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| Wrapped in a Dream |
| Spyro Gyra |
| első megjelenés éve: 2006 |
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| (2006)
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*Super Audio CD* |
| 4.161 Ft
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| 1. | Spyro Time
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| 2. | Midnight Thunder
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| 3. | The Voodooyoodoo
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| 4. | Tuesday
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| 5. | Impressions of Madrid
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| 6. | Impressions of Toledo
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| 7. | Wrapped in a Dream
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| 8. | After the Storm
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| 9. | Walkin' Home
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| 10. | The Lowdown
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| 11. | Lil' Mono
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| 12. | Woogitybop
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Jazz
Cyro Baptista - Percussion
Dave Samuels - Guest Appearance, Marimba, Vibraphone
Eric Oliver - Trombone
Jay Beckenstein - Flute, Keyboards, Percussion, Photography, Producer, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor), Saxophone, Vocals
Josh Dion - Drums, Percussion
Julio Fernandez - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Photography, Producer
Ludwig Afonso - Drums
Nathan Eklund - Trumpet
Scott Ambush - Bass, Bass (Upright), Producer
Tom Schuman - Keyboards, Producer
* Chuck Loeb - Producer
* Cliff Yuhas - Photography
* Dave Love - Executive Producer
* Doug Oberkircher - Engineer, Mixing
* Eric Carlinsky - Engineer
* Greg Calbi - Mastering
* Martin Walter - Mixing
* Martin Walters - Mixing
* Michael Bishop - Mastering
* Phil Magnotti - Mixing
* Robert Hoffman - Design
The Buffalo-based instrumental ensemble is always credited for contributing to the pop, R&B, and jazz hybrid that eventually evolved into today's smooth jazz -- but happily, as the music in that genre has gotten slightly more predictable, Spyro Gyra have been rocking, rolling, and improvising in a lot of unexpected directions. So after nine Grammy nominations and nearly 11 million albums sold, where do saxman Jay Beckenstein, keyboardist Tom Schuman, and company turn to wrap themselves in a dream? How about some "Impressions of Madrid," a moody, super-sultry Latin meditation that weaves the saxman's soprano with his own flute and (for the first time) Spanish chanting. Former full-time member Dave Samuels (marimba) and acoustic guitarist Julio Fernandez make this an irresistible, totally trippy excursion. Closer to home, Beckenstein segues into the soulful, easy-rocking blues flavors of "Impressions of Toledo" -- less exotic to be sure, but still loads of fun, with ample opportunity for his mates to jam and solo. The band also makes up new titles as clever and weird as its own name, via the steamy and mysterious, strutting blues drench of "The Voodooyoodoo" and the South African/gospel-infused closer, "Woogitybop," which features some of Beckenstein's most aggressive blowing amidst rich horn textures. Not that it's ultra-important, but there are a few tracks that could qualify as artsy "smooth jazz," like Schuman's punchy "Walkin' Home" and the lone outside composition, Chuck Loeb's bouncy, super-funky "Tuesday." Mostly, this is Spyro Gyra doing what they've done best in the 2000s -- staying engaging and accessible while stretching out, taking risks, and having a blast like the kids they were in the '70s.
---Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
In the mid 1970s, Spyro Gyra crafted a unique new sound - inspired by jazz fusion, pop and R&B - and released their debut album on their own label in 1976. Their records were both artistically challenging and commercially successful, and embraced world rhythms, including Caribbean, African and Brazilian sounds. Morning Dance, their first album with a major label, was released in 1979, spawned a Top 40 single, and eventually went platinum. Spyro Gyra went on to build a large and incredibly loyal fan base around the world that continues to this day.
After completing their 2004 recording, The Deep End, which marked a swing back to a more organic, live band sound, Spyro Gyra decided to reinvent itself once again with yet another creative release. The result is Wrapped in a Dream (HUCD 3107), the group's fourth album on Heads Up International. The album scored a GRAMMY nomination in December 2006 in the category of Best Pop Instrumental Album
Wrapped in a Dream reaffirms Spyro Gyra's status as jazz fusion's most original group. This coolly textured and cleanly produced collection is filled with subtle melodies and accomplished solos that blend easily into a lush instrumental backdrop. The album was also released on SACD in 5.1 Surround Sound ( HUSA 9107).
"After 24 albums, it's not always easy to develop new material," says leader/saxophonist/ producer Jay Beckenstein. "We usually try to veer away from what we did on our previous record. But we also try to embrace anything that explores new ground - in any way we can."
In addition to Beckenstein, Wrapped In A Dream features keyboardist Tom Schuman, guitarist Julio Fernandez, bassist Scott Ambush, and drummers Josh Dion and Ludwig Afonso. Rounding out the project, special guests include marimba/vibraphone master Dave Samuels, trumpeter Nathan Eklund, trombonist Eric Oliver and percussionist Cyro Baptista.
One of the ways that Spyro Gyra did things a little differently with this album was to go to some younger talents for guest appearances as well as technical assistance rather than the superstar session musicians who have graced earlier releases. Both Josh Dion and Nathan Eklund are musicians in their mid-twenties as is Eric Carlinsky, the main recording engineer on the album.
