Spyro Gyra - The Rhinebeck Sessions (2013)

The band doesn't provide much background on this release other than the following: "All songs were written and recorded by the band members over a three day period in April 2013." No material was written beforehand - this thing was created on the fly. And while I appreciate that jazz musicians have to feed their need for spontaneous improvisation - it's a decent jam session, for sure - there's something to be said for the editing process. As you might guess, this is a mixed bag that didn't initially grab me in the way most SG releases do. However, my appreciation has grown over time. My complaint is only about the unrefined material - the performances are top-notch, as always.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #2

Tracks: I dig Serious Delivery, Wishful Thinking, Sorbet, and Odds Get Even. I Know What You Mingus is, once you get past the title's unnecessary wordplay, some of the most straight-ahead material I've ever heard from the band. Skip the last track.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Vinyl Tap (2019)	Dreams Beyond Control (1993)
A Foreign Affair (2011)	Three Wishes (1992)
Down The Wire (2009)	Fast Forward (1990)
A Night Before Christmas (2008)	Point Of View (1989)
Good To Go-Go (2007)	Rites Of Summer (1988)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Stories Without Words (1987)
The Deep End (2004)	Breakout (1986)
Original Cinema (2003)	Alternating Currents (1985)
The Very Best of Spyro Gyra (2002)	Access All Areas (1984)
In Modern Times (2001)	City Kids (1983)
Got The Magic (1999)	Incognito (1982)
Road Scholars (1998)	Freetime (1981)
20/20 (1997)	Carnaval (1980)
Heart Of The Night (1996)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Morning Dance (1979)
	Spyro Gyra (1978)

Spyro Gyra - Vinyl Tap (2019)

The band's first album release in six years, this thing is a covers album and I gotta be honest, my initial expectations were low because there wasn't any new material on the CD; I figured the band was simply picking low-hanging fruit. And now I gotta admit I am pleasantly surprised. It's not perfect, but it's hardly a disaster. Here's the skinny from band leader/saxophonist Jay Beckenstein:

It’s cliché (to record covers) in saxophone-based contemporary jazz. We did not want to sound like a fantastic wedding band. I was really afraid that if we didn’t do our own thing, that our identity would be lost. It was imperative in the creative process – and everybody (in the band) knew this in a big way – that things had to be mixed up. Things had to be jolted out of the old way of approaching the songs. We really tried to come up with a new take on whatever (song) we were doing. We put solos into tunes that really are complete extensions that never had anything to do with the originals.

For the most part, they come through. There's only one real stinker and copy couple of others than are just okay. But there's a few roses among the thorns and they mix it up nicely so it doesn't become another Smooth Sax Tribute to Steely Dan.

Aside from Christmas tunes, these aren't the first SG covers, off the top of my head I can name two: Sweet Baby James on 20/20, and The Beatles' In My Life on the (I Got No Kick Against) Modern Jazz compilation. There may be others I'm forgetting

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: TBD

Tracks:

