Spyro Gyra leads upcoming festival

The Spirit of New York cruised the Big Apple's harbor July 21, hosting a smooth jazz concert including the legendary Spyro Gyra.

New York Times reporter Nate Chinen wrote the next day that as the boat approached the Statue of Liberty, a voice came over the public address system.

He said of that broadcast:

"By chance, this was the moment at which the music stopped, and a voice overrode the applause: 'We're going to skip ahead 27 albums and play something new for you.' That was Jay Beckenstein, the saxophonist and leader of Spyro Gyra, making a segue from 'Shaker Song,' which opens the band's 1978 debut, into 'Unspoken,' from an album released last year."

That's what you get with Spyro Gyra, a contemporary jazz band that's been wowing listeners with its records and concertgoers with its shows for more than three decades.

A picture accompanying Chinen's story shows people dancing and having a grand old time on board the smooth cruise.

Spro Gyra will bring its funky, high energy grooves to the North Charleston Performing Arts Center on Sept. 4, headlining the second annual Lowcountry Jazz Festival.

The first act goes up at 7:30 p.m.

Spyro Gyra is a seminal band in the history of post-bop jazz. No one of today's categories can embrace the sturdy band's sound. Never failing to swing and delight its audiences, Spyro Gyra has been entertaining at the highest level for all these years, always fresh but never moving away from the rudiments of swing.

It's fusion, it's contemporary jazz, it's smooth jazz. It's all of the above and more. But most of all, it's accessible, head boppin', toe tappin' music.

That's not to say it is without substance, a charge often hurled at contemporary jazz players. That's why the band has not only survived but remains as popular as ever.

Beckenstein told Chinen in a phone conversation days after the cruise, "We preceded smooth jazz by nearly a decade. We came out of Weather Report and Miles Davis and the fusion movement. And smooth jazz, interestingly enough, was more of a radio format than it was a style of music."

Other band members include Tom Schuman on keyboards, Julio Fernandez on guitar, Scott Ambush on bass and Bonny B on drums and other percussion.

The festival runs Sept. 3-5 with events at various locations to be announced, promotional materials say.

Also on the Sept. 4 bill are former Tower of Power saxophonist and national recording artist Euge Groove; former leader of the funk/jazz band Down To The Bone, saxophonist Paul "Shilts" Weimar; and Charleston's Charlton Singleton.

Tickets, $45 and $55, are on sale now and are available at 529-5000 or through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com, www.lowcountryjazzfestival.com or the North Charleston Coliseum advance ticket office, 5001 Coliseum Dr., North Charleston.

Last year's festival centerpiece event was a smash hit, headlined by saxophonist Boney James.

The concerts benefit Closing the Gap in Health Care, Inc. whose mission is to decrease health disparities by providing information to underserved populations.

Founded by Dr. Thaddeus Bell, the initiative provides health information through radio broadcasts and summits at churches, schools and community programs.

Closing the Gap also provides a free weekly Health-E-Newsletter to thousands of e-mail subscribers.

Select Health of South Carolina, Inc. honored Dr. Bell with a scholarship for African-American students at the Medical University of South Carolina.

The purpose of the scholarship is to increase the number of African-American health providers in South Carolina. The scholarship will begin awarding students after enough funds have been raised to support the fund in perpetuity.

Back at The Fac

It would be a good bet that some concertgoers will end up at the Faculty Lounge, a downtown Charleston entertainment icon.

It's been around longer than Spyro Gyra.

I hear there are plans to celebrate its 40th anniversary this year.

A fixture at 391 Huger St., the cozy room has been home to live and recorded music of all kinds as one of the oldest nightclubs in Charleston.

It's now being run by Herman "Yardy" Whitney, who has done stints there before along with his other business endeavors.

Last week, Yardy said Ann Caldell and LooseFitt will be in the house 6-10 p.m. Aug. 8. Tickets are $20. Call 723-1353 or 853-7255.

It's good to see The Fac, as its longtime regulars refer to the club, back on the live music scene, one that it has contributed to mightily since its inception.

I haven't been there in a while myself, so I think I'm going to check Yardy out. Along with a lot of other people, I have fond memories of great times there.

I'm betting it's still a good time. I'll let you know.

Jack McCray, author of "Charleston Jazz," can be reached at jackjmccray@aol.com.