Jay Beckenstein
Beckenstein, Gulfstream Park, Hallandale, Florida
Beckenstein, Gulfstream Park, Hallandale, Florida
Background information
Born (1951-05-14) May 14, 1951
Long Island, New York, U.S.
GenresSmooth jazz, jazz fusion
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, producer
Instrument(s)Saxophone
Years active1974–present
LabelsWindham Hill
Websitejaybeckenstein.com

Jay Barnet Beckenstein (born May 14, 1951) is an American saxophonist, composer, producer, and the co-founder of the band Spyro Gyra. He owned BearTracks Studios in Suffern, New York.[1]

Music career

Beckenstein was born in Long Island, New York, to a Jewish family. His mother, Lorraine, was an opera singer and his father, Leonard, loved jazz and introduced him to Charlie Parker and Lester Young when he was a baby. He started playing the piano at age five when he moved to Farmingdale, New York. He was given his first saxophone at the age of seven. In his senior year of high school, he and his family moved to Germany. He attended and graduated from Nurnberg American High School in 1969. He has said that being Jewish in Germany was positive at the time. However, he has recalled that he once saw an old photo of an elderly neighbor in his SS Nazi uniform while visiting him and he never went back. He received a college degree in music from the University at Buffalo in 1973. Trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie once played with the college band while Beckenstein was a band member.[2][3]

They soon recruited 16-year-old keyboardist Tom Schuman and recorded their debut album. However, due to lack of funds, the record was going to be their last album until they gave it away and sold 100,000 copies. From there, they got a deal and released their next album in 1979.

In 2000, Beckenstein released his first solo album, Eye Contact, which charted No. 23 on the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums.[4]

Beckenstein played the saxophone solo on American progressive metal band Dream Theater's "Another Day", from the album Images and Words, and single version of song "Through her Eyes", from the album Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. He also played a solo part in "Take Away My Pain" on the live album Once in a Livetime as well as "Another Day" during the performance of Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York.

Beckenstein is divorced and has three children.[2]

Discography

Solo

With Bob James

  • 1981 All Around the Town
  • 1981 Sign of the Times
  • 1982 Hands Down

With Dream Theater

  • 1992 Images and Words
  • 1993 Live at the Marquee
  • 1998 Once in a LIVEtime
  • 2000 Through Her Eyes
  • 2001 Live Scenes from New York

With Jason Miles

  • 1996 Mr. X
  • 2000 A Love Affair: The Music of Ivan Lins
  • 2000 Celebrating the Music of Weather Report
  • 2002 Brazilian Nights
  • 2002 To Grover, With Love
  • 2006 What's Going On?

With others

References

  1. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Jay Beckenstein | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Wang, K. S. (October 27, 2005). "Smooth moves gave Spyro Gyra a future". ocregister.com. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Spyro Gyra, an interview with Jay Beckenstein. – Jazz in Europe". Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Top Jazz Albums". billboard.com. May 27, 2000. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Jay Beckenstein | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
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