1. Secret Agent Mash - a mash-up of Secret Agent Man (a #3 hit for Johnny Rivers in 1966) and Alfie's Theme (written by Burt Bacharach, recorded and released in 1966 by Sonny Rollins). They get the worst cut out of the way here with track 1. Atop a Gene Krupa drum beat, this tries to be a mash-two tunes and fail at both despite a tasty piano solo from Tom Schuman. At this point on my first play, I was dreading the rest of the album, but then came along...
2. Sunshine of Your Love - a #5 hit for Cream in 1968. Currently my favorite tune on the disc. This Latin flavored arrangement is more SG than Clapton and the salsa instrumentation brings the heat (pun intended). Sweet guitar solo from Julio Fernandez.
3. Can't Find My Way Home - written by Steve Winwood and released by Blind Faith on their self-titled 1969 album. The first single released from the album, this should get some airplay on your local smooth jazz station. A laid back folksy cover that, like the previous track, SG makes their own.
4. What A Fool Believes - a #1 hit for The Doobie Brothers in 1979. This is a medley of two arrangements of the tune. In the first, the band plays the song as a shuffle. Meh. However, when the band starts swinging at around 3½ minutes in, things get cooking.
5. The Cisco Kid - a #2 hit for War in 1973. The band messes around with some mixed meter here. Other than that, there's nothing particularly innovative, but how often do you get to hear a bass harmonica (courtesy of Gary Schreiner)?
6. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away - released by The Beatles on their 1965 album, Help! Another great arrangement in which the band channels their late '70s Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays. 
7. Tempted - a #49 hit for Squeeze in 1981. The band turns this blue-eyed soul tune into a bluesy waltz with a driving coda. I dig that brief ending and while I exactly can't decide if I like the waltz part of the arrangement or not, I'm certainly not skipping this great tune.
8. Stolen Moments - written by jazz saxophonist Oliver Nelson and released on his 1961 album, The Blues and the Abstract Truth. The band has fun with this modified blues tune. I've heard plenty of versions of this standard and this funky, syncopated cover is as good as any. Bassist Scott Ambush gets a nice turn.
9. Carry On - written by Stephen Stills and released by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on their 1970 album, Déjà Vu. Not a wise choice - other than the ending, this tune just doesn't work well with this group. As close as the band gets to sounding like the "fantastic wedding band" mentioned above.

Missing from the disc: a funky Prince cover.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Released October 11, this CD hit my front porch last weekend and has since been in heavy rotation on my morning and evening commutes as well as in my modular workstation amidst the cubicle farm.

Previously revisited for the blog:

A Foreign Affair (2011)	Three Wishes (1992)
Down The Wire (2009)	Fast Forward (1990)
A Night Before Christmas (2008)	Point Of View (1989)
Good To Go-Go (2007)	Rites Of Summer (1988)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Stories Without Words (1987)
The Deep End (2004)	Breakout (1986)
Original Cinema (2003)	Alternating Currents (1985)
The Very Best of Spyro Gyra (2002)	Access All Areas (1984)
In Modern Times (2001)	City Kids (1983)
Got The Magic (1999)	Incognito (1982)
Road Scholars (1998)	Freetime (1981)
20/20 (1997)	Carnaval (1980)
Heart Of The Night (1996)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Morning Dance (1979)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Spyro Gyra (1978)

Spyro Gyra - The Deep End (2004)

Also released on hybrid surround Super Audio CD, but mine's just the plain ol' version.

More Latin-flavored smooth jazz from my favorite group from Buffalo. It would be easy just to simply write "if you like SG, you'll like this album," but the band brought their 'A' game, with great solos from saxophonist/leader Jay Beckenstein, guitarist Julio Fernandez, keyboardist Tom Schuman, and vibraphonist Dave Samuels. Or maybe it's the fantastic mix that's catching my ear this morning. S'all good. Even though I'm a fan, this one somehow slipped through the cracks and I didn't buy it in 2004. (In my defense, I was but a poor graduate student at the time). Glad I picked it up recently to complete my SG discography - looks like I've found the perfect summer album for this year.

"a great deal more energy and blowing than today's average smooth jazz listener is used to. It's worth the plunge." - AllMusic Review by Jonathan Widran

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #3
• Billboard Independent: #26

Tracks: The disc starts off with a nice one-two punch of Summer Fling followed by Eastlake Shuffle. I'm not much interested in the raga sounds of track 3, Monsoon, but don't skip any of the others, particularly Joburg Jam and In Your Arms.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

A Foreign Affair (2011)	Fast Forward (1990)
Down The Wire (2009)	Point Of View (1989)
A Night Before Christmas (2008)	Rites Of Summer (1988)
Good To Go-Go (2007)	Stories Without Words (1987)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Breakout (1986)
Original Cinema (2003)	Alternating Currents (1985)
The Very Best of Spyro Gyra (2002)	Access All Areas (1984)
In Modern Times (2001)	City Kids (1983)
Got The Magic (1999)	Incognito (1982)
Road Scholars (1998)	Freetime (1981)
20/20 (1997)	Carnaval (1980)
Heart Of The Night (1996)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Morning Dance (1979)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Spyro Gyra (1978)
Three Wishes (1992)

