Contemporary jazz legends Spyro Gyra will perform at The Kuumbwa
Jazz Center in Santa Cruz on Sept. 4 at 7 and 9 p.m.
Tickets are $55 and $35.
The Kuumbwa is located at 320 Cedar St. in Santa Cruz.
For more information and tickets, call (831) 649-1223 or
visit:
www.sspconcerts.com.
Contemporary jazz legends Spyro Gyra will perform at The Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz on Sept. 4 at 7 and 9 p.m.
Tickets are $55 and $35.
The Kuumbwa is located at 320 Cedar St. in Santa Cruz.
For more information and tickets, call (831) 649-1223 or visit:
www.sspconcerts.com.
Arguably contemporary instrumental music’s most popular band, Spyro Gyra was founded in 1975 by saxophonist and producer Beckenstein. The band’s infectious sound became a forerunner of many of today’s most popular styles. Spyro Gyra became a household name in 1979 when they broke onto the pop charts with the No.1 hit “Morning Dance.”
The latest chapter in this journey of musical storytelling is “Original Cinema.” The album’s 13 tracks represent a back-to-basics approach to the music after years of battling the preconceptions and misperceptions of the jazz cognoscenti – many of whom insisted that founder Jay Beckenstein and his quintet were somehow not privy to the jazz legacy.
Spyro Gyra has been experimenting with that soundtrack for a quarter century, pushing the boundaries and definitions of jazz and pop since the 1970s, and turning the music into a vital component of the day-to-day experience for listeners worldwide.
For hardcore devotees and casual fans alike, this progressive musical collective has crafted the soundtrack to the often cinernatic experience better known as life. ”
The result is a highly energized, atmospheric bag of musical styles and nuances – a little jazz in one corner, a little funk in another, a little R&B in yet another. Like a good movie, the album is peopled with fascinating characters moving through a compelling story fueled by a dynamic energy.
An active touring band who knows their audience well, Spyro Gyra has created its own instrumental hybrid, incorporating elements of jazz, R&B, Latin and Brazilian music. In addition to Beckenstein, the group features Tom Schuman on keyboards, Julio Fernandez on guitars, Scott Ambush on bass and Joel Rosenblatt on drums.
