ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
Spyro Gyra, an American jazz fusion band formed in the mid-1970s, will perform in Istanbul for the first time as part of the Garanti Jazz Fest at the Istanbul Jazz Center on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The group has released 25 albums and sold 10 million copies worldwide, while the group’s most successful hit singles, “Shaker Song” and “Morning Dance,” have received significant play on popular music radio stations, and are still frequently heard nearly 30 years later on jazz and easy-listening stations.
Spyro Gyra’s music, which has been influential in the development of smooth jazz, combines jazz with elements of R&B, funk and pop music. Although generally considered to be more “jazz” than “smooth,” Spyro Gyra has been praised for their skilled instrumentalists and for their live performances, which average nearly 100 per year.
Even though the group was from 1970s, the 1990s provided the band with new challenges and a stable line-up for most of the decade. Guitarist Julio Fernandez rejoined the band for their 1991 Collection CD, a best of work that also featured two new songs. These two new songs on the collection marked the debut of drummer Joel Rosenblatt, who had previously played with artists ranging from Michel Camilo to Pure Prairie League.
via Easy-listening US jazz band to make Istanbul premiere – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review.