Spyro Gyra - A Night Before Christmas (2008)

Feel free to skip the following rant as it applies to holiday music in general:

Despite record labels' and marketers' claims to the contrary, there is no such thing as instrumental Christmas music. There is music with Christmas lyrics and titles, but instrumental tunes know no category other than genre. Of course, when we hear the tune to "O Christmas Tree" we think of the title/lyrics and therefore associate the melody with the holiday. It's understandable. But if the tune had been entitled "O Easter Egg" we would associate it with Easter instead. Then again, Handel's Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah was written for Easter but now is generally performed at Christmas so cultural norms rarely make logical sense.

Many years ago when I was a school band director, I would sometimes change titles of tunes for annual Christmas concerts. For example, if first year players could manage to squeak out "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" after only three months playing a instrument, I would change the name on the program to "Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star" and suddenly the same melody became a Christmas tune suitable for a concert in early December. Or I would add sleigh bells to a traditional band march and "March of the Irish Guard" would be "reimagined" as "March of Santa's Elves." Same music, different title. You get the point. (There's also music with lyrics about cold and winter that get associated with Christmas even though there's nothing in the lyrics or title referring to the holiday: Winter Wonderland, Let It Snow, Baby It's Cold Outside, Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells, etc. but that's another rant for another day.) So even though today's CD might be categorized by some as "instrumental Christmas music," such a category doesn't truly exist. But I realize this little blog post won't stop anybody from using the term.

Moving on with this particular CD: It's good, not great, but I'll give the group the benefit of the doubt - it's gotta be difficult to put new spins on melodies everyone has heard for many years. When the band leaves the melodies for their solos, it could be any smooth jazz joint (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). This album won't crack my "must hear" list each December, but the tunes are a welcome addition to the massive holiday playlist I shuffle through each year for tree trimming, parties, car trips, etc.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: Ten songs from the traditional holiday tune canon along with a new tune, It Won't Feel Like Christmas which is a nice enough torch song/waltz. (How do I know it's a Christmas tune? The title and the lyrics! Okay, okay, I'll promise I'll drop the subject now.) Of the familiar songs, I recommend Winter Wonderland, the bluesish Have Yourself a Merry Christmas, and a surprisingly original take on The First Noel. Weaker tracks are Carol Of The Bells (which interpolates Greensleeves) and an uninspired cover of Donny Hathaway's This Christmas.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None. Despite my claims that I'm a big SG fan, this CD is new to me this year. I bought it from the band's website; they sent a copy autographed by band leader Jay Beckenstein.

Previously revisited for the blog:

A Foreign Affair (2011)	Fast Forward (1990)
Down The Wire (2009)	Point Of View (1989)
Good To Go-Go (2007)	Rites Of Summer (1988)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Stories Without Words (1987)
Original Cinema (2003)	Breakout (1986)
The Very Best of Spyro Gyra (2002)	Alternating Currents (1985)
In Modern Times (2001)	Access All Areas (1984)
Got The Magic (1999)	City Kids (1983)
Road Scholars (1998)	Incognito (1982)
20/20 (1997)	Freetime (1981)
Heart Of The Night (1996)	Carnaval (1980)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Morning Dance (1979)
Three Wishes (1992)	Spyro Gyra (1978)

Spyro Gyra - The Very Best of (2002)

My but that title is certainly misleading. How can it be the "very best" when it doesn't include the group's more well-known tunes like Shaker Song or the studio version of their Top 40 hit Morning Dance? To be fair, the liner notes truthfully admit "the material here dates from 1988 to 1997, roughly the second decade of Spyro Gyra's recorded history." The group had issued an earlier compilation, titled Collection, in 1991 that covered the first decade, so this compilation makes sense, it's just poorly titled.

