1979 Spyro Gyra – Morning Dance
Morning Dance is the second studio album by the American jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra, released on March 9, 1979. It serves as their commercial breakthrough, blending jazz fusion, R&B, funk, and pop elements into a melodic, accessible sound that helped define the smooth jazz genre. The album peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the Jazz Albums chart. The hit single “Morning Dance” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and No. 24 on the Hot 100.
Tracks
1 Morning Dance (Jay Beckenstein) 03:58
2 Jubilee (Jeremy Wall) 04:34
3 Rasul (Jeremy Wall) 03:58
4 Song For Lorraine (Jay Beckenstein) 03:59
5 Starburst (Jeremy Wall) 04:50
6 Heliopolis (Jay Beckenstein) 05:38
7 It Doesn’t Matter (Chet Catallo) 04:29
8 Little Linda (Jeremy Wall) 04:23
9 End Of Romanticism (Rick Strauss) 05:18
Biography
Musicians
1 Morning Dance
| Bass | Jim Kurzdorfer |
| Drums | Ted Reinhardt |
| Guitar | John Tropea |
| Acoustic Guitar | John Tropea |
| Electric Piano | Jeremy Wall |
| Sax | Jay Beckenstein |
| Congas | Rubens Bassini |
| Marimba | Dave Samuels |
| Steel Drums | Dave Samuels |
| Percussion | Rubens Bassini |
2 Jubilee
| Bass | Will Lee |
| Drums | Steve Jordan |
| Guitar | John Tropea |
| Electric Piano | Jeremy Wall |
| Synthesizer | Jeremy Wall |
| Sax | Jay Beckenstein |
| Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
| Congas | Rubens Bassini |
| Marimba | Dave Samuels |
| Percussion | Rubens Bassini |
3 Rasul
| Bass | Jim Kurzdorfer |
| Drums | Ted Reinhardt |
| Guitar | Rick Strauss |
| Electric Piano | Jeremy Wall |
| Piano | Jeremy Wall |
| French Horn | John Clark |
| Sax | Jay Beckenstein |
4 Song For Lorraine
| Bass | Jim Kurzdorfer |
| Drums | Eli Konikoff |
| Guitar | Chet Catallo |
| Electric Piano | Tom Schuman |
| Piano | Tom Schuman |
| Synthesizer | Suzanne Ciani |
| Sax | Jay Beckenstein |
| Bongos | Gerardo Velez |
| Congas | Gerardo Velez |
| Percussion | Gerardo Velez |
| Vocals | Diva Gray |
| Vocals | Gordon Grody |
| Vocals | Lani Groves |
5 Starburst
| Bass | Will Lee |
| Drums | Steve Jordan |
| Guitar | John Tropea |
| Electric Piano | Jeremy Wall |
| Synthesizer | Jeremy Wall |
| Sax (Intro) | Jay Beckenstein |
| Sax (Solo) | Michael Brecker |
| Congas | Rubens Bassini |
| Timbales | Rubens Bassini |
| Percussion | Rubens Bassini |
6 Héliopolis
| Bass | Will Lee |
| Drums | Steve Jordan |
| Guitar | John Tropea |
| Electric Piano | Jeremy Wall |
| Fender Rhodes | Tom Schuman |
| Synthesizer | Jeremy Wall |
| Sax | Jay Beckenstein |
| Congas | Rubens Bassini |
| Marimba | Dave Samuels |
| Percussion | Jay Beckenstein |
| Percussion | Rubens Bassini |
7 It Doesn’t Matter
| Bass | Jim Kurzdorfer |
| Drums | Eli Konikoff |
| Guitar | Chet Catallo |
| Electric Piano | Tom Schuman |
| Synthesizer | Jeremy Wall |
| Synthesizer | Suzanne Ciani |
| Sax | Jay Beckenstein |
| Congas | Gerardo Velez |
| Vocals | Diva Gray |
| Vocals | Gordon Grody |
| Vocals | Lani Groves |
8 Little Linda
| Bass | Jim Kurzdorfer |
| Drums | Ted Reinhardt |
| Guitar | Rick Strauss |
| Electric Piano | Jeremy Wall |
| Piano | Jeremy Wall |
| Sax | Jay Beckenstein |
| Bongos | Rubens Bassini |
| Vibraphone | Dave Samuels |
| Percussion | Jeremy Wall |
| Percussion | Rubens Bassini |
9 End Of Romanticism
| Bass | Jim Kurzdorfer |
| Drums | Ted Reinhardt |
| Guitar | Rick Strauss |
| 12 String Guitar | Rick Strauss |
| Electric Piano | Jeremy Wall |
| Synthesizer | Tom Schuman |
| French Horn | John Clark |
| Sax | Jay Beckenstein |
| Marimba | Dave Samuels |
Horn Section
| Sax | Jay Beckenstein |
| Sax | Lew Del Gatto |
| Sax | Michael Brecker |
| Trombone | Tom Malone |
| Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
Strings
Cello – Charles McCracken
Viola – Alfred Brown
Violin – Harry Lookofsky, Charles LiBove, Harry Cykman, Matthew Raimondi
Liner Notes
Producer – Jay Beckenstein, Richard Calandra
Producer (Assistant) – Jeremy Wall
Arranged By (Horns) – Jeremy Wall (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9)
Arranged By (Horns) – Jay Beckenstein (Track 6)
Conductor (Horns) – Jeremy Wall (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9)
Conductor (Horns) – Jay Beckenstein (Track 6)
Arranged By (Strings) – Jeremy Wall
Concertmaster – Harry Lookofsky
Conductor (Strings) – Jeremy Wall
Engineer (Assistant) – Candice Munson, Darroll Gustamachio, Jason Corsaro
Mixed By – Jack Malken, Michael Barry
Recorded By – Charlie Conrad, Larry Swist, Mick Guzauski, Jack Malken, Michael Barry
Art Direction, Design – Peter Corriston
Illustration – David Heffernan
Edited At Secret Sound
Mastered At – Masterdisk
Mixed At Secret Sound
Recorded At – Trackmaster Audio
Recorded At Secret Sound
Recorded At PCI Studios
Recorded At House Of Music, West Orange, NJ
Phonographic Copyright Transcontinent Record Sales Inc
Copyright Infinity Records Inc