Long before there was an official radio format dedicated to the jazz genre, Spyro Gyra was brilliantly blending soul, jazz, pop and world beat influences into smooth jazz sounds. They quickly became one of the most famous ensembles in the instrumental world.

Spyro Gyra, which started out in Buffalo, New York, has produced over 25 years of great music. From Spyro Gyra in 1978, to most recently The Deep End in 2004, the band has released a total of 27 albums.

Currently touring as Spyro Gyra are: Scott Ambush (Bass Guitar), Jay Beckenstein (Saxophone), Julio Fernandez (Guitar), Ludwig Afonso (Drums), and Tom Schuman (Keyboards).

When the band started out in Buffalo NY in the 1970’s, there was no name for the group. The beginnings of the band grew out of a weekly jam session at a club in Buffalo named Jack Daniel's. The weekly session was known only as "Tuesday Night - Jazz Jam". As the popularity grew, the club owner wanted to put a name of the group on a new sign that he had just bought for the front of the club. One late night, that owner was asking Jay to decide on a name for his sign. Jay jokingly said, "Call it spirogira." Spirogira is an algae that Jay had remembered from biology class that is commonly known as "pond scum." The next week, that name was on the sign incorrectly spelled as "Spyro Gyra." In short, it was a joke.

In the early 1980’s, Jay Beckenstein purchased a turn-of-the-century farmhouse on the outskirts of New York City and converted it into Bear Tracks recording studio. This has provided Spyro Gyra with a great recording environment over the years.

Many of the band members have done successful solo and other joint productions in addition to their work with Spyro Gyra. For more information, a discography and full biographical information, please visit www.spyrogyra.com.