Since I already have all the studio releases issued during this time period, why on earth would I plunk down my hard-earned cash on this compilation? Well, I don't have the aforementioned Collection compilation and that disc had two new releases on it which are repeated here as tracks 3 and 10. So I bought this compilation solely for those 2 tracks which should surprise no regular visitors to this blog. Plus, it will be handy on those occasions when I can't decide which SG CD to put it in tray.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:

1. Limelight from Rites Of Summer (1988)
2. Breakfast At Igor's from Dreams Beyond Control (1993)
3. You Can Count On Me from Collection (1991)
4. Para Ti Latino from Fast Forward (1990)
5. Ariana from Love & Other Obsessions (1995)
6. Three Wishes from Three Wishes (1992)
7. Birks Law from Dreams Beyond Control (1993)
8. Pipo's Song from Three Wishes (1992)
9. Heart Of The Night from Heart Of The Night (1996)
10. What Exit from Collection (1991)
11. Yosemite from Rites Of Summer (1988)
12. The Unknown Soldier from Point Of View (1989)
13. Tower Of Babel from Fast Forward (1990)
14. The Unwritten Letter from 20/20 (1997)
15. Westwood Moon from Heart Of The Night (1996)
16. Morning Dance from Road Scholars (1998)

Picking favorites from a "best of" compilation seems like an exercise in futility, but I'm gonna do it anyway: Breakfast At Igor's, You Can Count On Me, Ariana, Pipo's Song, and the live version of Morning Dance that closes things out. The only song I'll skip is Tower of Babel.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but I just realized there are three SG albums I don't yet own, so I've just ordered those. Tsk, tsk. And I've got the nerve to call myself a fan.

Previously revisited for the blog:

A Foreign Affair (2011)	Fast Forward (1990)
Down The Wire (2009)	Point Of View (1989)
Good To Go-Go (2007)	Rites Of Summer (1988)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Stories Without Words (1987)
Original Cinema (2003)	Breakout (1986)
In Modern Times (2001)	Alternating Currents (1985)
Got The Magic (1999)	Access All Areas (1984)
Road Scholars (1998)	City Kids (1983)
20/20 (1997)	Incognito (1982)
Heart Of The Night (1996)	Freetime (1981)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Carnaval (1980)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Three Wishes (1992)	Morning Dance (1979)
	Spyro Gyra (1978)

Spyro Gyra - Heart of the Night (1996)

For those of you playing the home game, this is the 29th appearance of a Spyro Gyra CD on this blog, so you can safely assume I'm a fan. There's less of leader Jay Beckenstein on this one so I guess you could call it more of a band album than their usual fare. The group went through a down cycle in the early half of the nineties and this album was part of their ascent back to their earlier standards. Just one problem: they seem to be doing everything in their power to sound like generic smooth jazz (see track 3 Westwood Moon - a cut that starts off like a Jeff Lorber tune). However, their plan was spoiled by the fact they can't help but sound like themselves. And even though some of the tunes come closer to "instrumental pop" than "smooth jazz" (i.e., Surrender), I think I might put this one in the top half of SG releases all time if I ever bothered to sit down and come up with such a ranking.

The first two cuts of this album would later appear on the 1998 live album, Road Scholars.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #5

Tracks: My picks are the title track, Midnight (with a nice contribution from Randy Brecker), Playtime, Valentino's, and As We Sleep.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None. Believe it or not, this one wasn't on my shelves until late last year when I picked it up for $2 our of a clearance bin and for that, I'd like to thank all of you people currently glutting the market with your used CDs as you mistakenly shun and discard physical media products. Salut!

Previously revisited for the blog:

A Foreign Affair (2011)	Point Of View (1989)
Down The Wire (2009)	Rites of Summer (1988)
Good To Go-Go (2007)	Stories Without Words (1987)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Breakout (1986)
Original Cinema (2003)	Alternating Currents (1985)
In Modern Times (2001)	Access All Areas (1984)
Got The Magic (1999)	City Kids (1983)
Road Scholars (1998)	Incognito (1982)
20/20 (1997)	Freetime (1981)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Carnaval (1980)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Three Wishes (1992)	Morning Dance (1979)
Fast Forward (1990)	Spyro Gyra (1978)

Spyro Gyra - Rites of Summer (1988)

This is the 28th appearance of Spyro Gyra on this blog and I can't think of anything to add to what I've already written about the group and their music. I like it and that's that (as if having 28 CDs by one group didn't already hint at that fact).

