Spyro Gyra | |
|---|---|
 Spyro Gyra in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz,jazz fusion,smooth jazz |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Labels | Amherst,MCA,GRP,Windham Hill,Heads Up |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | www |
Spyro Gyra/ˌspaɪroʊˈdʒaɪrə/ is an Americanjazz fusion band that was formed inBuffalo, New York, in 1974. The band's music combinesjazz,R&B,funk, andpop music. The band's name comes fromSpirogyra, agenus ofgreen algae which founderJay Beckenstein had learned about in college.
SaxophonistJay Beckenstein and keyboardistJeremy Wall formed a band with jazz and rock musicians who were playing in the Buffalo bar and club circuit.[1] In 1974, when a bar owner asked for the band's name, Beckenstein said, "spirogyra", a type of algae he had learned about in school.[1] The bar owner wrote the name incorrectly, "Spyro Gyra", but it stuck.[1] The founding members of the band were Beckenstein, Wall, bassist Jim Kurzdorfer, drummer Tom Walsh, and keyboardistTom Schuman.[1] In 1977, they releasedSpyro Gyra independently before making a deal with Amherst Records,[2] which re-released the album with a different cover. It included "Shaker Song," which reached No. 90 on Billboard's Hot 100,[3] No. 99 on the pop chart in Canada,[4] and No. 26 on the Canadian AC chart.[5] Jay Beckenstein and Richard Calandra co-produced the record, while Beckenstein and Wall each wrote an equal number of compositions.[6] After the success of "Shaker Song," the band went on tour in 1978 with a lineup including Beckenstein on sax, Wall and Schuman on keyboards, Kurzdorfer on bass, Freddy Rapillo on guitar, Eli Konikoff on drums andGerardo Velez on percussion.[7]
The band's second albumMorning Dance reached No. 11 in theUK Albums Chart, No. 27 on theBillboard Top 200 albums chart, and No. 47 in Canada.[8] The song "Morning Dance" reached No. 17 in theUK Singles Chart,[9] No. 1 on the US Adult Contemporary singles chart,[10] No. 45 on the Canadian pop charts,[11] and No. 6 on the Canadian AC charts.[12] The album was certified gold in 1979, then platinum in 1987 by theRIAA.[13] In addition to the band, the album featured guest musicians including trumpet playerRandy Brecker, saxophonistMichael Brecker, guitaristsJohn Tropea andHiram Bullock, bassistWill Lee, drummerSteve Jordan and percussionistRubens Bassini. Drummer Ted Reinhardt and guitarist Rick Strauss were in the band lineup during recording, but by the album's completionChet Catallo joined on guitar. Jeremy Wall left the touring lineup but would continue to compose for the band.[14] The sextet of Beckenstein, Schuman, Catallo, Kurzdorfer, Konikoff and Velez became the band's touring lineup in 1979, continuing into 1980.[15]
WhenInfinity Records folded,Catching the Sun was released on MCA in February 1980, becoming the No. 4 jazz album of 1980, peaking at No. 31 in the UK,[9] and No. 80 in Canada.[16] This album included the first composition for the group by Tom Schuman, who would become a regular writer along with Beckenstein and Wall, while other band members also contributed compositions.[17] Bassist Jim Kurzdorfer left the group in 1980, replaced by David Wofford, and for a tour of JapanSheila Escovedo temporarily replaced Velez on percussion.[18] The group released their next album,Carnaval, in late 1980.[19] Carnaval included the hit single penned by guitarist Chet Catallo, "Cafe Amore" which peaked in July of 1981 at 14 on the US Adult Contemporary Chart.
