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OP
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I value spontaneity and hire musicians who thrive doing it that way.
More power to you Matt.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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I purchased Brazilian Wish several years ago. There is a distinct difference between the functionality of BiaB at that time, and what the produced album ultimately delivered.
The bottom line here is that BiaB was used as a composer's tool, which further demonstrates its unique and flexible capabilities. Spontaneity will always be an important ingredient in musical creativity.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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I sent the musicians a recording of the songs and the notation so the players knew what I had in mind, but as Pat Marr and MarioD can attest, I value spontaneity and hire musicians who thrive doing it that way.
For me that's the most important part of what makes music actually be music. To pick up on something another player is doing and build upon it. To feel the momentum as other players pick it up. Great when it works, not so much if it doesn't 
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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For me that's the most important part of what makes music actually be music. To pick up on something another player is doing and build upon it. To feel the momentum as other players pick it up. Great when it works, not so much if it doesn't We call that spontaneity "bouncing off each other". It's remarkable and usually unreproducible. Dave Brubeck would attest to this also.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Yes, you guys get it.
I wrote most of the songs for one CD by a percussionist, and Bill O’Connell (Dave Valentin’s pianist) did the others. We went into the studio and the bassist started woodshedding on my tune. I suggested we start the song with that. Everyone loved it.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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... We went into the studio and the bassist started woodshedding on my tune. I suggested we start the song with that. Everyone loved it. Yes, that's spontaneity. It's the same as Carol Kaye, the bassist who created the opening notes to Jim Webb's "Wichita Lineman". Definitely not trying to derail this thread, but this is a classic example of what happens when you introduce the right team.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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eddie1261
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eddie1261
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For years I would imagine someone playing steel drums in the Morning Dance song by Spyro Gyra, 6:30 in the above video I posted. Come to find out today that it's the dude playing his keyboard. Funny that you mentioned that specific tune on that specific album. Spyro Gyra was originally from Buffalo, and they played Cleveland a lot in their formative years, mainly at a club here called The Agora. One show found me sitting right in front of Tom Schuman, and as they came forward to take the group bow at the end I reached up just to get a high five. Instead he tore his access pass off his thigh and gave it to me. Roll the tape forward to 2002 when they played an outdoor summer festival on the street in downtown Akron (where I lived then), I went to see them. The main stage was right in front of a restaurant, and I went in there to get something to drink. There he sat, ordering some food. I walked by and just said "Oh wow. Hi Tom." He gave me a handshake and asked what was good at that place. I said "Everything." He laughed and said "Well, THAT narrows it down." I smiled and said "Hang on a sec." Now that place happened to be owned by a chef I knew well (My wife of the time was the food writer at the paper in that city.) so I walked back by the kitchen and said "Roger, can you come out and greet one of the Spyro Gyra guys?" So he came out and I introduced them, and he told Tom "I will take care of you myself", took his menu and told him "I got you covered." At that point Tom said "Man! You a playa, huh?" and invited me to sit down. I told him the access pass story and we talked about music, gear and sobriety (He used to drink a lot, as did I) until his food came out, at which point I left so he could eat in peace. REALLY nice guy. Great sense of humor. Also, he has dropped a LOT of weight. Plays at a level I would say is "exquisite".
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Neat bunch of stories. Clearly they are a talented band and one of a few that has crafted their own distinctive sound. I'm looking forward to exploring their deep and not so deep cuts across their more than 2 dozen albums . . . let the algae play on  Do you know how the original members came together?
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
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If you're talking about Spyro Gyra, Eddie is correct. The leader is the alto sax player, Jay Beckenstein. I think Tom Schuman (love his keyboard playing!) was an original. Joel, my drummer for many years, was not in their original group. In fact, one concert I played in Lake George, New York was on a Tuesday evening. Joel had played with Spyro Gyra the day before in Colorado, and was set to play with them in North Carolina the day after me. Joel later told me this kind of schedule was part of why he decided to leave Spyro Gyra. I can't blame him.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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eddie1261
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eddie1261
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That kind of schedule was my dream, Matt. To be in such demand that I fly every day to a gig, where a Kurzweil K2500, a Nord Electro3 and a Roland FA-06 have been rented and are waiting for me to load my sounds and setups from my laptop... Of course I am a whole universe away from being that good to be in that conversation.
Eli Konikoff was the drummer when they got big enough to tour, but Tom Walsh was first. Jay sounds more like Paul Desmond to me than Paul Desmond. For my tastes, they are to jazz what Tower of Power is to funk and Genesis (with Gabriel) was to prog. I stopped paying attention to who was in that band when the revolving door started, right around when Joel joined. And I just saw that Schuman was moving to Spain and he will be done with the band in Feb 2023.
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