Album chart Peaks

• US Billboard 200: #104
• Billboard Pop CD: #30
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #1

Tracks: No surprises here but more of the same is just what I'm looking for from this group. My preferred tracks on this on are Claire's Dream, Daddy's Got A New Girl Now, Shanghai Gumbo, and Yosemite. The album weakens near the end, so I usually stop after 7 tracks.

Billboard, June 25, 1988, p. 76

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I don't complete trust my memory on this one, but I think I had this album on cassette and it was stolen from my car one night, along with Thomas Dolby's Aliens Ate My Buick. Now there's an interesting coupling.

Since this was released in the summer of '88, faithful readers are probably expecting a Lost Summer of Mark story here, but there isn't one to be had. Sorry.

Previously revisited for the blog:

A Foreign Affair (2011)
Down The Wire (2009)	Point Of View (1989)
Good To Go-Go (2007)	Stories Without Words (1987)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Breakout (1986)
Original Cinema (2003)	Alternating Currents (1985)
In Modern Times (2001)	Access All Areas (1984)
Got The Magic (1999)	City Kids (1983)
Road Scholars (1998)	Incognito (1982)
20/20 (1997)	Freetime (1981)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Carnaval (1980)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Fast Forward (1990)	Morning Dance (1979)
Three Wishes (1992)	Spyro Gyra (1978)

Spyro Gyra - A Foreign Affair (2011)

Today is my 27th wedding anniversary so I'm celebrating this morning by listening to Spyro Gyra's 27th studio album while waiting for the real anniversary festivities to begin later on.

Over the past 40 years, SG has been fairly consistent in what they bring: Latin-flavored instrumental pop/smooth jazz with songs written by band members. And while there's a lot of that here, the band goes off track on a few tunes and while I respect an artist's need to grow, it doesn't mean I have to like it. I'm guessing from the title the band wanted this disc to be a sort of international travelogue, and for the most part, they succeed. Warning: there are three vocal tracks on this thing.

Album chart Peaks

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #2

Tracks: My favorite track is Shinjuku (because it sounds most like early '80s SG, sue me). Other top tracks are Sweet Ole Thang, Falling Walls, and Samba for Two. The oddest track is bluesman Keb' Mo' singing Last Call, a song written by country artists Fred Knoblack and Danny O'Keefe, with an accompaniment straight out of a late-night jazz club - it probably shouldn't work, but the deft touch of the band makes it happen. There are very few Spyro Gyra tracks that I'll skip, but Kuhda is one of them.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Down The Wire (2009)	Point Of View (1989)
Good To Go-Go (2007)	Stories Without Words (1987)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Breakout (1986)
Original Cinema (2003)	Alternating Currents (1985)
In Modern Times (2001)	Access All Areas (1984)
Got The Magic (1999)	City Kids (1983)
Road Scholars (1998)	Incognito (1982)
20/20 (1997)	Freetime (1981)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Carnaval (1980)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Fast Forward (1990)	Morning Dance (1979)
Three Wishes (1992)	Spyro Gyra (1978)

Spyro Gyra - Three Wishes (1992)

The 24th Spyro Gyra CD to appear on this blog. To be honest, I lost touch with SG during the late '80s/early '90s as I was getting married, having children, starting a career - you know, adulting. So I missed this album the first time around, but found it in a used bin more than 20 years after the fact. While I wouldn't put this up there with the group's best output, it's an enjoyable listen and works very well in a full SG shuffle (which I do more often than I'll admit to here). I'm not saying the band doesn't like it, but they recorded a live album a few years after this album was released and none of Three Wishes' tracks appear on that disc.

