Thursday, March 8, 2012

Spyro Gyra - their first Double Live Album: Access All Areas


Spyro Gyra - their DLA.  Access All Areas.  I collect DLA's - from any era and genre.  Here's another, from a band I used to listen to in college, when we thought we were cool. Spyro Gyra - who know - they were from Buffalo, NY.   They've put out over 25 albums, with 10 million total copies sold.  "They count themselves as among the most prolific as well as commercially successful groups of this genre.  Among their most successful hit singles are "Shaker Song" and "Morning Dance," which received significant play on popular music radio stations, and are still frequently heard nearly 30 years later on jazz and easy listening stations.  Their music, which has been influential in the development of smooth jazz and is s staple on the numerous smooth jazz radio stations nationwide, combines jazz with elements of R&B, funk and pop music. Generally considered to be more "jazz" than "smooth", Spyro Gyra has been praised for their skilled instrumentalists and for their live performances, which average about 100 per year.  With the exception of alto saxophonist, songwriter and founding bandleader Jay Beckenstein and keyboardist Tom Schuman, the personnel has changed some over time, as well as between the studio and the live stage.  Now, guitarist Julio Fernandez is also in his third decade with the band.  The band's latest album A Foreign Affair, released on September 13, 2011 to generally great reviews, is a "throwback" to the early Spyro Gyra releases with global music content and the occasional use of guest vocalists."

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