Spyro Gyra – Wrapped In A Dream (2006) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Spyro Gyra – Wrapped In A Dream (2006)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 61:22 minutes | Scans included | 3,88 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | 61:40 mins | Scans | 1,29 GB

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.

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Spyro Gyra – In Modern Times (2001) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Spyro Gyra – In Modern Times (2001)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 60:28 minutes | Scans included | 3,64 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,23 GB

When you consider that 1979 was the year that launched Spyro Gyra onto the pop charts with their number one hit “Morning Dance,” for what was essentially a new style of jazz, their achievements seem all the more astounding. With the release of In Modern Times, the group commemorates 25 years of recording and a move to Heads Up International with this fresh, new collection. The enhanced CD, complete with a video and biography, features the talents of its co-founder, Jay Beckenstein, on saxophones, Tom Schuman on keyboards, Julio Fernandez on guitars, Scott Ambush on bass, and Joel Rosenblatt on drums. The 12 original concepts written by members of the group, the inimitable Chuck Loeb, and co-writers Jeremy Wall and Phil Magallanes, keep the listening interesting, sweet, and real. The opening track, “After Hours,” is a sultry tune featuring orchestral enhancement, subtle horn charts, and creates a mood that signals the listener is in for a great time. Their retro soul tribute to Grover Washington, Jr., ” “Groovin’ for Grover” features an excellent soprano saxophone melody by Jay Beckenstein and glistens brilliantly among this great array of contemporary jazz gems. The crown jewel, however, is “Florida Straits,” a fiery, danceable, Latin jam. Beckenstein’s sax playing lights a fire under Julio Fernandez’ Carlos Santana-influenced guitar riffs, who cuts loose on a solo that sets the song ablaze. Along with percussionist David Quarles and drummer Joel Rosenblatt, this descarga helps to set In Modern Times apart from previous chart makers by Spyro Gyra. Another great song is “East River Blue,” which features the bluesy bop and soulful resonance of Beckenstein’s sax lines and the excellent B-3 organ solo by Tom Schuman. This enhanced CD is dynamic and flows as if self-propelled because of the superior technology, well-written songs, tight horn charts, eclectic grooves, and exceptional contemporary jazz, fusion, and R&B-based performers who mix various elements into a bold, modern sound.

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Spyro Gyra – Good To Go-Go (2007) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Spyro Gyra – Good To Go-Go (2007)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 69:08 minutes | Scans included | 4,4 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,45 GB

Thirty-one years and 27 albums in (not including compilations), urban contemporary jazz unit Spyro Gyra are playing with the funky inspiration and clever melodic and rhythmic invention that have made them synonymous with the genre, but that they haven’t displayed on their own recordings for some time. This is not to say the quintet have ever been completely off their game. They know what they do, and do it extremely well — they can make smooth and groove-oriented records all day long — but the sheer edge and shifty, even knotty melodic ideas on “Good to Go-Go” feel adventurous in contrast to the records they’ve made since the beginning of the decade where they’ve fused smooth jazz to some Caribbean, Spanish, and other kinds of world music as well as written and recorded with pop vocalists. The adventure here is in the groove itself. First there is the opener, “Simple Pleasures,” (composed by saxophonist Jay Beckenstein) with its bassline-driven funky core, followed by “Get Busy” written by keyboardist Tom Schuman. It is really busy but keeps its flow, melodically and rhythmically, never losing the central beat though its dynamics change radically and its lyric core on the heads is full of complex changes. “Jam Up” features the steel pans of Andy Narrell and drummer Bonny B.’s backdrop (and irritating dancehall) vocals, but cooks with a reggae-propelled foreground, ending up in Spanish flamenco territory in the melodies. “The Left Bank,” (Beckenstein) and “Good to Go-Go” (by bassist Scott Ambush) are down and dirty and full of compelling harmonic smoke if not all-out fire. The former is a funk tune with a slippery backbeat and beautiful counterpoint, and the latter pushes with killer B-3 playing by Shuman, slapping bass by Ambush and Bonny B.’s popping rimshots playing nearly against the melody. The blues groove in the latter tune (especially with Beckenstein’s and Julio Fernandez’s swinging, sting-happy six-string break, which gets touched off by Ambush loping both into his bass solo) kicks the whole thing up into a rhythm and groove burner. “Island Time,” is a carnival tune with solid jazz chops, and once again Narrell’s steel pans get a beautiful workout inside a nearly ecstatic lyric keyboard and saxophone head. Of course the rhythmic assistance by Marc Quiñones doesn’t hurt texturally either. “Newroses,” by Beckenstein and Fernandez, takes the album out on an even more complex set of changes than it strutted in with. It’s got gorgeous, almost pastoral sections that come in just after the most complex and twist-and-turn headlines bring in a melody that breaks from a relatively simple groove and then unwinds into something other. According to taste of course, but Good to Go-Go is the most satisfying release that Spyro Gyra have released on Heads Up, and is a recording that brings that jazz back in a big way into the “urban contemporary” and “smooth” subgenres.

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Spyro Gyra – Original Cinema (2003) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Spyro Gyra – Original Cinema (2003)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 62:34 mins | Scans included | 4,14 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,24 GB

A slightly sharper edge surfaces in Spyro Gyra’s second effort for the Telarc-affiliated Heads Up label. While their performance still tilts more toward easy listening than searing fusion, there’s a bit more punch than usual in the upbeat tracks. Frontman Jay Beckenstein cultivates a slightly grittier sound by concentrating largely on tenor sax, while a trio of guest percussionists adds dimension to the beat on several numbers, especially the festive “Cape Town Love.” The tour de force performance is probably “Flashback,” largely because Beckenstein goes it alone, blowing some eloquent, Wayne Shorter-style lines against his own more than serviceable pre-recorded piano accompaniment. The filmic theme, reflected in the titles of several tracks, is more affectation than substance; in truth, Original Cinema extends rather than detours from the path laid down for a quarter century by this smooth jazz juggernaut.

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Spyro Gyra – Vinyl Tap (2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Spyro Gyra – Vinyl Tap (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 51:47 minutes | 1,13 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Amherst Records, Inc.

Spyro Gyra’s new release Vinyl Tap, their first album of new material in six years, is sure to excite their worldwide fan base as well as to bring new listeners into the fold. Never content to rest on their prodigious work of the past, they have once again challenged themselves to apply their iconic sound to an idea that makes this release stand out from all of it’s predecessors.

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