was introduced to the Latin music legend, Pete Escovedo. Along with Pete's daughter, percussionist Sheila. E, they toured and recorded as Azteca, a group in which Soskin's keyboard, writing, and arranging talents were showcased. Eventually, the group, which now included Tom Harrell on trumpet, went on to record two discs for Fantasy Records, produced by drum ace Billy Cobham. Soskin was enlisted in Cobham's band, a stint that lasted for two years and which produced two recordings for Columbia. Between tours for Cobham, Soskin did a tour and live recording for the CBS All Stars with Tom Scott, Alphonso Johnson, Steve Khan, and Billy Cobham. At this time Soskin was very active as a session player at Fantasy studios in Berkeley, California and veteran jazz music producer Orrin Keepnews took notice.
Soskin signed his first recording contract with Prestige (a subsidiary of Fantasy) produced by Keepnews, entitled "Rhythm Vision." This featured the likes of Benny Maupin and Harvey Mason with the album eventually making it into Billboard's top ten Jazz Chart.
Keepnews introduced Soskin to Sonny Rollins, which started a long, fruitful collaboration (14 years). Besides the extensive touring throughout the world, Soskin can be heard on a number of critically acclaimed recordings with the tenor sax master, including a video,"Saxophone Collosusî.
Since 1981 Soskin has resided in New York City, remaining active as sideman and as a leader. He has seven of his own recordings to date and three as co-leader, one which features Harvie Swartz and Joe LaBarbera with Sheila Jordan called "Spirits", one under the name "Contempo Trio" with Danny Gottlieb and Chip Jackson featuring Ravi Coltrane and another Contempo Trio recording named "The Secret of Life" featuring Carolyn Leonhart. His recording, "17" on TCB, highlights Soskin in a quintet setting featuring mainly original compositions. His latest CD "One Hopeful Day"(Kind of Blue,2007) features John Abercrombie,John Patitucci,Chris Potter, and Bill Stewart.He continues to maintain a busy tour schedule as well as giving master classes and workshops. Television performance credits include the HBO hit series, "Sex And The City." Examples of arranging projects have been writing for Slide Hampton's "World Of Trombones" and his writing and playing on Steve Smith's DVD,"Drumset Technique/History of the U.S. Beat". Soskin has been featured in solo piano concerts throughout the world such as the Ottawa Jazz Festival. He has performed the premier of contemporary classical music composer John Adams' opera, "Ceiling/Sky" at Lincoln Center.
Soskin is currently on the faculty of The Manhattan School Of Music and has been written up in numerous music publications, including Ira Gitler and Leonard Feather's Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz and The Jazz Book by Joachim E. Berendt. Mark Soskin is featured in the film documenting latin jazz artists entitled "Calle 54." †
 Baron Browne - bass - Born and raised in Georgia, USA, Baron Browne gravitated to music at a very early age, learning to play his uncle's drumset at 7 years old. As a teenager he dabbled in piano lessons and at age 12 played guitar for a year before realizing that bass guitar was to be his instrument.
At age 18, Baron was launched into the professional music scene right out of high school, moving to Boston and studying at the Berklee School of Music. After studying at the prestigious school for a year, he began working full time in Boston with artists such as Kevin Eubanks, Tiger Okoshi, Mike Stern, Bill Frisell and Dean Brown.
In 1983, Baron received a call from jazz-fusion violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. After touring for three years and recording three albums with Ponty, Billy Cobham came calling. Baron traveled extensively throughout Europe and the U.S. with the legendary drummer. After three years and two albums with Cobham, Baron returned to the Ponty band for more work.
In 1992, Baron joined the group Steps Ahead featuring Mike Mainieri and "Saturday Night Live" saxophonist Alex Foster. One year later he was invited by renowned jazz vibraphonist Gary Burton to join him for tours of Japan, Europe and the U.S.
Baron's versatility with playing all styles of music allowed him to also perform with R&B and Pop artists such as Brian McKnight, Tom Jones and Exposé.
In 1996, Ponty called on Baron once again to record his first live album in over 20 years ("Live at Chene Park"). The album received rave reviews from jazz critics. In 1997 Baron's talents were secured by renowned Journey drummer Steve Smith for a European tour with his group Vital Information.The sought-after bassist has made several television appearances, including "The Pat Sajak Show" on CBS and "Ohne Filter" in Germany.
Baron can be heard on many albums by jazz recording artist Walter Beasley. Walter's album "For Your Pleasure" reached the number one spot on the Billboard contemporary jazz chart. Because of Baron's musical experience, Walter also made Baron musical director of his touring band.
In 1999 Baron went on an extensive tour of Europe, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand with Steve Smith and Vital Information to help promote their CD entitled "Where We Come From." A double live CD called "Live Around The World" documenting the band on that tour was released Sept. 2000.
In the year 2002 Baron continued to tour with Vital Information to promote the CD "Show 'Em Where You Live." He was also included in the writing and producing of this album.
While working with Vital Info, Steve Smith also uses Baron for his Buddy Rich tribute band Buddy's Buddies with Mark Soskin and Buddy Rich alumni Steve Marcus and Andy Fusco. They have released two live recordings showcasing that lineup, "Very Live at Ronnie Scotts' Set 1 and Set 2."
As of 2004, Baron continues to write and perform with Vital Information as a full-fledged member. Their latest release "Come On In" received rave reviews from jazz critics around the world.
