Spyro Gyra
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Biography
Jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra â not to be confused with the British folk rock band Spirogyra â was founded in Buffalo, New York in 1974 by saxophonist Jay Beckenstein and keyboardist Jeremy Wall. The other founding members included Jim Kurzdofer (bass), Tom Walsh (drums), Umbopha Emile Latimer (percussion), and Tom Schuman (keyboards). They released their self-titled debut album independently in 1977, signing a deal with Amherst Records, who reissued the album nationally the following year with a different cover. The album featured the single âShaker Songâ, which reached Number 90 on Billboardâs Hot 100 Singles chart. Signing to Infinity/MCA Records, the band released their second album, Morning Dance, in 1979. The album hit Number 11 on the UK Albums chart and Number 27 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. The title track was released as a single reaching Number 1 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles chart and Number 17 on the UK singles chart. Catching the Sun, their third album, was released in 1980 and proved to be yet another success. After nine more albums on MCA, the band switched to GRP Records for another six albums. They continued to release albums for other labels including Windham Hill and Heads Up before coming back to their first label, Amherst for the albums A Foreign Affair (2011) and Vinyl Tap (2019). Over the years, the bandâs line-up has changed with Beckenstein the only member of the band featured on all of their recordings. Founding member Jim Kurzdorfer died in 2011 of cancer.
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Ariana
- Sorbet
- Wishful Thinking
- Not Unlike That
- Para Ti Latino
- Bright Lights by Jeff Beckenstein
- Ocean Parkway
- Alexandra
- Futurephobia
- Speak Easy
- Shadow Play
- 4MD
- Tower Of Babel
- Escape Hatch
- Sweet Baby James
- Three Sisters
- 20/20
- Ruled by Venus
- The Unwritten Letter
- Rockaway to Sunset
- South American Sojourn
- Dark Eyed Lady
- Together
- The Deep End