Catching the Sun was certified gold in 1985 by the RIAA, followed in 1987 byCarnaval.[20] The group's next release wasFreetime, in 1981.[21]
Incognito (1982) featured as guests bassistMarcus Miller, drummerSteve Gadd, saxophonistTom Scott, pianistRichard Tee, harmonica playerToots Thielemans, and pianistJorge Dalto.[22]City Kids (1983) introduced bassist Kim Stone, replacing Wofford. It was the first Spyro Gyra album recorded atBearTracks Studios, a studio in Suffern, NY established by Beckenstein in 1982.[23]
The live albumAccess All Areas, recorded in Florida in November 1983, introduced marimba and vibraphone playerDave Samuels (who had guested on earlier tracks including the hits "Shaker Song" and "Morning Dance") as a full-time member of the band.[24] After this album, Eli Konikoff and Chet Catallo left the group, to be replaced by drummer Richie Morales and guitaristJulio Fernández.
The new lineup (Beckenstein, Schuman, Fernández, Samuels, Stone, Morales and Velez) recorded 1985'sAlternating Currents, the band's first studio album to feature only the core lineup with no guest musicians.[25] After percussionistManolo Badrena, formerly ofWeather Report and a previous guest musician on Spyro Gyra's albums, joined the band as a full-time member, replacing Velez, the group released the 1986 follow-upBreakout.[26]Alternating Currents (1985) andBreakout (1986) would be among the top 15 Jazz Albums in Billboard in 1986. Longtime co-producer Richard Calandra died in October 1986 ofpancreatic cancer.[citation needed]
In 1987, Roberto Vally replaced Stone on bass forStories Without Words, which would also be Manolo Badrena's final album with the band.[27]Rites of Summer (1988) introduced bassist Oscar Cartaya, replacing Vally.[28] BothStories Without Words andRites of Summer were among Billboard's top 15 Contemporary Jazz Albums of 1988.[citation needed] On the 1989 albumPoint of View Julio Fernández was replaced by guitaristJay Azzolina.[29] Spyro Gyra ended the decade as Billboard's most successful jazz artist of the 1980s.[citation needed]
PercussionistMarc Quiñones joined the group forFast Forward (1990), though it would be his only album as a band member, and the last album for Richie Morales and Jay Azzolina.[30] In 1990 the group performed temporarily without a guitarist, and with Tony Cintron replacing Morales on drums.[citation needed] Guitarist Julio Fernández rejoined the band for two new tracks included on the "best of" album,Collection, which also marked the debut of drummer Joel Rosenblatt.[31]
Three Wishes (1992) introduced bassistScott Ambush, replacing Cartaya.[32] The following year'sDreams Beyond Control included guest appearances by formerSantana vocalistAlex Ligertwood, marking the first appearance of lyrics on a Spyro Gyra album.[33] After this album, Dave Samuels left the band to pursue solo projects, although he would guest with the band on later albums.
In 1995, the band releasedLove and Other Obsessions with guestsDeniece Williams,Barrington Henderson, Billy Cliff, and a host of other backing vocalists and musicians, including Dave Samuels.[34] This album would be the band's final 90s release to feature traditional R&B vocals. It was the first of a series of albums with the quintet lineup of Beckenstein, Schuman, Fernández, Ambush, and Rosenblatt, which lasted until 2004.
DrummerJoel Rosenblatt left the band during the making ofThe Deep End,[35] leaving room for two other drummers, guestBilly Kilson and Ludwig Afonso, who became Rosenblatt's replacement.[36] The band's next album, 2006'sWrapped in a Dream, was the first Spyro Gyra album since 1990'sFast Forward to be nominated for a Grammy Award.[37] It would be the band's final album recorded atBearTracks Studios, which Beckenstein closed in 2006. Trinidadian Bonny Bonaparte (Bonny B) replaced Afonso as drummer forGood to Go-Go (2007),[38] which received a Grammy nomination, as didA Night Before Christmas andDown the Wire (2009).
