Spyro Gyra

Though no one's sure of the exact date, sometime in 1974, in the cold, cold town of Buffalo, New York, a young jazz combo by the name of Spyro Gyra hit the stage. Since then, the group has performed all over the world (seriously — places like Andorra and Jakarta) and released 28 albums (not including compilations). That works out to an impressive 0.875 records a year for 32 straight years. This year, the audio alchemists released Wrapped in a Dream (Heads Up), a jazz-fusion jaunt that includes guest appearances by marimba/vibraphone virtuoso Dave Samuels (a former member of the group who left to helm the Caribbean Jazz Project) and percussionist Cyro Baptista. The album also contains some of SG's deepest grooves, from the gospel-flavored "Woogitybop" to the sprawling "Impressions of Madrid," which drifts along on the ethereal strains of a flute. The material is some of SG's most exploratory to date, and word has it that the band is looking forward to kicking the new cuts live.