"Spyro Gyra has found its groove once again. From the opening Maceo Parker-meets-Larry Goldings funk of "Spyro Time," this is the band's most inspired album in years. Young drummer Josh Dion is impressive, and it may just be his shot of youth that reinvigorated founding saxophonist Jay Beckenstein and his longtime playmates. But if you've seen these guys recenlty, you know how much fun they have when they get together. On this disc, the good times never end. The music is muscular, rhythmic jazz-rock, filled with impressive soloing and tight ensemble work. The sound is crisp and full; the slinky title track slithers into your mind and won't let go. It's the kind of stuff that got a lot of us into jazz in the first place, reminiscent of the Brecker Brothers and Tom Scott in the mid `70s...but unmistakably Spyro.
originally published in Port Folio Weekly, 4/11/06
Copyright 2006 Port Folio Weekly. Used by Permission."
Excellent jazz
S. P. YOASSI | Washington DC,USA | 08/15/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Lot of instrumental variety. You like Bass, the horns, keyboards, you will find something you like in this album. I can't stop listenning to it in my car, home, office. I have made a copy for each of these venues. Excellent..."
Spyro - Wrapped In A Dream
Scot Snyder | Limerick, PA | 11/09/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is middle-of-the-road stuff... it lacks the edge that their earlier releases had, but it blows away anything from their Wyndham Hill period. A good outing for Jay, Scott, Julio and Tom And Dave guests; a real treat!). Being a drummer myself, I'm a little disappointed in the drum tracks (no flash - simple but flawless timekeeping), and am more than a little confused as to why Ludwig Afonso endorses Yamaha Drums in the liner notes when Josh Dion appears on all the tracks. Has anyone else noticed this?"
Wrapped in a Drean Indeed!
LT Leonard | 08/18/2007
(2 out of 5 stars)
"After having suffered through 'In Modern Times' one did decided to give Spyro Gyra a bit of a miss recently; however with this release one would have thought that this veteran group would look to re-establish there 'smooth jazz' credentials towards a new generation of listeners, unfortunately wrapped in a dream is just that, despite a bit of latin flavour, the creativity, energy and passion that was so much apart of this stellar group previous recording would appears in this outing to be also wrapped in a dream and absent yet again, which is truly unfortunate as they along w/groups such as the Crusaders, Yellowjacket, TOP, Bob James etc.. helped to define what I have come to regard jazz as, an innoviative form of expression towards a more mainstream audience (read as commerically successful).
I trust in there next outing they manage to find their creativity, energy and passion as one would hate to see one of contemporary jazz's elite groups continue there steady decline towards elevator music (a-la Kenny G)."