Description
This fantastic live album from the Leverkusen Jazz Days on November 7, 2022, features one of the most successful U.S. jazz fusion bands, Spyro Gyra.
With over 20 albums and more than ten million records sold worldwide, Spyro Gyra is one of the most prominent and commercially successful bands in the history of jazz. Between 1980 and 1985, the band won seven Grammy Awards. The jazz fusion band was founded in the early 1970s by soprano and alto saxophonist Jay Beckenstein. After graduating from high school, Beckenstein moved to Buffalo with his friend Jeremy Wall to study at the State University of New York. In 1974, they performed together for the first time as Spyro Gyra. Their first album, Spyro Gyra, featuring their hit 'Shaker Song,' was released in 1978. The band achieved commercial breakthrough with their follow-up album 'Morning Dance' and the hit single of the same name, which was released in 1979 on the MCA subsidiary Infinity Records. Other artists signed to Infinity Records included Rupert Holmes, Dobie Gray, Orleans, and Hot Chocolate.
For Spyro Gyra's performance at the Leverkusen Jazz Days on November 7, 2022, the band's lineup consisted of Jay Beckenstein (saxophone), Tom Schuman (keyboards, piano), Julio Fernandez (guitars), Scott Ambush (bass), and Lionel Cordew (drums, percussion). 'Art manifests itself in a variety of styles and contexts. That's why we started making music in the first place,' is Spyro Gyra's philosophy. And the band's live program that evening in Leverkusen was just as diverse, including their big hits 'Shaker Song' and 'Morning Dance.'
Spyra Gyra has many tour dates planned on the East Coast beginning February 25, 2026 in Florida.
Cast & Crew
Actors:- Jay Beckenstein
- Tom Schuman
- Julio Fernandez
- Scott Ambush
- Lionel Cordew
Director: Peter Sommer
Director: Tobias Kremer
Producer: Peter Sommer
Additional Details
Label: Moosicus
Genre: Jazz
Language: English
Run Time: 80:37 mins
Region: 0
Release Date: 02/27/26
UPC: 885513122926