Spyro Gyra — Leverkusener Jazztage, 2022

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Why this recording

Part of WDR's Jazzline series and released on the Rockpalast channel in late December 2022, the concert comes with a German-language introduction explaining the name: Spyro Gyra is a genus of green algae. The same text cites more than 10,000 shows over five decades on six continents, placing this Leverkusen night within a very long stage career. The published program opens with “Walk the Walk” and ends with the “Old San Juan / Heliopolis” pairing, after “Tempted”.

— Simon Janvier, live-sound professional and editor of the catalogue

Recording technical sheet

Rights-holding channelWDR Rockpalast
Source statusOfficial — broadcaster or organiser
Uploaded
Exact runtime
ResolutionHD (720p+)
Source qualityProfessional (multi-camera)

Metadata checked on YouTube on 29 September 2026; direction, camera setup and sound documented by the editors.

Published on August 8, 2026 by

Live full concert of Spyro Gyra at the 43rd edition of the Leverkusener Jazztage, filmed on 7 November 2022 at the Erholungshaus in Leverkusen and broadcast as part of WDR’s Rockpalast (the original upload cites 2021, but the confirmed date of this capture is November 2022). A flagship of American jazz fusion since the late 1970s, the band is led by founder and saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, alongside keyboardist Tom Schuman, guitarist Julio Fernandez, bassist Scott Ambush and drummer Lionel Cordew. The set blends recent material with enduring classics, including a medley of “Shaker Song,” “Catching the Sun” and “Morning Dance,” cornerstones of their catalogue. The multi-camera capture from German public television delivers a polished sound and a clear reading of the interplay between soloists, a hallmark of this road-hardened ensemble. It is a live performance that underlines the longevity and cohesion of Spyro Gyra, moving between Latin grooves, instrumental funk and improvisation. A reference document for appreciating the fusion group in concert at a major European festival.

Setlist

  1. Walk the Walk
  2. Groovin' for Grover
  3. Captain Karma
  4. Shaker Song / Catching the Sun / Morning Dance
  5. Cockatoo
  6. De La Luz
  7. Dancing on Table Mountain
  8. Tempted
  9. Old San Juan
  10. Heliopolis

Personnel & credits

  • Jay Beckenstein — saxophone
  • Tom Schuman — keyboards
  • Julio Fernandez — guitar
  • Scott Ambush — bass
  • Lionel Cordew — drums
Category

What to watch next

Neither Spyro Gyra nor Erholungshaus, Leverkusen — 43. Leverkusener Jazztage appears elsewhere in the catalogue: what follows rests on the ground itself, Jazz from the 2020s.