by Michaela L. Duckett
Spyro Gyra, one of the most popular and longest-running jazz bands in the history of American music, will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2014.
Its members have accomplished a lot in the past four decades – recording 29 records, selling 10 million albums and performing over 5,000 shows. Earlier this year, they challenged themselves to do something they had not done before – improvise an entire album.
In April, Spyro Gyra rented a studio in Rhinebeck, N.Y. Over the course of three days, the band wrote and recorded what would become their latest album, “The Rhinebeck Sessions.”
The band is currently on tour and scheduled to make a stop in Charlotte to perform a concert with the Yellowjackets Dec. 14 at Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts. Visit www.BlumenthalArts.org for show times and ticket information.
The Post recently caught up with Spyro Gyra bandleader Jay Beckenstein. In the following Q&A, Beckenstein reflects on the band’s longevity and explains how it got its funky name.
Question: What can fans expect from the Dec. 14 show in Charlotte?
Answer: We have a new CD out that’s doing really well called “The Rhinebeck Sessions” so we’ll do a few songs from that, for certain. But because the band has such a long, long history and so many CDs that we try to pick a few things from the different decades to add to the show. If you haven’t seen us live, most of the music is instrumental, but it’s pretty high energy. We are not still around after 40 years because it wasn’t entertaining.
Q: Speaking of being around for 40 years, what do you believe is the secret to your longevity?
A: You do have to be blessed with good health and things like that, so that’s part of it. The other part of it, is that the people in the band and around the band have shown themselves to be really good people, interested in the music and each other. The other thing is that a band is really good place for a musician to be. You get to play your music, your way. It’s not about me being a leader. I’m not out in front. It really is about being a group so that everybody gets a chance to show their stuff. So the secret is the people involved and that it’s creatively, very rewarding.
Q: How did the band come up with its name?
A: I studied a little green alga in college that was called spirogyra. It looked really pretty under a microscope. A couple of years later, we were working at a bar in Buffalo, N.Y. We were just called “the jazz band every Tuesday night.” We didn’t have a name. The club owner got a new sign for the place. We came in that night and he told us that if we didn’t come up with a name, he was going to get somebody else. So I remembered this silly sounding alga. I said, “Call it spirogyra.” He misspelled it, and that’s been our name ever since.
Q: Initially you studied biology in college. How did you make the transition into music?
A: Gladly. (Laughter). Biology was work. Music was fun, and I was 20. What choice would you make? I know what I did, and it worked out for the best.
Read more: http://www.thecharlottepost.com/news/2013/12/12/arts-and-entertainment/40-years-of-spyro-gyra/
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