Anyone besides me miss the mallet master?


Peace

Spyro1

Oh yes....but what OTHER band could lose a world class virtueoso like Dave and go on to THRIVE as Spyro Gyra has indeed done.

None that I can think of.

Paul

I would love to see him reunite with the band for a concert that would be recorded and released on video.

Alternately, it would be great to have an updated concert video of the band with Bonny. Kind of like Road Scholars but with video.

I agree with all the above. The marimba is a major part of that. Vibes have been used a lot in jazz, but other than Dave, I rarely hear the marimba, and it's that sound I miss. His solos, like those on the studio versions of Morning Dance and Shaker Song, the live versions of Serpent in Paradise and Heliopolis, and other songs like Carnaval, Whirlwind, No Man's Land and Nothing to Lose, really added a unique flavor to this group's sound.

I would travel across the country to see Dave play with the group again. He was a major part in the Spyro sound and isn't the same without him.

I like it when he plays on some studio tracks, but I like the band the way it is now. Peace and goodwill.

Dave gave the band a more distinctive sound, and I was saddened to see him go. But the group hasn't suffered one bit.
I reiterate something said years ago.
All bands go through some degee of personnel change, and Spyro Gyra for a while had a revolving door for the bass and drummer slots. Four of the current members have been together for 17 years. Not many ensembles of any genre can claim that.

It's a mixed feelings situation....i do miss him, but now Schu has more room to "Schumanize"!!!

Schumanize. Hmmm. Eril, you better get a copyright on that.

When I first heard Spyro Gyra I was attracted by the saxophone "voice" (both alto & soprano) of Jay Beckenstein. I've always felt that his sound was the essence of Spyro Gyra and while Dave Samuels is missed, I would say his contribution was secondary to that of Beckenstein, though it was important.

However, I seriously doubt he will ever reunite and tour with the group as a regular band member. His success, in its own right, with the Caribbean Jazz Project has been significant with a Grammy Award under his belt and an outlet that lets Dave experience his first love, Latin Jazz.

I agree with Eril that Tom Schuman's star has risen with the group. He deserves wider recognition as an artist, almost as much as Spyro Gyra as a group deserves long overdue recognition from the music community for their incredible 30-year contribution to contemporary jazz or music in general.

Looking forward to the new release!!!