A Foreign Affair was released in 2011 and included Beckenstein, Schuman, Fernández, Ambush, and Bonny B, as well as guest vocalists Arijit Singh andKeb' Mo'.[39] The album debuted at No. 2 on theBillboard jazz album chart. Bonaparte left the group due to health issues in November 2011 and was replaced on drums by Lee Pearson.[citation needed]
The Rhinebeck Sessions (2013) included Beckenstein, Schuman, Fernandez, Ambush, and Pearson. According to the group, it was written and recorded over three days in a recording studio in Rhinebeck, New York.[40] In 2015, there was another change of drummers with Lionel Cordew replacing Pearson.[citation needed]Vinyl Tap (2019), the band's most recent record to date, was a departure as it had no original material, instead featuring the band's interpretations of classic rock and r&b songs from the 60's and 70's.[41]
In 2020, with the band forced to stop touring due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the band uploaded a video to YouTube on June 23, 2020, featuring a medley of early hits "Shaker Song," "Catching the Sun" and "Morning Dance" synchronized from recordings of each band member at home.[42] In 2021, the group resumed touring.[43]
On December 19, 2022, the band announced on Facebook that Tom Schuman planned to move to Europe and would play his final shows with the band in February 2023.[44] On December 28, 2022, the band announced that Chris Fischer would be their new keyboardist starting in March 2023.[45]
In 2024, the group toured in celebration of its 50th anniversary.[46]
Original bassist Jim Kurzdorfer died of cancer on April 26, 2011.[47][48]
Former drummer Ted Reinhardt died in an airplane crash on March 4, 2015, at the age of 63.[49]
Mallet playerDave Samuels died on April 22, 2019, due to an undisclosed long-term illness.[50]
Original former guitarist Freddy Rapillo died on March 24, 2021.[51]
| Title | Label | Year released |
|---|---|---|
| Spyro Gyra | Infinity Records, Amherst | 1978 |
| Morning Dance | Infinity, Amherst | 1979 |
| Catching the Sun | MCA, Amherst | 1980 |
| Carnaval | MCA, Amherst | 1980 |
| Freetime | MCA, Amherst | 1981 |
| Incognito | MCA, Amherst | 1982 |
| City Kids | MCA, Amherst | 1983 |
| Alternating Currents | MCA, Amherst | 1985 |
| Breakout | MCA, Amherst | 1986 |
| Stories Without Words | MCA, Amherst | 1987 |
| Rites of Summer | MCA | 1988 |
| Point Of View | MCA | 1989 |
| Fast Forward | GRP | 1990 |
| Three Wishes | GRP | 1992 |
| Dreams Beyond Control | GRP | 1993 |
| Love and Other Obsessions | GRP | 1995 |
| Heart of the Night | GRP | 1996 |
| 20/20 | GRP | 1997 |
| Got the Magic | Windham Hill | 1999 |
| In Modern Times | Heads Up | 2001 |
| Original Cinema | Heads Up | 2003 |
| The Deep End | Heads Up | 2004 |
| Wrapped in a Dream | Heads Up | 2006 |
| Good to Go-Go | Heads Up | 2007 |
| A Night Before Christmas | Heads Up | 2008 |
| Down the Wire | Heads Up | 2009 |
| A Foreign Affair | Amherst | 2011 |
| The Rhinebeck Sessions | Crosseyed Bear | 2013 |
| Vinyl Tap | Amherst | 2019 |
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Year released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Access All Areas | MCA, Amherst | 1984 |
| 1998 | Road Scholars | GRP | 1998 |
| Title | Label | Year released |
|---|---|---|
| Collection | GRP | 1991 |
| The Best of (The First Ten Years) / 1977-1987 (GRP) | GRP, Amherst | 1997 |
| The Very Best of Spyro Gyra | GRP | 2002 |
| (20th Century Masters) The Best Of Spyro Gyra: The Millennium Collection | Verve | 2007 |
| Best Of The Heads Up Years | Crosseyed Bear | 2016 |
| 50/50 | Amherst (Reservoir Recordings) | 2024 |
| International | |
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| Artists | |
| Other | |
