Jazz Kat

not funny!

Press here: go suck it bro.

That's like calling Led Zeppelin heavy metal. (close, but no!)

where is the ignore button?? Is it coming back soon?

I'm throwin some funk out there tonite with The Backyards. I'm feelin greezy!

Nah I haven't heard Yellow Jackets. I have failed to find that much albums over the internet. Amazon only had one album.

That must be because they're a "smooth jazz" band. No mood for jokes, god damnit!!!!!!! They are not a smooth jazz band. AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Smooth jazz is lame!

Does this mean my joke is a day late? no.

Here's some trivia for our young Jazz Kat: Chippewa Street , in Buffalo, used to be famous for streetwalkers and other funky vices. I guess now ( I havn't been in the "Queen City" for many years, the last times was to see Wayne and Sonny ) that area has been gentrified. I'm sure those mayonnaise faced boys ( a Italo-American term meaning, roughly, suburban/white/rich ) of Spyro Gyra are referring to the later incarnation of the neighborhood? I don't know. If they're old enough, I'd imagine that they're familar with the earlier incarnation of Chippewa. That's certainly the association *I* make, and I grew up in Buffalo during the late 70s and early 80s. Chippewa was notorious at my elementary school (Waterfront) and was often the subject of dirty jokes and insinuating allusions. I remember that some friends and I wrote a parody of Toto's "Africa" called "Chippewa." I don't remember anything except the chorus: "I bless the whores down on Chiiiiipewaaaa..." Chippewa Street is a street in Buffalo, where Jay and the original band members are from.

How many times do I have to say I respected ALL OF MICHAEL'S REPLIES!!! THEY WERE VERY INTELIGENT. PEACE OUT DUDES!!!

My days here might be numbered. Fuck it, not that anybody cares.

And this coming from the man who said to "fucking grow up."

Michael, I already said I respected you with your first post. You don;t just give wierd smileys, you explain it. But most of it is your opinion. Dave Samuels started off as a guest star, toured with them even, joined them officialy for their 1985 album, Alternating Currents. Samuels left to dedicate his time to the Caribean Jazz Project. Simple as that. What credibility don't I have. Not much to it. He was a part of the band, now he's not. He left to devote his time to his own band. And yes, many Spyro Gyra fans I know, have a lot of 1960's hard bop and such, and do hate smooth jazz. Am I comparing Jay Beckenstein to Coltrane, no, but Beckenstein is my favorite player, in my favorite band.

BTW, their pianist is Tom Schuman. And I wouldn't call them a light bar band. Like all bands, some songs are light, but oh, why am I wasting my time...

how so?

(to Jim's post)

Now I can really respect that!

I can't believe I even tried this here. I respect you, you have your facts straight, but what you say is clearly all your opinion. They are a tight band, worthy of listen from some of their 1990's recordings, but I can't make you, nor do I care all that much. And no Samuels was not in it for the money. He stated in Downbeat in 1981 that "They are one of the few groups who still respect the art of improvisation and soloing. Normally when I play on a track, mostly once its mixed you can't even hear it. With Spyro Gyra, I have been a featured soloist on several of their recordings." (This was before he became an official member) So he indeed didn't just join for the money. Listen to a song like Breakout, or The Archer, which feature top notch playing. I absolutely love it.

What do you think of them. Now please only answer if you are very familiar with their music. Many people make the mistake of calling them a smooth jazz band, which is wrong, but then they don't give them the time of day because of that label. I have been a fan since the summer. They are a great band, IMO. Their debut release, is 100% funk. Then with their success of Morning Dance, they turned a little bit more commercial from album to album. Their highlights for me are Caranval, City Kids, Access All Areas, Rites Of Summer, Dreams Beyond Control, and Three Wishes. And no matter how successful their crossover hit, Morning Dance was, that album is a damn good album. I love when they brake into a straight ahead swing, as they do on several songs on the album. Their new album, Deep End, has a really funky piece, Chippewa Street. it's awesome! I went to a concert of theres in Jersey, they are a totaly awesome band live! Very enjoyable. What do you think, if you really know them?

My friend, who plays acoustic as well as ele. bass took lessons from Percy. Oh, I love you Percy!

Blah! American Idol and its participents suck. That's it. I hate trying to pick out ones even close to anything good. Because the bottom line, it's crap.

It was Percy's solo on Bags' Groove, on The Last Concert album, that hooked me.

That's cool you had an organ early. I just saw an organ out for someones garbage today on the bus on the way to school. Man, I just wanted to stop the bus and grab it.

Tell me about it. He was the soul survivor of MJQ.