On 24th of April Nordea Kontserdimaja hosted a quintessential American jazz fusion group Spyro Gyra. The concert hall was pitch black with colourful stage lighting pointing towards the band and the background, so even the farthest sitting audience could easily focus on the masterpiece. The sheer quality of their professionalism was hypnotising, they just made it look so easy. Spyro Gyra meticulously combined jazz with elements of R&B, funk and pop, performing songs from each genre, showing excellence from the beginning until the end.
In-between songs each member got to prove their skills by performing solos, one crazier than the other. The solos had a common denominator of speeding up whilst getting more intricate; in short they owned their instruments. At one point Jay Beckenstein played a clarinet and a saxophone simultaneously, which seemed like two different people playing in harmonies. It was apparent that they were on top of their game, since there is not much further you can go. With their instruments they created an aura, a transcending ambience that made you forget being in a concert hall, that made you travel way in the depths of their rhythms and melodies. In such a scenario it is easy forget the complexities behind the seemingly effortless delivery.
SPYRO GYRA (USA)
24th of April, Nordea Kontserdimaja, Tallinn
Members:
Jay Beckenstein – saxophones
Tom Schuman – keyboard
Julio Fernandez – guitars
Scott Ambush – bass
Lionel Cordew – drums
Check out photos from the concert.