Billboard, June 6, 1992

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #4

Tracks: My faves are Pipo's Song, the title track, and Cabana Carioca.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Down The Wire (2009)	Point Of View (1989)
Good To Go-Go (2007)	Stories Without Words (1987)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Breakout (1986)
Original Cinema (2003)	Alternating Currents (1985)
In Modern Times (2001)	Access All Areas (1984)
Got The Magic (1999)	City Kids (1983)
Road Scholars (1998)	Incognito (1982)
20/20 (1997)	Freetime (1981)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Carnaval (1980)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Fast Forward (1990)	Morning Dance (1979)
	Spyro Gyra (1978)

Spyro Gyra - Alternating Currents (1985)

Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD.

For this, Spyro Gyra's eighth studio album, the band featured a new guitarist (Julio Fernández replaced Chet Catallo) but the band doesn't miss a beat. The group was at its peak in the decade ca. 1978-87 and this falls squarely within that timeline. In the '80s, I pretty much bought every SG album as soon as possible after it was released and I'm sure this was no exception. Like all SG albums from this time, the core members and composers in the band, saxophonist Jay Beckenstein and keyboardist Tom Schuman, are on top of their game producing Latin-flavored smooth jazz that borders on instrumental pop music. Guitarist Fernández is a fantastic soloist and a welcome addition. Definitely in the top half of the 23 Spyro Gyra CDs I own. ;-) Seriously, it easily makes the top 5. (Since this is the final review of SG CDs currently in my collection, I briefly considered ranking the albums 1-23, but figured my head might explode during such an attempt, so I'd like to avoid that if I could.)

Billboard, June 29, 1985, p. 66

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #66
• Billboard Pop CD: #21
• Billboard Jazz: #3
• Billboard R&B: #41
• CashBox: #79
• CashBox Jazz: #4
• CashBox CD: #29
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #4

Tracks:  The opener, Shakedown, is a solid tune followed by my favorite cut on the album, the title track. Love the pulsating marimba underneath the syncopated staccato melody. The slower songs, Taking The Plunge (For Jennifer) and the beautiful jazz waltz I Believe In You, are also good and a return to the late '70s sound of the group. The only track to skip is the weak funk fusion jam, Binky's Dream No. 6.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: The summer of 1985 was one of my best summers ever and this was part of the soundtrack.

Previously revisited for the blog:

Down The Wire (2009)	Point Of View (1989)
Good To Go-Go (2007)	Stories Without Words (1987)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Breakout (1986)
Original Cinema (2003)	Access All Areas (1984)
In Modern Times (2001)	City Kids (1983)
Got The Magic (1999)	Incognito (1982)
Road Scholars (1998)	Freetime (1981)
20/20 (1997)	Carnaval (1980)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Morning Dance (1979)
Fast Forward (1990)	Spyro Gyra (1978)

Tom Schuman - Extremities (1990)

Longtime readers of this blog know of my 30+ year love affair with the smooth jazz group Spyro Gyra. This is a very brief (39 minute) debut solo effort from the group's co-leader and keyboardist which was produced by the group's other co-leader, saxophonist Jay Beckenstein. The result, as you can probably guess, sounds very much like a SG release. That normally wouldn't be a problem except that the band was in a bad slump around the time of this release. So, although the musicians are top notch (especially Jon Faddis), the writing isn't that great and Schuman focuses more fast technical runs than melodic solos. Tracks from this album pop up every now and then on an iTunes shuffle, but I never specifically seek out this CD for listening.

The Gavin Report, October 19, 1990, p. 40

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: The best tracks here are Mood Swing, Front Seat Reservation, and a cover of Minnie Riperton's Loving You. Skip track 5, Skywriter.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:This CD was acquired about 10 years ago when I was trying to find suitable smooth jazz for background music at work. In addition to this solo CD, I picked up solo CDs from other Spyro Gyra veterans Jay Beckenstein, Jeremy Wall, and Dave Samuels.

