Over the last year or so a lot of artists have decided to return to exploring and developing their original sound instead of trying to shoehorn their music into a narrow formatic box. The result has been that we are hearing some of the most exhilarating music to come out of this genre since the early 90s. Spyro Gyra were never entirely able to tone it down, it's just not the nature of musicians of this caliber. You could tell from the most impressive tracks on their recent releases that they were biting at the bit to bend the structure further and just cut loose and play. That's exactly what they have done on Good To Go-Go. The result is just jaw-dropping stunning. When they first hit the scene three decades ago they were the band that could bridge the space between progressive and accessible and draw a wide audience without a nod toward compromise. That's what  they've done here. They've created some strong, catchy melodies and used them as the framework for lots of extended soloing over a driving back beat that just doesn't quit. It's got groove, energy, momentum and you can tell these guys are having a lot of fun. There's some alchemy at work here too. Sometimes having the right person step in can take a group to an entirely different level. The addition of Bonny Bonaparte, aka Bonny B, on drums has done that. He's fun, he's charismatic and he plays big! It's a contagious spirit that has spread through the band and into the audiences that caught them on their recent tours. That's what they wanted to catch in the studio by going for a more live, less produced sound. This is one of their most fully realized albums ever, and in a field of 26 good ones that's quite an achievement.

All but two of the 12 songs on the CD clock in at over five minutes, most of them are closer to six - enough room to stretch out and showcase the musicians without getting excessive. "Simple Pleasures," the opening track,  foreshadows what's in store with its churning funky back beat, some fierce sax from Beckenstein and the first of many incredible solos from guitarist Julio Fernandez over a keyboard arrangement that sounds like the 21st century end of a line that leads straight back to Weather Report and Chick Corea. A lot of these songs are in that vein – drums and percussion upfront in the mix punctuated by blasts of sound and seamlessly shifting solos.

"Get Busy," has bassist Scott Ambush and Bonny B on a drum and bass duel. Ambush gets to work it out with Andy Narrell on the upbeat tropical "Island Time." "Funkyard Dog" just moves with Beckenstein and Fernandez soloing over a tight, dense layer of drums, bass, and keyboards that gains momentum as it goes along. The title track does the same thing over a looser bass and drum driven groove with some wicked B3 work from Schuman. "Newroses," is almost seven minutes full of punchy riffs wrapped around an anthemic guitar line and spiced up by a solo from Bonny B. Bonny B's presence is especially vivid on "Jam Up," which he wrote and Schuman's "Wassup." "Jam Up" is sun drenched fun with Bonny providing both narration and vocalese around Beckestein's sax and Andy Narell's steel pan drums. "Wassup," punctuated by some rhythmic shouts from Mr. B. has them standing on some cool pre-smooth turf that is reminiscent of some of some of Vital Information's funky-cool jazz-rock from the early 90s complete with another searing solo from Fernandez. "The Left Bank" swings with violinist Christian Howes' Ponty-ish flair. Through it all there's Beckenstein's sax work. Nobody can play as fast, clean and tight or match the dynamics of songs that just keep building without resorting to effects like squaking or squealing. He plays every note clear and true.

Although most of Good To Go Go is about energized momentum there are some songs that kick back. "Along For The Ride," has a loose, easy tropical groove and some darker chording reminiscent of the Incognito and Heart of the Night. "A Winter Tale" is meditative and moody with a bluesy touch. "Easy Street" has that breezy vibe that has become one of the band's trademark sounds, this time propelled into overdrive by Marc Quinones' congas and some tight ensemble playing.

Although Jay Beckenstein has been the "face" of the group, Spyro Gyra has always been a collaborative entity. They all write music for the band and each of them is represented as a songwriter here. They give each other a lot of room to play, feed off each other, and pull each other into this space where the sum of such effortless and superb musicianship actually is even more than its impressive parts. Hard to imagine until you listen to one memorable solo after another, or the whole band mesh into one thirlling wall of sound. This is something that happens occasionally at concerts but rarely makes it onto a CD intact.

These guys have a history. That's all good. But what's more significant is that they have a present and a future that holds the promise of just as much excitement and evolution, maybe even more. With Good To Go-Go available at the click of a mouse or drive to the store you don't have to delve into a body of work to turn a newbie into a fan. Just hand them this one to start with. If they can pry it out of their player after a few months of fascination they can work backward from there.

- Shannon West