It all came together, this oddball mix, until we found a middle ground, our own groove". Wall has commented that their sound was a "gutbucket of rhythmic tradition. Over a year, their work evolved into Spyro Gyra. In Beckenstein's description of the Buffalo club scene of the time: Not many people know it, but Buffalo was like a mini Chicago back then, with a smoking blues, soul, jazz, even rockabilly scene, of all things. An early regular on the Tuesday Night Jazz Jam scene was Buffalo percussionist Umbopha Emile Latimer.
The other two musicians who were part of the nucleus were Buffalo natives Jim Kurzdorfer on bass and Tom Walsh on drums, although many people played in those early jam gatherings. Wall teamed up with Beckenstein, and the two started playing instrumental music-mostly covers of R&B songs-together. Although they headed in different directions during college-Beckenstein to the State University of New York in Buffalo and Wall to Cal Arts-they spent summers together playing outdoor concerts, and Wall moved to Buffalo soon after graduating.īeckenstein had been working in clubs in Buffalo since his junior year of college, backing various vocalists. Spyro Gyra emerged around Jay Beckenstein and keyboardist Jeremy Wall, who had met and formed a band during their high school years. With the exception of alto saxophonist, songwriter and founding bandleader Jay Beckenstein as well as keyboardist Tom Schuman, the personnel has changed somewhat over time, as well as between the studio and the live stage.