Catching The Sun

Spyro Gyra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 12, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: AMHERST RECORDS
• ASIN: B000001O7I
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,941 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #6 in Music > Indie Music > Jazz > Jazz Fusion

Editorial Reviews

This 1980 set garnered them another chart hit with the title track.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Spyro Gyra, December 12, 2000

By 

Glenn "Glenn98" (Bergenfield, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catching The Sun (Audio CD)

The follow up to "Morning Dance", Spyro Gyra essentially finished what they started with this one. They chose a good combination of both slow and fast melodic, catchy jazz-fusion tunes that are pure pleasure to listen to. The songs "Lovin' You" and "Safari" are terrific upbeat songs that really show the talents that these guys have.

Even decades later, these songs still sound just as good. The ultimate in contemporary jazz.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Groovy, Smooth, Fresh...Stilll some of their best work., July 8, 2000

By 

Chris "The BBC American" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catching The Sun (Audio CD)

I don't know what it is about most people that like, for instance, 80's music in the 80's, but when they hear it in the 90's make ludicrous comments like, "I don't like that. It's so 80's." Well, if you're among that kind, do not buy this CD. If you like a groovin' 70's sound with consummate jazz flavorings, pick this up.

I've grown less infatuated with Spyro Gyra in recent years because they seem to have grown more generic (though not to single them out -- which is the point: they don't sound much different than most other jazz groups anymore). They seem to lack the freshness and musical exploration that this CD is full of. Their is not a track occupying this album that won't fit your groove if you like the 70's flavor jazz highlighted not only with funky synthetic sounds, but laced with beautiful acoustic stuff like the trombone (an underused and underrated jazz solo instrument) solo in "Philly."

Frankly, I like the Alto Sax as an instrument, but I think it's been entirely run into the ground as a jazz feature, and Spyro Gyra has grown guilty of that I'm sorry to say, and I'm just surfeited with the instrument to the point of nausea. This album avoids that to a degree today's albums don't, and is nicely refreshing, relaxing, but also groovin'.

This is probably my favorite SG album, though they do have some newer albums I like (like Point of View) and newer songs (like "Bright Lights" off of Fast Forward). But for freshness, adventurousness, and good grooves, this is the album. If you're not a Spyro Gyra fan having heard their newer stuff, take a listen to the excerpts available here and judge for yourself. If you're a funk flavored jazz lover, this is probably the CD for you.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic, March 18, 2004

By 

Clay Konnor (Heliopolis) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catching The Sun (Audio CD)

As a follow up to the hugely successful crossover hit album, Morning Dance, Catching The Sun extends the concepts started on Morning Dance. As a thematic album, it's one of the best things ever done in the genre. Each song flows so well with the album concept. This album contains some of Spyro's best tunes ever including the title cut, Percolator and the best ballad the band has ever done, Autumn Of Our Love. Simply put the contempory jazz genre didn't get much better than this.