Spyro Gyra Tributes Pouring in for Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards
February 13, 2007 - Getting musicians to praise Smooth Jazz supergroup Spyro Gyra hasn't exactly been a labour - "there is a lot of love for these guys," say Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards co-chair John Beaudin. "After all their body of work had served as 'the manual' as to how it's done right in Smooth Jazz - leader Jay Beckenstein has certainly done that for me as a radio programmer." The 3rd annual Canadian Smooth Awards will honour Spyro Gyra with the "George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award" on Friday April 27 2007 at Hammerson Hall at The Living Arts Centre, Mississauga Ont. The band will perform at the ceremony. In 2005 George Benson travelled to Ontario to receive the first Lifetime Achievement prize and it's now official named after the guitar genius. Lee Ritenour says, "From the seventies to now, from 'Morning Dance' to the current project, Spyro Gyra has been a legendary group in the Contemporary Jazz movement." Alfie Zappacosta who is nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year says, "Spyro Gyra is cool intelligent music as well the Crusaders and Larry Carlton on guitar formed the basis and platform of where I knew I wanted to be Musically." He adds, "we, my fellow band mates and I, cut our teeth, proud in the fact that we knew greater bands than those who where forced on us by Pop and Rock radio stations, formulated with drivel." Walter Beasley also gave the band props, "One of my first memorable experiences in music was the first time I heard morning dance . I didn't know who or what I was hearing I just knew it was perfect." Check out our huge tribute to Spyro Gyra here. - Kari Graham

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Steve Oliver Ads Touches Of Spyro Gyra & Fourplay on New Album

(L&R) Oliver and Schuman

May 13, 2004 - Steve Oliver has a working title of '3-D' for his next album to be released in August on Koch Records. The guitarist is working at his own home studio in Los Angeles and he's working with Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra at his studio in Las Vegas. Oliver has added a taste of another supergroup, Fourplay with special guest drummer Harvey Mason. Saxophonist Eric Marienthal is also on the project. As for the sound of his third album Oliver says it will be in the similar vein to his last hit CD 'Positive Energy' which featured the number one Smooth Jazz song of the year for 2003 in Canada, 'High Noon.' So expect a few vocals tracks, a few vocalize tunes and of course the instrumentals. Oliver promises a full tour to follow the release.

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Spyro Gyra Goes Off The Deep End
May 4, 2004 - Mark "musical event" under May 25 on your calendar. One of the mainstays in Contemporary Jazz since the seventies Spyro Gyra will release their new album on that date. It's always an event when one of the creative forces in Jazz gives the can another kick. The band is celebrating their 30th anniversary this year with two of the six members dating back to the very beginning, saxophonist Jay Beckenstein and keyboardist Tom Schuman. Keyboardist Jeremy Wall though no longer an official member of Spyro Gyra has a revolving membership. He appeared on their self titled debut album in 1976 and still collaborates with the band. Here's what Beckenstein said about keeping the band close, "The reason the band works so well together is that we each have our circle of musical influences, but they all overlap," adding, "There's a space that we all have in common, which is that we all like music with an emotional undercurrent, and we like music that breathes and has drama and has melody and is not static." The new album 'The Deep End' on the Heads Up label works according to Beckenstein because of the different members and their different take on things. "You have five composers who are involved in the process, and each one of them has a slightly different musical background, a slightly different take on things," Beckenstein explains. "Or maybe each is responding to his particular voice in a particular way. The result is a very eclectic record. The title is a reference to the emotional deep end, and going for things with all you have. It's about taking that leap and letting your emotions lead." Spyro Gyra joined the Heads Up label in 2001. 'The Deep End' is their third album for the label after 'In Modern Times' and 'Original Cinema.'

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Spyro Gyra Tour Dates

April 03, 2004 Houston, TX - Houston City Live April 13-18, 2004 New York, NY - Blue Note May 28, 2004 Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection May 29, 2004 Cleveland, OH - Tower City Ampitheater May 30, 2004 Dayton, OH - Riverblast! Festival June 3, 2004 Hato Rey, Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fest June 19, 2004 Lithonia, GA - Lithonia Summer Concert Series June 26, 2004 Farmingville, L.I., NY - Brookhaven Amphitheater July 3, 2004 Kauku, Hawaii - Turtle Bay Resort July 17, 2004 Corvallis, OR - Da Vinci Days Festival July 21, 2004 New York, NY - Carnival Miracle, Pier 63, Chelsea Piers July 23, 2004 Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre July 30, 2004 Minneapolis, MN - Rossi's Bluestar Room July 31, 2004 Des Moines, IA - Simon Estes Amphitheater

August 1, 2004 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant August 7, 2004 Woodenville, WA - Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery; Ampitheatre August 20, 2004 Toledo, OH - Valentine Theatre August 21, 2004 Dublin, OH - Wendy's Int'l Headquarters August 27, 2004 Newport Beach, CA - Hyatt Newporter; Outdoor Amphitheater August 29, 2004 Temecula, CA - Thornton Winery September 18, 2004 Phillips Int'l Jazz Festival - Sazka Arena September 21 - September 28, 2004 Milano, ITALY - Blue Note Milano October 16, 2004 Tarrytown, NY - Tarrytown Music Hall October 22, 2004 Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre January 22, 2005 Morristown, NJ - Community Theatre

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Spyro Gyra Breaks the Mold
May 23. 2003 - Smooth Jazz as a genre is sometimes to confining for some musicians but with "Original Cinema" Spyro Gyra hopes to break that mold. The album released in February is currently # 5 on Smooth Jazz Now's top 20 but group founder Jay Beckenstein says he wasn't concerned with charts when the group recorded the album. Beckenstein says different forms of Jazz have different rules, "They're the only musical genres I know of where you have rules like, 'In smooth jazz we don't want any improvisation,' or 'In straight-ahead jazz we don't want any electric bass,'" he said. "It's just crazy, and it's left us with too many musicians who are concerned more with emulation than with discovery." Spyro Gyra are on the road until October.

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