In Modern Times [Enhanced]

Spyro Gyra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 22, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Heads Up
• ASIN: B00005JH7I
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,775 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #42 in Music > Indie Music > Jazz > Jazz Fusion

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Primo Smooth Jazz, June 14, 2002

By 

J. Levinson (Media, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Modern Times (Audio CD)

They were one of the first bands to play smooth jazz and they are among the best. Just about every track on this disc could drop right into any smooth jazz radio playlist in the country. This disc works well as foot-tapping background music, although they throw in enough musical flair to reward careful listening. With apologies to Howard Rumsey, no one makes better music for light house-keeping than Spyro Gyra!

Bandleader Jay Beckenstein usually states the melody and takes at least one solo on every tune, but Tom Schuman gets a number of solos on various keyboards, and adds tasteful fills elsewhere. Julio Fernandez gets a few chances to display some of his guitar technique, most notably his Santana-influenced solo on the Latin number. Joel Rosenblatt and Scott Ambush establish solid, danceable grooves on every upbeat track, and even play a convincing swing rhythm on the one soulful bop tune, "East River Blues".

I agree with the reviewer who felt that Beckenstein gets his best tone on alto, but the overall excellence of the ensemble and the polish of the arrangements overcome his limitations on tenor and soprano. Stanley Turrentine and Grover Washington are apparently two of Jay's idols, so he can be forgiven for reaching a bit.

There's no single melody as memorable as "Morning Dance", but this is an overall very listenable album. Although their live albums are generally their best, this is a quite enjoyable addition to their impressive catalog. I haven't yet checked out the extra video and bios on this enhanced CD, but the music alone makes this a good value, whether or not you're a serious fan.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Plea For Future Times!, October 24, 2004

By 

Dr. Of Style (Saginaw, MI) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: In Modern Times (Audio CD)

Greetings and sincerest salutations, friends.

You can read some of my other reviews for disclaimers, qualifications, and opinion bases.

This is quite a fantstic album! Quite unlike most, if not all Spyro Gyra (SG) recordings. Great songs (lyrical and melodic, funky and soulful) abound, as well as terrific musicianship.

SG is what I have always labled as a Progressive Jazz Band. My musician friend once said to me that "jazz has reached its end; it's all been done before." Well, I have proclaimed that SG was the group that has changed attitudes such as this. They have usually had a fresh and lyrical approach to music, be it called "fusion" or "jazz."

On this recording, right from the beginning, we have some catchy, bluesy/soulful/funky tunes. I am assuming that "Groovin' For Grover" is a tribute to the late, great Grover Washington, Jr. It is a great tune with Jay on the Soprano (an instrument I usually dislike, no matter who's playing it).

And while this is a very good recording for the group, it is the last four tunes that make this an exceptional (5-star) album. IMHO, these may be the best four consecutive tunes on any SG album!

"East River Blue"--enter Mr. B-3! How wonderful this sounds! Jay chimes in on a very sultry, bluesy tenor (I prefer Jay's tenor work). This is a Blues song supreme! Tom, I know Jimmy Smith can hear you, and I'm sure he's applauding! This is just a GREAT song!

"Your Touch" is quite a beautiful song! Jay has never sounded better than he plays here. Full of heartfelt melody and romantic softness, we then expand into some funky changes! This is great! Tom takes us back to the bridge with some wonderfully delicate keyboard work; quite a nice touch!

"Lucky Bounce" has a few bars to expand before it gets right in your face with some wonderful horns (thanks, No Sweat Horns!). Ok now, let it go on for a bit more--then we're treated to the horns again, this time with a latin flavor. Julio, IMHO, now exhibits his best work on ANY SG album! Let's have more of this, fellas!

Take me home with a spine-chilling melody, "Planet J." Watch out, they try to lull you to be content with just head-bobbin' and foot-tappin'! What? A trombone? Get out! What now? A flugelhorn? Stop kidding me, brothers! OK, now we're full bore melodic and funky. All together now! I think you readers get the idea. This, like the last three, is just a terrific tune!

Now, you will probably never hear these last four songs on most radios, and rightfully so; RADIO SUCKS!

Do yourself a favor and pick this recording up soon, before they're all gone!

And, oh, by the way, I am also a huge Carlos Santana fan, and where these people get off saying that Julio sounds like Carlos--well folks, I just don't get it. Perhaps they haven't listened to enough Santana to be able to discern Julio's or anyone else's sound, for that matter. Julio sounds great, but he sounds like Julio, and no one else!

And finally, a plea to Jay--why can't we have more albums along this vein, as opposed to a regression to the old ways. In fact, may I suggest an album of Blues, and album of avant-garde/free jazz, and an album where all you play is tenor. Having listened to you for many years now, I think these ideas would be terrific; in fact, you have proven that here!

Thanks for a great album, guys!

Thanks to you readers for reading my review.

Rock on!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A review of Spyro Gyra's In Modern Times., May 29, 2003

By 

James Houser (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Modern Times (Audio CD)

In Modern Times is a great album by Spyro Gyra. It was released in 2001 and has some very good tunes on it. It is one of their better cd's. It would rank up in my top 10 favorite Spyro Gyra albums of their career.

My top 3 favorite songs off of this disc would have to be tracks 2,4, and 7. Feelin' Fine is a great piece with a superb and memorable beat with good guitar playing. It's frequently played on the radio. The River Between is a nice, mellow song with fantastic bass playing by Scott, which also provides for a good beat. Florida Straits is a perfect title for the song. Julio does unbelievable playing and it also features good piano parts by Tom. It makes you feel like you are in Florida.

With all of that being said, this is a good, modern release by Spyro Gyra and is well worth the purchase. Every song is to be liked on here. Plus, it's an enhanced cd and has extra features on it, if you have a compatible computer on which to use it with. Thank you for taking the time and generosity to read my review.