Spyro Gyra - Down The Wire (2009)

Fortunately, the music is much better than the album cover art. I've often written that my favorite Spyro Gyra music comes from albums released in the late '70s and early '80s. The allmusic review sums up this music nicely: "there is no fluff on this 65-minute CD, which finds the Spyro Gyra of 2009 acting a lot like the freewheeling Spyro Gyra of the '70s and early '80s." That's all I need to hear. The more energetic, upbeat sound and solid writing that the band brought back on Good To Go-Go is also a welcome presence on this disc. It also sounds like Tom Schuman dug up some old analog synths to use and I like that. Sure, some of this sounds like instrumental pop music you might hear on The Weather Channel or at the supermarket, but I enjoy it so that's all that matters to me.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:  Top cuts are the title track, Unspoken, and What It Is. La Zona Rosa has its moments as well. There's a straight-ahead neo-bop tune, The Tippin' Point, which is fine on its own, but disrupts the flow of the album. Skip the final track, a funk tune with needless vocals titled Make it Mine.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Good To Go-Go (2007)	Stories Without Words (1987)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Breakout (1986)
Original Cinema (2003)	Access All Areas (1984)
In Modern Times (2001)	City Kids (1983)
Got The Magic (1999)	Incognito (1982)
Road Scholars (1998)	Freetime (1981)
20/20 (1997)	Carnaval (1980)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Morning Dance (1979)
Fast Forward (1990)	Spyro Gyra (1978)
Point Of View (1989)

Spyro Gyra - City Kids (1983)

Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD.

This was the 2nd SG album I purchased (the first was Incognito). I consider the early to mid '80s to be the best era for this group, so this album was also one of the first LPs I replaced with a CD and one that gets more playing time than other SG releases. In addition to the core of the group at the time, saxophonist Jay Beckenstein and keyboardist Tom Schuman, we're treated to the performances from other pros like Will Lee, Steve Gadd, Hiram Bullock, Lew Soloff, etc. Good stuff.

Press of the time:

• Stereo Review: "they now seem content to go on producing the same polished but predictable music again and again."
• RPM: "popular music frame of pop with light jazz overtones"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #66
• Billboard Jazz: #2
• CashBox: #70
• CashBox Jazz: #2
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #1

Tracks:  The funk-lite of the lead off title track is my favorite, but I'll listen to all 8. One of the group's best ballads, simply titled A Ballad, is also here. The only track I'm not a fan of is the manic Conversations (note to self: The Manic Conversations would be a great band name).

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  When I was in high school, I subscribed to Rolling Stone magazine, but other than that I had no way of keeping up with new album releases and tours other than the occasional article in the Houston Post. So while I listened to Incognito quite a bit, I had no idea that SG was releasing a new LP in 1983. I remember coming across this LP while rummaging through the old Record Exchange on Westheimer and being absolutely thrilled with my discovery. I'm sure I listened to it three or four times straight through before turning my attention to other purchases of the day. Last time I drove by that location on Westheimer, what was the Record Exchange in 1983 had become a laundromat.

I heard the group perform in October of 1983 at Houston's Kool Jazz Festival in support of this album. These days, I don't think marketing people want to associate jazz music with cigarettes so you haven't seen that sponsorship in a long while. Spyro Gyra opened their portion of the show with the title track from this album. Since I like that song, I was excited they chose that, but the group's percussionist, Gerardo Velez, is such a wild performer (jumping around the stage and whatnot) that the audience laughed at him for a good 2 minutes before calming down. By that time, the tune was half over. Bummer. I bought a concert t-shirt that had "Kool Jazz" written across the front but never wore it to school because I didn't want to have to deal with the drama of a teacher thinking the shirt was inappropriate because it promoted tobacco use.

Previously revisited for the blog:

Good To Go-Go (2007)	Point Of View (1989)
Wrapped In A Dream (2006)	Stories Without Words (1987)
Original Cinema (2003)	Breakout (1986)
In Modern Times (2001)	Access All Areas (1984)
Got The Magic (1999)	Incognito (1982)
Road Scholars (1998)	Freetime (1981)
20/20 (1997)	Carnaval (1980)
Love & Other Obsessions (1995)	Catching The Sun (1980)
Dreams Beyond Control (1993)	Morning Dance (1979)
Fast Forward (1990)	Spyro Gyra (1978)