Jay Beckenstein
Encyclopedia
Jay B. Beckenstein is a saxophone
player, smooth jazz
artist and together with Jeremy Wall
founded Spyro Gyra
. He also owned a studio in New York that was called BearTracks Studios
.
He also 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
.
Jay's mother was an opera singer and his father's love of jazz introduced him to Charlie Parker
and Lester Young
when he was a baby. He started playing the piano at age 5 when he moved to Farmingdale, LI. He was given his first saxophone at the age of 7. He received a BA in music from the University at Buffalo
in 1973.
, soprano
and tenor
saxophone. In the early years of Spyro Gyra he played a Selmer Mark VI
alto saxophone, before changing to Yamaha in the 1980s. Until the late 1990s he played a Yamaha
YAS-62 alto (Beechler White Diamond S6S mouthpiece and Vandoren #3½ reeds) and YSS-62 (Selmer C* mouthpiece) soprano saxophones. However, he subsequently switched to instruments made by LA Sax. His current alto is the "Chicago Jazz" model by LA Sax, fitted with a Beechler White Diamond S6S mouthpiece and Vandoren Traditional #3 Reeds. His soprano is a Keilwerth SX90 with a black-nickel finish and gold hardware, fitted with a Selmer C* mouthpiece and Vandoren Traditional #3 reeds. His "burnished brass" finish tenor is also made by LA Sax.
Beckenstein is an endorser of Orpheo flutes, clarinets, and saxophones.
With Dream Theater
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
player, smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
artist and together with Jeremy Wall
Jeremy Wall
Jeremy Wall is a musician, and along with Jay Beckenstein, he was a founding member of the jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra. He contributed to the group as a pianist, producer, and composer. He is currently an assistant professor in the Music Industry department at SUNY Oneonta.-Background:Wall formed...
founded Spyro Gyra
Spyro Gyra
Spyro Gyra is an American jazz fusion band that was originally formed in the mid-1970s in Buffalo, New York, USA. With over 25 albums released and 10 million copies sold, they are among the most prolific as well as commercially successful groups of the genre...
. He also owned a studio in New York that was called BearTracks Studios
BearTracks Studios
BearTracks Recording Studio was a recording studio complex in Suffern, New York, owned by Jay Beckenstein of Spyro Gyra and built in the early 1980s. However, the studio is now closed...
.
He also played the saxophone solo on American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
's "Another Day", from the album Images and Words
Images and Words
Images and Words is currently ranked #2 on Digital Dream Door's list of the top 100 progressive metal albums of all time. Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes the album at number 8, just after Fear Factory's Demanufacture and before Sepultura's Roots, in his classification of the best metal albums...
and single version of song "Through her Eyes", from the album Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory is the fifth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released in 1999. It is a concept album that deals with the story of a man named Nicholas and the discovery of his past life, which involves love, murder, and infidelity as Victoria Page...
. He also played a solo part in "Take Away My Pain" on the live album Once in a Livetime
Once in a LIVEtime
-Disc two:-Covers and tributes:Dream Theater have often placed riffs or parts of other band's songs into their songs when playing live. On this album, there are several examples of this....
as well as "Another Day" during the performance of Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York
Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York
Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York is a VHS/DVD release by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. It was released on April 21, 2001 by Elektra Records...
.
Jay's mother was an opera singer and his father's love of jazz introduced him to Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
and Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
when he was a baby. He started playing the piano at age 5 when he moved to Farmingdale, LI. He was given his first saxophone at the age of 7. He received a BA in music from the University at Buffalo
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
in 1973.
Instruments
Beckenstein plays altoAlto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
, soprano
Soprano saxophone
The soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
and tenor
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
saxophone. In the early years of Spyro Gyra he played a Selmer Mark VI
Selmer Mark VI
The Selmer Mark VI is a professional model saxophone that is generally considered the Selmer Company's finest saxophone. Although tastes in saxophones differ the Mk VI design is universally regarded as one of the best saxophone models ever produced by any manufacturer...
alto saxophone, before changing to Yamaha in the 1980s. Until the late 1990s he played a Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
YAS-62 alto (Beechler White Diamond S6S mouthpiece and Vandoren #3½ reeds) and YSS-62 (Selmer C* mouthpiece) soprano saxophones. However, he subsequently switched to instruments made by LA Sax. His current alto is the "Chicago Jazz" model by LA Sax, fitted with a Beechler White Diamond S6S mouthpiece and Vandoren Traditional #3 Reeds. His soprano is a Keilwerth SX90 with a black-nickel finish and gold hardware, fitted with a Selmer C* mouthpiece and Vandoren Traditional #3 reeds. His "burnished brass" finish tenor is also made by LA Sax.
Beckenstein is an endorser of Orpheo flutes, clarinets, and saxophones.
Discography
- 2000: Eye Contact (Solo)
With Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
- Images and WordsImages and WordsImages and Words is currently ranked #2 on Digital Dream Door's list of the top 100 progressive metal albums of all time. Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes the album at number 8, just after Fear Factory's Demanufacture and before Sepultura's Roots, in his classification of the best metal albums...
- Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a MemoryMetropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a MemoryMetropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory is the fifth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released in 1999. It is a concept album that deals with the story of a man named Nicholas and the discovery of his past life, which involves love, murder, and infidelity as Victoria Page...
External links
- http://www.jaybeckenstein.com/
- http://www.spyrogyra.com/