jazzbo Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 I had a girlfriend/live in partner end of the seventies/early eighties who was very into them. I heard their lps and saw them in concert. I miss her sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 JK, I'm sure there are probably lots of chat lines out there where Spyro Gyra is well thought of. This just doesn't happen to be one of them. Organissimo is a harder core main to avant board, i.e. little room for the smoothies. So, while there is absolutely nothing wrong with your being a fan of this band, you've been here long enough to know that it isn't realistic to expect much if any support for your position. Point being, it's not fair for you to be upset with the replies you're receiving. Not when you should have been able to anticipate them. Up over and out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robviti Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 great thread. puts me in the mood to start my own harry allen hissy fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randissimo Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 JK, Though I don't think of them as "serious listening" I have enjoyed Spyro Gyra since I first heard them in 1978. I like their music and have played several of their tunes over the years with different bands. By the way, have you checked out any of the Yellow Jacket's lps? Though commercially successful, they have put out some very deep music! For the record, I also have to agree with Mike: However, "top notch playing" - compared to what? Compared to smooth jazz stuff? Sure, and I said as much. Compared to most rock folks? Sure, I'll go along with that. But compared to serious jazz players? Sorry, nope. When these guys were getting noticed, the Pat Metheny Group and the last versions of Weather Report were going. And there ain't no comparison in terms of the musicianship and musicality. SG is more in line with the Jeff Lorber Fusion - occasional nice stuff, but nothing monumental. So, you asked your question, you got an answer you didn't like (from someone who isn't ignorant of the music). Why ask the question in the first place? You wanted 10 people to just say "Yeah! Spyro Gyra ROCKS!" ? Mike By the way, I have read many of your posts and am glad to have you as a member Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 They do what they do really well. I just don't care for what they do. That must be because they're a "smooth jazz" band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 PEACE OUT DUDES!!! Does this mean my joke is a day late? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted April 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 Their new album, Deep End, has a really funky piece, Chippewa Street. it's awesome! Here's some trivia for our young Jazz Kat: Chippewa Street , in Buffalo, used to be famous for streetwalkers and other funky vices. I guess now ( I havn't been in the "Queen City" for many years, the last times was to see Wayne and Sonny ) that area has been gentrified. I'm sure those mayonnaise faced boys ( a Italo-American term meaning, roughly, suburban/white/rich ) of Spyro Gyra are referring to the later incarnation of the neighborhood? I don't know. If they're old enough, I'd imagine that they're familar with the earlier incarnation of Chippewa. That's certainly the association *I* make, and I grew up in Buffalo during the late 70s and early 80s. Chippewa was notorious at my elementary school (Waterfront) and was often the subject of dirty jokes and insinuating allusions. I remember that some friends and I wrote a parody of Toto's "Africa" called "Chippewa." I don't remember anything except the chorus: "I bless the whores down on Chiiiiipewaaaa..." Chippewa Street is a street in Buffalo, where Jay and the original band members are from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted April 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 PEACE OUT DUDES!!! Does this mean my joke is a day late? no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted April 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 They do what they do really well. I just don't care for what they do. That must be because they're a "smooth jazz" band. No mood for jokes, god damnit!!!!!!! They are not a smooth jazz band. AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Smooth jazz is lame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted April 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 JK, Though I don't think of them as "serious listening" I have enjoyed Spyro Gyra since I first heard them in 1978. I like their music and have played several of their tunes over the years with different bands. By the way, have you checked out any of the Yellow Jacket's lps? Though commercially successful, they have put out some very deep music! For the record, I also have to agree with Mike: However, "top notch playing" - compared to what? Compared to smooth jazz stuff? Sure, and I said as much. Compared to most rock folks? Sure, I'll go along with that. But compared to serious jazz players? Sorry, nope. When these guys were getting noticed, the Pat Metheny Group and the last versions of Weather Report were going. And there ain't no comparison in terms of the musicianship and musicality. SG is more in line with the Jeff Lorber Fusion - occasional nice stuff, but nothing monumental. So, you asked your question, you got an answer you didn't like (from someone who isn't ignorant of the music). Why ask the question in the first place? You wanted 10 people to just say "Yeah! Spyro Gyra ROCKS!" ? Mike By the way, I have read many of your posts and am glad to have you as a member Nah I haven't heard Yellow Jackets. I have failed to find that much albums over the internet. Amazon only had one album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chaney Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 They do what they do really well. I just don't care for what they do. That must be because they're a "smooth jazz" band. No mood for jokes, god damnit!!!!!!! They are not a smooth jazz band. AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! etc. Smooth jazz is lame! This thread is a cry for help but we can't work toward your cure until you realize and admit that you have a serious problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted April 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 where is the ignore button?? Is it coming back soon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 This is like trying to sell new age music in the Funny Rat thread...come on guys, check out Steven Halpern. You can do yoga to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 From what I've heard Spyro Gyra is definitely smooth jazz. No offense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chaney Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 where is the ignore button?? Is it coming back soon? Press here: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 HA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted April 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 From what I've heard Spyro Gyra is definitely smooth jazz. No offense. That's like calling Led Zeppelin heavy metal. (close, but no!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted April 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 where is the ignore button?? Is it coming back soon? Press here: go suck it bro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 From what I've heard Spyro Gyra is definitely smooth jazz. No offense. That's like calling Led Zeppelin heavy metal. (close, but no!) I tried calling Led Zeppelin collect, but had no luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted April 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 not funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robviti Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 (edited) That's like calling Led Zeppelin heavy metal. (close, but no!) sorry to break the news to someone born twenty years after the fact, but zeppelin is considered one the original heavy metal bands. Edited April 29, 2005 by jazzshrink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chaney Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 where is the ignore button?? Is it coming back soon? Press here: go suck it bro. Not even the teensiest bit funny? B-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Fitzgerald Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 When it comes down to it, yes, Spyro Gyra IS a smooth jazz band. They - along with Dave Grusin, Bob James, Grover Washington, Chuck Mangione, and folks like that - invented the genre. They're not a funk band, they're not a Latin band, they're not a jazz band, they're not a rock band, they're not a fusion band. They take bits of each of those and put it together in a largely unthreatening "easier listening" style. Does it take talent to do this well? Sure. The guys who play in Spyro Gyra have some chops - not necessarily a lot of taste, but they can get around on their instruments, they can handle the chord changes. Compositionally, there's a lot of formulaic stuff happening. Lots of vamp-oriented stuff. It's about the "groove" more than about melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic development. The tunes are "songs" more than they are "compositions" if we can understand that distinction. Now, if we can just accept that there is such a thing as a "good smooth jazz band", then we might be able to say that Spyro Gyra is a good smooth jazz band. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 Happy Jazz. :rsmile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest akanalog Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 my main impression of spyro gyra came from reading a eview of a phish show written by a young fan with little clue about jazz or good music outside of his small sphere-he began the review with a commentary on the parking lot scene and to paraphrase said something to the effect of "i knew when i got to the lot and heard spyro gyra coming from a fellow phans boombox that it was going to be a good lot scene." also, jazzkat-do you think david samuels would say something like "well i wanted to make some money so i decided to play some commercial dreck with spyro gyra"? also yeah i guess spyro gyra is like listening to jeff lorber and you know who used to be in lorber's band-right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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