Morning Dance


Morning Dance is the second album by the jazz fusion group Spyro Gyra. The album was released in March 9, 1979 and was certified gold by the RIAA on September 19, 1979, and was certified platinum on June 1, 1987.
At Billboard magazine, the album reached No. 27 on the Top 200 albums chart, while the song "Morning Dance" reached No. 24 on the Hot 100 songs chart and No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary songs chart. In Canada, the album reached No. 47 in its 10th week, and returned to No. 49 in its 20th week of 25 in the top 100.

Critical reception

The Globe and Mail wrote that "Morning Dance is too heavily produced and too tightly arranged to be a very impressive jazz record."

Track listing and personnel

  1. "Morning Dance" – 3:58
  2. * Jay Beckenstein – alto saxophone
  3. * Jeremy Wall – electric piano
  4. * John Tropea – electric and acoustic guitars
  5. * Jim Kurzdorfer – bass
  6. * Ted Reinhardt – drums
  7. * Rubens Bassini – congas and percussion
  8. * Dave Samuels – marimba and steel drums
  9. "Jubilee" – 4:31
  10. * Jay Beckenstein – alto saxophone
  11. * Jeremy Wall – electric piano and synthesizers
  12. * John Tropea – electric guitar
  13. * Will Lee – bass
  14. * Steve Jordan – drums
  15. * Rubens Bassini – congas and percussion
  16. * Dave Samuels – marimba
  17. * Randy Brecker – trumpet solo
  18. "Rasul" – 3:57
  19. * Jay Beckenstein – soprano and tenor saxophones
  20. * Jeremy Wall – acoustic and electric pianos
  21. * Rick Strauss – guitar
  22. * Jim Kurzdorfer – bass
  23. * Ted Reinhardt – drums
  24. * John Clark – French horn
  25. "Song for Lorraine" – 3:59
  26. * Jay Beckenstein – soprano saxophone
  27. * Tom Schuman – electric and acoustic pianos
  28. * Suzanne Ciani – synthesizers
  29. * Chet Catallo – guitar
  30. * Jim Kurzdorfer – bass
  31. * Eli Konikoff – drums
  32. * Gerardo Velez – bongos, congas, percussion
  33. * Lani Groves, Diva Gray and Gordon Grody – vocalists
  34. "Starburst" – 4:50
  35. * Jay Beckenstein – tenor saxophone
  36. * Jeremy Wall – electric piano and synthesizers
  37. * John Tropea – guitar
  38. * Will Lee – bass
  39. * Steve Jordan – drums
  40. * Rubens Bassini – congas, timbales, percussion
  41. * Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone solo
  42. "Heliopolis" – 5:34
  43. * Jay Beckenstein – alto saxophone, boobams, percussion
  44. * Jeremy Wall – electric piano and synthesizers
  45. * Tom Schuman – Rhodes electric piano solo
  46. * John Tropea – guitar
  47. * Will Lee – bass
  48. * Steve Jordan – drums
  49. * Rubens Bassini – congas, timbales, percussion
  50. * Dave Samuels – marimba
  51. "It Doesn't Matter" – 4:27
  52. * Jay Beckenstein – soprano saxophone
  53. * Tom Schuman – electric and acoustic pianos
  54. * Suzanne Ciani – synthesizer
  55. * Jeremy Wall – synthesizer
  56. * Chet Catallo – guitar
  57. * Jim Kurzdorfer – bass
  58. * Eli Konikoff – drums
  59. * Gerardo Velez – congas
  60. * Lani Groves, Diva Gray and Gordon Gordy – vocalists
  61. "Little Linda" – 4:27
  62. * Jay Beckenstein – alto saxophone
  63. * Jeremy Wall – electric piano, acoustic piano, percussion
  64. * Rick Strauss – guitar
  65. * Jim Kurzdorfer – bass
  66. * Ted Reinhardt – drums
  67. * Rubens Bassini – bongos and percussion
  68. * Dave Samuels – vibraphone
  69. "End of Romanticism" – 5:00
  70. * Jay Beckenstein – soprano saxophone
  71. * Jeremy Wall – electric piano
  72. * Tom Schuman – synthesizer solos
  73. * Rick Strauss – 6 and 12-string electric guitars
  74. * Jim Kurzdorfer – bass
  75. * Ted Reinhardt – drums
  76. * Dave Samuels – marimba
  77. * John Clark – French horn
Additional Personnel Credits
  • Larry Fast – synthesizer programming
  • Jeremy Wall – string arrangements and conductor, horn arrangements and conductor
  • Jay Beckenstein – horn arrangements and conductor
Horn section
  • Lew Del Gatto – flutes
  • Jay Beckenstein – alto saxophone
  • Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
  • Tom Malone – trombone
  • Randy Brecker – trumpet
Strings
  • Charles McCracken – cello
  • Alfred Brown – viola
  • Harry Cykman – violin
  • Charles Libove – violin
  • Harry Lookofsky – violin, concertmaster
  • Matthew Raimondi – violin

    Production

  • Jay Beckenstein – producer
  • Richard Calandra – producer
  • Jeremy Wall – assistant producer
  • Michael Barry – recording, mixing
  • Jack Malken – recording, mixing
  • Charlie Conrad – recording
  • Mick Guzauski – recording
  • Lawrence Swist – recording
  • Jason Corsaro – assistant engineer
  • Darroll Gustamachio – assistant engineer
  • Candice Munson – assistant engineer
  • Rick Rowe – editing
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering at Masterdisk
  • Peter Corriston – art direction, design
  • Julie Heffernan – illustration

    Charts