Spyro Gyra's

Thirty-one years and 27 albums in (not including compilations), urban contemporary jazz unit Spyro Gyra are playing with the funky inspiration and clever melodic and rhythmic invention that have made them synonymous with the genre, but that they haven't displayed on their own recordings for some time. This is not to say the quintet have ever been completely off their game. They know what they do, and do it extremely well – they can make smooth and groove-oriented records all day long – but the sheer edge and shifty, even knotty melodic ideas on "Good to Go-Go" feel adventurous in contrast to the records they've made since the beginning of the decade where they've fused smooth jazz to some Caribbean, Spanish, and other kinds of world music as well as written and recorded with pop vocalists.

Spyro Gyra mostly sticks to their formula of danceable melodic music on this GRP release but there are a few temporary departures. The harmonica of the talented Howard Levy is used prominently on "Breakfast at Igor's," two different horn sections pop up on a few songs and there are a pair of throwaway pop vocals from Alex Ligertwood. However, longtime Spyro Gyra fans have little to fear for the solos of saxophonist Jay Beckenstein and vibraphonist Dave Samuels are predictably pleasant, the light funk rhythms push the ensembles and the band's sound remains distinctive, familiar and comfortable. ~Allmusic

Excellent live collection of Spyro Gyra creations. It's got the obligatory \"Morning Dace\" and \"Shaker Song\" with some band favorites thrown in for a deeper flavor. The recordings convey the enthusiasm of the crowd and the band's rapport with them. Particularly good is \"Latin Streets,\" the band's farewell encore, including a fantastic, smooth, and rocking guitar solo as the band just sits back and enjoys their music and our enjoyment of it as well. If you have ever seen Spryo Gyra live you know how they always take their songs up a notch with added improvisation and true showmanship.

Saxophonist and bandleader Jay Beckenstein was a master of the smooth jazz sound before the genre had a name. He hasn't lost his touch on this outing, but it's clear that his bandmates–guitarist Julio Fernandez and bassist Scott Ambush–are also learning the art of crafting a pop instrumental hook.

Saxophonist and bandleader Jay Beckenstein was a master of the smooth jazz sound before the genre had a name. He hasn't lost his touch on this outing, but it's clear that his bandmates–guitarist Julio Fernandez and bassist Scott Ambush–are also learning the art of crafting a pop instrumental hook.

Spyro Gyra, a jazz fusion band from Buffalo, NY formed in 1974 and created the framework for contemporary jazz in the 80s and 90s. Celebrating this milestone 50th anniversary of the band's formation, comes Jubilee, a new collection featuring 16 songs that capture the band's ever-expanding palette in it's first decade of recording (1978-87) and includes fan favorites "Shaker Song", "Morning Dance" which have had chart success in multiple countries plus tracks the band continues to perform across the globe. The new LP and CD contains never before seen photos from the band's early days and more recent world tours, liner notes from veteran music journalist Jonathan Widran and a newly recorded song, "50/50" - a riff on the title of the band's 1997 release 20/20, which marked 20 years and 20 albums.

Spyro Gyra's new release Vinyl Tap, their first album of new material in six years, is sure to excite their worldwide fan base as well as to bring new listeners into the fold. Never content to rest on their prodigious work of the past, they have once again challenged themselves to apply their iconic sound to an idea that makes this release stand out from all of it's predecessors.

Spyro Gyra, a jazz fusion band from Buffalo, NY formed in 1974 and created the framework for contemporary jazz in the 80s and 90s. Celebrating this milestone 50th anniversary of the band's formation, comes Jubilee, a new collection featuring 16 songs that capture the band's ever-expanding palette in it's first decade of recording (1978-87) and includes fan favorites "Shaker Song", "Morning Dance" which have had chart success in multiple countries plus tracks the band continues to perform across the globe. The new LP and CD contains never before seen photos from the band's early days and more recent world tours, liner notes from veteran music journalist Jonathan Widran and a newly recorded song, "50/50" - a riff on the title of the band's 1997 release 20/20, which marked 20 years and 20 albums.