Jacksonville, FL
July 14, 2006

When writing about Spyro Gyra, I sometimes wish I knew the language of musicians, the technical terms, because that terminology would help me find the words to nail down some of the indescribable things that these guys do onstage. We're dealing with world class musicians here, after all. But the majority of you who are reading this are not musicians either, so throwing down a bunch of technical terms wouldn't tell the story. What does tell the story is that these guys came close to a standing ovation after every song. The times they didn't you could see people squirming in their seats and looking around to see if anyone else was going to stand up. In spirit they got those standing ovations, both between songs and during them.

To put it in everyday language from my neck of the woods: Spyro Gyra kicks @$$. It's easy to take a band for granted when they have been around for so long and tour all the time. Just when you start to feel that way about this band, they show up with a whole new bag of tricks. Pass up a chance to see them because you've seen them many times before and you'll end up hearing people rave about it and wish you had been there.

This show proves how timeless and vital Spyro Gyra is. They don't default to the hit-driven set lists a lot of touring bands feel obligated to play. They're obviously psyched up by the songs on their excellent new CD, Wrapped In A Dream, and they hit the stage with a triple whammy of fired-up versions of three new ones. "Spyro Time" and the rousingly funky "The VoodooYooDoo" set the tone for the evening with everyone trading solos and playing off each other over a tight driving backbeat. Julio Fernandez was on fire, delivering complex jazzy solos and rock star riffs and making it look effortless. For "Wrapped In A Dream," Jay Beckenstein showed how far beyond sweetness he can take a soprano sax. He just wailed on it! Even the high notes were full, deep, and clear. All this time the lucky ones in the front rows could see new drummer Bonnie Bonaparte smiling and having the time of his life behind his huge drum kit. We got to hear his first solos during "The Big Dance Number," which was one thrilling, energized wall of sound. Spyro Gyra doesn't resort to overt showmanship because they don't need to; their showmanship comes from their musicianship. Tom Schuman facing the crowd and dancing while delivering all those keyboard sounds with one hand; Scott Ambush just standing there throwing off mind-blowing bass lines; and Jay, being the ultimate sax player, as they trade off licks and build songs to crescendos then pull back (while people try to stand and yell and their dates or spouses tell them to sit down). Schuman's solo during this song was everything Contemporary Jazz keyboard should be, powerful, driving, complex and as far from lite piano noodling as you can get.

They reinvented three of their "hits" - "Morning Dance," "Catching The Sun," and "Shaker Song"- by turning them into a medley and tweaking them into the 21st century with some subtle rhythmic and melodic changes that make them interesting even to fans who have heard them repeatedly. They didn't default to the overly familiar for the other two older songs in the set. They mined the deeper tracks that were among the most interesting representations of the classic Spyro sound, "Heliopolis" from the Morning Dance CD and "Casa Hueso" from Stories Without Words. "After The Storm," another song from the new CD, was jazz/rock fusion without the buzz-saw effect because Julio plays so clean and he's so good he doesn't need pyrotechnics. The big rousing finish was another choice from left field, an extended version of "Fearless Fostick" from Schuman's Deep Chill CD. This isn't chill.  This is a meltdown, with Jay playing two saxes at once, and Scott stepping up front and getting about every sound and nuance out of a bass that is humanly possible.

Now, let’s talk about The New Drummer. There are people who add a new dimension and take everyone around them to a different level. It happens in sports, it happens in bands, it even happens at church and in reading groups. Some people are just so into it, have so much talent and have so much fun using that talent that it lights everyone up. Enter Bonnie Bonaparte. Being able to play at the level this band plays is quite an accomplishment, bringing something new and original to the table is amazing. Someone described him as sounding like two drummers and a percussionist all in one. Maybe three drummers and two percussionists.  To say it adds momentum to the music would be an understatement. His solo was from another planet! He scatted, banged on the drums, did this kind of stream of consciousness montage of words and songs and vocalese - stuff like lines from "Atomic Dog" mixed in with call and response audience participation. I've never seen an audience actually sing melody lines as complicated as the ones he got us to willingly try. Sounded pretty good, too.  I think it was partially the energy he brought, partially the new songs and how stretching them out let everyone just play their hearts out, and mostly how obvious it was that these guys were having a grand time playing that made this the best Spyro Gyra concert of all the ones I can recall. 

Obviously, they got an encore. Jacksonville audiences don't do the golf-clapping thing. By the end of this set everyone was on their feet and yelling. Before they did one of their greatest high-energy Spyro-songs, "Daddy's Got A Brand New Girl," Jay talked about how much they loved doing this. That's the thread of continuity that has kept this band from falling by the wayside, defaulting to formula, or becoming a nostalgia act. The virtuoso instrumental and songwriting skills can keep a group of musicians recording and touring but the chemistry between them and the willingness to take risks and never underestimate the audience are what keeps them alive, vital and relevant. Don't take this band for granted. Don't miss the new CD and even if it means plane tickets or a butt-numbing road trip make every effort to see them this tour!

- Shannon West