From the Vault...

11/29/2020
#1753

info
Spyro Gyra
"Rites Of Summer"


© MCA Records

Year of Release: 1988
Rating:

track listing
  • Claire's Dream
  • Daddy's Got A
    New Girl Now
  • Limelight
  • Shanghai Gumbo
  • Innocent Soul
  • No Man's Land
  • Yosemite
  • The Archer
  • Captain Karma

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    Spyro Gyra Website
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    Previous Review: #1752
    Josh Groban--All That Echoes
    Next Review: #1754
    Neil Young--Everybody's Rockin'
    Spyro Gyra
    "Rites Of Summer"



    If you're looking for great jazz, then Spryo Gyro is your choice. This week, their second album on our site gets the nod -- their 1988 release, Rites Of Summer This album (and a few others of them) were found at the Goodwill store. (Yes, another great cd from the "Goodwill Collection of WSVNRadio." Their first album reviewed here was Breakout. A #1 jazz album for them, as Rites Of Summer didn't even break the Top 100 (#104) of the main 200 chart. Imagine that! Despite that, this album is great, it's heavy, it's an outstanding album, regardless of how it achieved on the charts. You can't go wrong with Spyro Gyra; this is an album of great jazz.


    "Claire's Dream" starts out the album, with its great jazz electric guitar, a standout. Then the keyboards become another standout instrument. Then the horns! It doesn't end. All great instrumentation. "Daddy's Got A New Girl Now" is more of a Jazz Rock guitar styled track. "Limelight" is another great jazz track, more on the smooth jazz style.


    "Shanghai Gumbo" should have been a hit! It's Tropical Jazz, and brings a warm feeling, just listening to it. "Innocent Soul," as the title states, is innocent. Its relaxing, calming, a beautiful slowdown new age track. "No Man's Land" has a funky new age jazz vibe; the xylophone, and horns are the standouts. "Yosemite" is good smooth jazz, as the xylophone returns as a standout. "The Archer" is a great upbeat jazz track, with great horns, and xylophone. "Captain Karma" is another upbeat jazz rock track, as it ends the album out, as each song is truly exceptional.


    The xylophone (or are they keyboard syntheziers of the xylophone kind? They are quite impressive throughout the album. Likewise the horns, and guitar. It all blends well, as Spyro Gyra's Rites Of Summer is a fantastic jazz / smooth jazz / new age jazz album. Once again, Spyro Gyra produces yet another great jazz blending album. All the songs are great, and if I were to pick out song(s) to recommend, they would be the album's opening track, "Claire's Dream" and the warm and tropical "Shanghai Gumbo." Again, all the tracks here are great. The two tracks mentioned are the ones that stand out most.


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    Previous Review: #1752
    Josh Groban--All That Echoes
    Next Review: #1754
    Neil Young--Everybody's Rockin'