Baron has continued to be a major force in the music industry. He has expanded his range to include producing and arranging for other artists as well as his own projects.
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Joe Eckert
 JOE ECKERT has just been appointed as the first full-time Professor of saxophone at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. From 1987-2004, he served as adjunct faculty at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia and assumed full-time duties from 2004-07 as Professor of Saxophone and Director of Jazz Studies. He retired in 2004 from a 20-year career as lead alto saxophonist/woodwind specialist and director for the USAF Band's Airmen of Note in Washington, D.C. Mr. Eckert received his B.M. from Baldwin-Wallace College in saxophone performance and went on to complete graduate and post-graduate studies at the University of North Texas, where he was a member of the world renowned One O'clock Lab Band, principal saxophonist with the Wind Symphony and soloist with the Symphony Orchestra. Prior to joining the Airmen of Note, he was Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Director of Jazz Studies at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia (1981-84), where his ensembles were awarded for their excellence and he received the "Outstanding Teacher Award" for 1982-83.
While with the "Note" he toured extensively across North and South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. As producer for the "Jazz Heritage Concert Series," he collaborated with some of the great names in jazz to include Louie Bellson, Bob Berg, Randy Brecker, Jimmy Heath, Cleo Laine, David Liebman, Mike Mainieri and Clark Terry. He has also performed with Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Jon Faddis, Bunky Green, J.J. Johnson, Carmen McRae, Sammy Nestico, Tommy Newsom, Red Rodney, Kenny Werner, Paquito D'Rivera, Claudio Roditi, Arturo Sandoval, Dr. Billy Taylor, Joe Williams and many others. As coordinator of the "Jazz Outreach Education Series," he brought the expertise of Airmen of Note to aspiring music students throughout the country. Some of his freelance activities include performances with the Dallas Symphony, the Fort Worth Symphony, and the National Symphony Orchestra and tours with Liza Minnelli and Nelson Riddle. In the popular music world he has performed with the likes of Lou Rawls, Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Anthony Newley, Natalie Cole and Michael Jackson.
Comfortable in both jazz and classical idioms, he was the only member of the faculty at Shenandoah to have been a guest soloist with the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble and Brass Quintet. He has served as an adjudicator and clinician at music festivals, high schools, and colleges nationally and internationally. Mr. Eckert's professional affiliations include The American Federation of Musicians, Music Educators National Conference and the International Association for Jazz Education. Mr. Eckert is a Yamaha-performing artist/clinician.
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Dr. Lou Fischer
 Dr. Lou Fischer is professor of music, jazz activities coordinator, and jazz ensemble director at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio where he teaches American Pop/Jazz Theory, Jazz Arranging and directs the Fusion Band and Award winning Big Band. He is currently in his second term as U.S. Representative/Executive Board member for the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE), past-president of the Ohio chapter, and has served IAJE in many other capacities throughout his thirty-two years of service.
As a Yamaha performing artist, playing the Silent Bass exclusively, Lou has been an extremely active performer in the entertainment industry for forty-three years, having performed on over 2,000+ commercials, 50+ Broadway shows, including touring worldwide with The Crusaders, Airto, Charlie Byrd, Bill Watrous, Red Rodney, Rich Matteson, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Emmy Lou Harris, plus the orchestras of Woody Herman, Louis Bellson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Les Hopper, Tex Beneke, and Jimmy Dorsey, among many others.
Lou has four album releases under his own name as a bandleader. Having performed on over 200+ recordings, he is also featured as a founding member of the group "Beaux J Poo Boo" on All Things Are New; The Manne We Love: Gershwin Revisited (Steve Houghton); A Time For Love and Bone-I-fied (Bill Watrous); The Joy (Shelly Berg); A Miracle (The Frank Mantooth Big Band); and High Wire (Sunny Wilkinson).
In July 2007, recently completing a twelve-day tour to Australia, Dr. Fischer has appeared as a performer, clinician and/or director at jazz festivals in France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, England, Holland, Canada, Japan, Korea, Great Britain, Scandinavia, Mexico, and at over three hundred high schools/universities in the United States. He recently conducted the all state jazz ensembles of Texas, North Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Colorado and Louisiana. Having acted as faculty at various camps and the IAJE Teacher Training Institutes over the years, "Dr. Lou" is currently jazz division head for the Music For All/Bands of America Summer Symposium.
A music publisher for 13 years, Fischer now publishes his compositions with Walrus Music. He is co-author of Rhythm Section Workshop for Jazz Band Directors (Alfred); Stylistic Etudes in the Jazz Idiom (Hal Leonard); and has contributed various articles to the Jazz Educators Journal and The Instrumentalist regarding jazz pedagogy. As a composer, Fischer has penned commissions for the jazz ensembles of Louisiana Tech, Illinois Wesleyan, and Ball State Universities, and has completed a four-movement symphonic work titled Shades of Winter, premeired by the Capital-Bexley Community Orchestra in 2003.
A member of the University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band (1971-1974), Fischer earned a bachelor of music in jazz performance, magna cum laude, and a master of arts in composition with honors from the University of Denver. He holds a doctor of arts in bass performance, with a secondary in theory and composition from Ball State University in Indiana.s
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Mike Steinel is a jazz trumpeter, pianist, composer and arranger. He is presently Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas where he teaches jazz improvisation, pedagogy of jazz improvisation and jazz trumpet. Prior to coming to UNT Mr. Steinel was jazz artist in residence at Bethel College and was on the faculty of Northern Illinois University.