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About Spyro Gyra
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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by Mario Calvitti
Spyro Gyra Roma Jazz Festival 2022 Auditorium Roma 12.11.2022 Pochi gruppi, e non solo in ambito jazzistico, possono vantare una carriera altrettanto lunga di quella degli Spyro Gyra, che si avvicinano ai cinquant'anni di attività, iniziata nel 1974 con la fondazione della band da parte del sassofonista Jay Beckenstein e del tastierista Jeremy Wall. Nel 1977 veniva pubblicato il primo album autoprodotto, che ottenne un immediato successo sull'onda crescente dell'allora ...
read moreSpyro Gyra: The Rhinebeck Sessions
by Glenn Astarita
In 2014, the Buffalo, NY band Spyro Gyra will celebrate its 40th anniversary. Indeed, a remarkable feat. Well-known for cross- pollinating contemporary jazz with jazz-fusion, the musicians merge an amenable game plan with engaging melodies and largely buoyant grooves amid a sense of bravado, stemming from their formidable chops and intense improv segments. The group locks into a bevy of spunky motifs, complete with tuneful hooks and pumping rhythms. They delve into jazz-funk, Latin and mainstream jazz, along with a ...
read moreSpyro Gyra: Down the Wire
by Woodrow Wilkins
It's been 30 years since Spyro Gyra released their one and only crossover hit, “Morning Dance." Changes in how decisions are made as to what gets played on the radio pretty much guarantee the group will not score another; that's unfortunate, because they continue to make eye-opening, jaw-dropping music. Down the Wire is a set of 11 new songs, all composed by members of the group: Jay Beckenstein, saxophones; Julio Fernandez, guitars; Tom Schuman, keyboards; Scott Ambush, bass; ...
read moreSpyro Gyra: A Night Before Christmas
by Jeff Winbush
In any major artist's discography are some stock entries besides the usual studio releases. There's also the live album, the greatest hits album (even if the artist only had one or none) and the inevitable Christmas album.Why Spyro Gyra felt the urge to release A Night Before Christmas, their album of Christmas songs, is a question best answered by Jay Beckenstein, the saxophonist and original member who's been the guiding light of the band for over 30 years. ...
read moreSpyro Gyra: A Night Before Christmas
by Woodrow Wilkins
'Twas A Night Before Christmas, and all through the land, everyone was listening ... to a world-famous band. With apologies to Clement Moore, the title of Spyro Gyra's first all-out holiday release delivers on its promise of good cheer. Founded in the mid-'70s by Jay Beckenstein and Jeremy Wall, Spyro Gyra has consistently remained among the most popular and forward-thinking instrumental groups. Its music has crossed the boundaries of fusion, pop, Latin, Brazilian, African and various shades ...
read moreSpyro Gyra: Good to Go-Go
by Woodrow Wilkins
In a way, Spyro Gyra is the Steely Dan of jazz. For most of their years, The Dan was Donald Fagen, Walter Becker and an ever-changing lineup of session musicians. Spyro Gyra started in similar fashion, with saxophonist Jay Beckenstein and keyboardist Jeremy Wall fronting a band they called Tuesday Night Jams. The duo performed on Long Island on Tuesdays with a rotating cast of sidemen. Later joined by teenage keyboardist Tom Schuman, they became Spyro Gyra--a name that began ...
read moreSpyro Gyra: Wrapped in a Dream
by Woodrow Wilkins
When people say “one-hit wonder, the last thing that comes to mind is an act that's been around for three decades, recorded some 25 albums (not counting compilations), and has legions of fans worldwide. Yet, that's what Spyro Gyra is--the wonder being that one of contemporary jazz's most popular acts has only one hit song: “Morning Dance. Since then, the group has delivered such diverse albums as Alternating Currents (1985), Three Wishes (1992) and Original Cinema (2003), as well as ...
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