Good to Go-Go

Description

Spyro Gyra leader Jay Beckenstein credits the addition of Trinidadian drummer Bonny B with juicing the long-running contemporary jazz band's sound, making it more "live-sounding." Wherever the stimulus came from, Good to Go-Go is one of the more forceful albums by Beckenstein and company. The drummer's Caribbean-style "Jam Up," featuring Andy Narell on steel drums and Bonny B on vocals, is infectious in a tightly wound way and melodically flavorful. With its modern harmonies, "The Left Band," with Christian Howe's guesting on violin, has an edge most such music lacks. Elsewhere, Spyro Gyra's funk-based sound is boosted by Julio Fernandez's wired guitar and lyrically colored by Tom Schuman's unplugged piano. This is the band's 26th album. Three decades on, it would seem, it is entering a promising new phase. --Lloyd Sachs