Acoustic Alchemy, Spyro Gyra start tour here with encores<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): With drums, screeching guitars and wind
\ninstruments still vibrating in their ears, the audience at
\nTuesday's performance of the American group, Spyro Gyra, and the
\nBritish Acoustic Alchemy at Ratu Plaza, South Jakarta, were
\ncertain they had had a thoroughly good time.<\/p>\n
When asked what she liked the most after the one-night
\nperformance at the Plaza's Studio 21 Concert Hall, young Rita
\nsaid, \"The vibes (vibraphones by Dave Samuels) and everything!\"
\nbefore enthusiastically dashing off for autographs.<\/p>\n
\"You can't really compare them, they're very different -- they
\nwere both good,\" said Tahitra, referring to the Acoustic Alchemy
\nguitar duo.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's show, playing to an audience of 400 in the 465-
\ncapacity hall, was the first stop of the two groups' tour to
\ncities in Java and Bali, organized by Chico and Ira Production.<\/p>\n
For Spyro Gyra, this was their second show here, which
\nbreathless guitarist Julio Fernandez said drew a better response
\nfrom the audience than their first in 1992.<\/p>\n
Fernandez and the rest of the sextet indulged the demands of
\nthe persistent crowd by offering two encores, following an
\nenergetic display of music from older albums such as
\nConquistador, to the new tune Waltz for Isabel, which band leader
\nJay Beckenstein said was inspired by the birth of his youngest
\nchild.<\/p>\n
A soothing, jazzy lullaby, the tune shifted to an intriguing
\nimprovisation by guitarist Fernandez and the others, before
\nsaxophonist Beckenstein wrapped it up with the initial melody.<\/p>\n
Keyboard player Tom Schuman, drummer Joel Rosenblatt and
\nbassist Scott Ambush also drew an enthusiastic response through
\ntheir solos.<\/p>\n
Like in an earlier piece from Acoustic Alchemy, Samuels joined
\nAmbush with his mallet sticks. There seemed no need for anyone to
\nnote the absence of the few vocalists in Spyro Gyra's most recent
\nalbum, Dreams Beyond Control.<\/p>\n
The band made sure to present their popular hits from this new
\nrelease like Samuel's Bahia, a merry Brazilian-sounding melody,
\nthrough which the audience could experience first-hand his
\nexpertise on the vibraphones.<\/p>\n
The duo, Nick Webb and Greg Carmichael, who performed first,
\ndelighted the audience with their \"mongrel\" compositions of
\nflamenco, reggae and the \"French\" Rive Gauch \"which is fun to
\nplay\" and the classic-based Heart of Chains.<\/p>\n
One piece, a dixie-sounding Buzzbee Special \"for the benefit
\nof the gentlemen walking around with cameras,\" featured them
\nplaying together on one guitar, with Webb standing behind
\nCarmichael, drawing laughter from the audience.<\/p>\n
The bobbing heads, clapping, stomping and encores confirmed
\nthe audience enjoyed both performances, though the duo's
\nbeautiful strumming was quite different from the more distinct
\njazz and Latin color of Spyro Gyra's diverse instruments.<\/p>\n
There was just a little note of regret among the audience --
\npre-teens to those in their 40's -- that Acoustic Alchemy had not
\nbrought their orchestra along with them, already familiar to the
\ncrowd through two tracks in their latest The New Edge album.<\/p>\n
But as Carmichael said earlier, \"we write our music for two
\nguitars, and it works,\" with special arrangements to create the
\n\"big sound.\"<\/p>\n
At the end of the two-hour performance, only a few complained
\nthat the music was too loud in the relatively small hall.<\/p>\n
Scheduled to play in Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Bali,
\nBeckenstein said the musicians only wish they had more time to
\nenjoy local traditional music. (anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acoustic-alchemy-spyro-gyra-start-tour-here-with-encores-1447893297",
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