Spyro Gyra – Discography (1978-2019) [Smooth Jazz, 32 CD, APE, FLAC]

Genre: Smooth Jazz
Year of release: 1978-2019
Country of artist (band): USA
Audio codec: FLAC (*.flac, *.ape)
Rip type: tracks+cue, tracks
Audio bitrate: lossless
Size: 10.6 GB

The band “Spyro Gyra” was formed in 1974 in the American city of Buffalo as a studio band. The main lineup of Spyro Gyra included bass guitarist Jim Kurzdorfer, percussionist Gerardo Velez, drummer Eli Konikoff, its founders were saxophonist Jay Beckenstein and keyboardist Jeremy Wall. In the late 70s, Jeremy Wall gave up the keyboards to Tom Schuman, taking up the position of sound engineer. The name of the band was given by Jay Beckenstein – the permanent saxophonist and the only musician who remained in the ranks of “Spyro Gyra” from the time of the first lineup. “Spyro Gyra” is a misspelled name of the filamentous algae Spirogyra from the Zygnemataceae family. It accidentally popped into Beckensteen’s mind when the band was choosing a name for its first major public performance. Perhaps the name was intentionally distorted, because there was already a group with the “correct” name – the English folk-rock group from Canterbury “Spirogyra”.

“Spyro Gyra” began its creative path in the year of the disco boom. After 1975, all of Buffalo was taken over by disco clubs, dance records were spinning everywhere, DJs became kings, easily mixing “Boney M” and “Abba” on their turntables. It was necessary to choose: either improve your music and try to become first-rate stars, or change your profession. The music of “Spyro Gyra” combined “nuclear” brass jazz with Latin rhythm, the sound consisted of airy, soft, sparkling parts. The seeming simplicity and naivety, because the musicians of “Spyro Gyra” were never distinguished by pronounced virtuosity of soloists, brought the group great success. In 1979, Jay Beckensteen released the first album, only 500 copies, and sold them from his truck in Cleveland and New York. After the band’s performance on commercial TV, the circulation had to be increased to 70,000. “When we listened to our records,” recalls Jay, “I tried to catch the sounds that make music popular. There was something new, a little strange – a mixture of jazz, R&B and Caribbean music!” The Latin American rhythms of SG began to be used after they heard Dave Samuels’ performances in New York. Jay Beckensteen decided it would be a great idea to inject some fresh tropical sounds into his music.

Since 1979, after the release of the album “Morning Dance”, the group has gained popularity, enough to begin touring around the country. Critics of the pompous magazine “Record World” shamelessly called “Spyro Gyra” “the most promising group in the United States. The company “Amhest” – the largest target distributor of jazz-rock performers – undertakes to distribute the group’s products. To get under the wing of this company meant getting a pass to the world of commercial success. The word “Amhest” was a kind of call sign for lovers of this kind of music: what was distributed by “Amhest”, specialized stores and music lovers bought unconditionally. “Of course, such a successful contract opened all the roads for us. The company really arranged a real “loud” PR-campaign, all the radio stations supported our group. “Morning Dance” became a kind of “classic” in the smooth jazz style, – says Jay Beckenstein. While the performers of the new generation of Smooth Jazz are becoming “format” performers, Beckenstein is proud that SG and other musicians of that time created a new style themselves, and no one told how to do it correctly.

“The reason that I got carried away and devoted myself to jazz, – says Jay, – was, first of all, the freedom that only jazz can give! No restrictions, no rules. If you play differently, call the music whatever you want, but not jazz.” SG’s music was not and will not be commercial, the group never sought to sell as many records as possible: After 20 years of musical creativity, during concerts, when Jay Beckensteen plays a solo, he often turns to his guys with the words: “Well, do you still want to have fun?” By the end of the century, SG’s music approached the usual post-bop, but with electronic instruments. Having settled in New York, the group actively records and tours regularly. The light and transparent style that “Spyro Gyra” created paved the way for countless projects and a whole direction called Smooth Jazz.

Welcome

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyro_Gyra

Album List