SPYRO GYRA ft. JAY BECKENSTEIN — Fast Forward (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Spyro Gyra's first album for MCA after their longtime label, GRP-Crescendo, was absorbed into its corporate parent, 1990's Fast Forward carries the curious band subtitle "featuring Jay Beckenstein." Saxophonist Beckenstein has certainly always been the band's leader, writing a good chunk of the material and producing the albums, but given that the lineup is basically unchanged from the previous few Spyro Gyra albums, the new nomenclature is puzzling. It also goes against Spyro Gyra's entire musical aesthetic, as the group's unabashedly commercial and melodic style works against the traditional jazz concept of soloists and sidemen. Everyone on Fast Forward plays the melody, the whole melody, and nothing but the melody, with no improvisations or sidebars. The resulting tunes are unfailingly pleasant -- there's nothing here that would cause anyone to leap immediately to the forward skip button on their CD player -- but this relentlessly safe smooth jazz is unfortunately deficient on memorable songs, expressive playing, or foot-tapping tunes. It doesn't really "feature" anyone in particular. Stewart Mason
Tracklist :
1    Pipo's Song 4:53
Written-By – Julio Fernandez
2    Introduction To Breathless 1:05
Written-By – Jay Beckenstein
3    Breathless 5:19
Written-By – Jay Beckenstein
4    Introduction To Real Time 0:23
Written-By – Dave Samuels
5    Real Time 3:56
Written-By – Dave Samuels
6    Jennifer's Lullaby 5:40
Written-By – Jay Beckenstein
7    Whitewater 6:12
Written-By – Jay Beckenstein
8    Inside Your Love 4:07
Written-By – Jeremy Wall
9    Nothing To Lose 5:03
Written-By – Jay Beckenstein, Julio Fernandez
10    Three Wishes 4:47
Written-By – Jay Beckenstein
11    Gliding 4:50
Written-By – Dave Samuels, Jay Beckenstein
12    Cabana Carioca 5:18
Written-By – Jeremy Wall
13    Rollercoaster 4:29
Written-By – Tom Schuman
14    Three Wishes Reprise 1:41
Written-By – Jay Beckenstein
Credits :
Bass – Scott Ambush
Drums – Joel Rosenblatt
Guitar – Julio Fernandez
Keyboards – Tom Schuman
Marimba, Vibraphone – Dave Samuels
Percussion – Sammy Figueroa
Saxophone – Jay Beckenstein, Larry Williams
Trombone, Bass Trumpet – Bill Reichenbach
Trumpet – Gary Grant
Trumpet, Arranged By [Horn Section] – Jerry Hey