Spyro members penned most of the twelve compositions. Beckenstein continues to show his mastery of the fusion idiom, composing four tunes for the album, including the jazzy title track. On his ingenious "Impressions of Madrid" Beckenstein plays keyboards and percussion, and even sings and plays flute for the first time on disc. He also handles vocals on the gospel-infused closer, "Woogitybop." Indeed, the saxophonist seems ready to do it for another thirty years.
Contributing two songs, longtime keyboardist Tom Schuman delivers the heavy groove of "Walkin' Home" and the edgy "Lil' Mono" (written with drummer Ludwig Afonso).
"The process of developing material for this album was so natural," says Schuman. "Once we got into the studio. We sat down, learned the material and played until it felt right."
Known for his killer grooves and jaw-dropping live solos, bassist Scott Ambush wrote "The Voodooyoodoo." Guitarist Julio Fernandez continues to emerge as a prominent voice in the group with fluid, funky solos and strong compositions like the driving opener "Spyro Time" and the bluesy "After the Storm."
"We definitely captured what I was hearing in my mind," Fernandez says. "Both tunes will be fun to play live."
With nine Grammy nominations and nearly eleven million albums sold, Spyro Gyra continues to break new ground with this latest outing, the follow-up to The Deep End, which spent most of 2004 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Album chart. Beckenstein attributes Spyro Gyra's lasting success to a freshness of ideas that allows the band to stay accessible without falling back on their past grooves and earlier successes.
Like their contemporaries Weather Report and Return To Forever, Spyro Gyra places a premium on taking chances and playing in real time - with real time interaction. The group's longevity springs from creativity, and from being able to reinvent itself time and time again.
Wrapped in a Dream was the last Spyro Gyra album to be recorded at Beckenstein's own BearTracks Studio. Purchased in 1981, this turn-of-the-century stone farmhouse was converted into a state-of-the-art studio where artists such as The Goo Goo Dolls, George Benson, Mariah Carey, and Foreigner, as well as producers Phil Ramone, Nile Rodgers, and Barry Eastmond, created musical magic. Beckenstein recently sold BearTracks, but for one last time Spyro Gyra recorded at the legendary studio nestled in upstate New York
At a time when most veteran bands are playing it ever safer and trendier, Spyro Gyra's latest release is proof that the cutting-edge ensemble has not lost touch with its original spirit of exploration.
The dream lives on.
Spyro Gyra
Active Decades: '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: 1974 in Buffalo, NY
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Crossover Jazz, Fusion, Jazz-Pop, Smooth Jazz
Founded in 1974 by altoist Jay Beckenstein, Spyro Gyra have consistently been one of the commercially successfully pop-jazz groups of the past 20 years. Although originally a studio group, the band became a full-time venture in 1979 and has been touring ever since. Critics love to attack this band's lightweight and rarely changing music, which combines R&B and elements of pop and Caribbean music with jazz, but its live performances are often stimulating -- unlike many of its records, which emphasize the danceable melodies at the expense of improvising.
The roots of Spyro Gyra lay in Buffalo, NY, in the early '70s. Beckenstein and his longtime friend, keyboardist Jeremy Wall, had been leading a group with a revolving membership; every one of the many members in the band were loosely involved in the local jazz and rock scenes. Around 1974, the group was beginning to gel and cultivate a following. A club owner who wanted to advertise an upcoming appearance by the band asked Beckenstein for the group's name. The saxophonist told him "Spirogira," a word he learned in a college biology course. The owner misspelled the word as Spyro Gyra, and the band fell into place, featuring Beckenstein, Wall, electric guitarist Chet Catallo, bassist David Wolford, drummer Eli Konikoff, and percussionist Gerardo Velez. Not long afterward, the group added keyboardist Tom Schuman.
Spyro Gyra independently funded and recorded their debut album, releasing the record on the local independent label Amherst in 1976. The record slowly became a success and Amherst sold the rights to the band to Infinity Records, a division of MCA. Morning Dance, their first album for Infinity, was released in 1979. The record became a major hit, spawning a Top 40 single with "Morning Dance" and going platinum. In the wake of the record's success, Wall retired from live performance, leaving Schuman as the group's main keyboardist; Wall stayed with the band as an assistant producer and occasional composer.
Morning Dance firmly placed Spyro Gyra as one of the most popular artists in contemporary jazz, and throughout the '80s, their popularity continued growing. Their albums were consistent best-sellers, and their concerts often sold out. In 1983, vibraphonist and marimba player Dave Samuels -- who had played on several of the group's albums -- became a full-fledged member of the band. Over the course of the '80s, the membership of Spyro Gyra fluctuated, but Beckenstein and Schuman remained at its core, keeping the group's signature sound intact.
In 1990, MCA's jazz roster was absorbed by GRP, so Spyro Gyra switched labels, releasing Fast Forward, their first album for GRP, later that year. In 1993, Samuels left the touring band, but he continued to play in the studio. By the late '90s, the band featured Beckenstein, Schuman, Julio Fernandez, Joel Rosenblatt, and Scott Ambush, and released Got the Magic in 1999. Two years later the band moved to the Telarc-affiliated Heads Up label and released In Modern Times in 2001, followed by Original Cinema in 2003. Drummer Rosenblatt left the band and was replaced by Ludwig Afonso for 2004's Deep End. A fourth Heads Up album, Good to Go-Go, was issued in 2007. The holiday album A Night Before Christmas followed in 2008.
---Scott Yanow & Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide |
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