Spyro Gyra performing at ETSU
The Johnson City Jazz Festival proudly presents the iconic jazz supergroup Spyro Gyra at the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., as part of the 7th annual Johnson City Jazz Festival. The performance marks a pinnacle in the 2025 Johnson City Jazz Festival, which also features events on March 28 and 29.
In 2024, Jay Beckenstein and band observe the 50th anniversary of what started as
a diversion, something that was just for fun (and twenty-five cents at the door).
It began inauspiciously when Beckenstein and a few musician friends in Buffalo, NY,
organized a get together on their shared night off from working in bands that actually
made money. It was a simple, humble idea with a name that was likewise simple and
humble, “Tuesday Night – Jazz Jam”. Fast forward 50 years and this jazz super group
has released over 30 albums, garnering gold and platinum along the way. They’ve played
over 10,000 concerts on six continents. Spyro Gyra has maintained its standards of
excellence and that has sustained them on the “A list” of live attractions in jazz
for 50 years.
This year’s Johnson City Jazz Festival will also be part of a major fundraising effort
for regional jazz musicians impacted by Hurricane Helene. Working with the Jazz Foundation
of America, a non-profit focused on assisting Jazz, Blues, and Roots musicians impacted
by America’s natural disasters, and the ETSU Martin Center, Spyro Gyra has generously
agreed to donate $5 for each ticket sold for their concert to the Jazz Foundation
of America, for a fund that will be directed specifically to Asheville’s jazz community.
Tickets range from $34.50 to $49.50 (+ tax & fees). Tickets for the show go on sale
to the public on Friday, January 24. Pre-sale for Friends of the Martin Center begins
Wednesday, January 22, at 10:00 a.m. For more information on how to become a Friend
for early access to tickets, visit https://www.etsu.edu/martin-center/friends.php.
For more information on Spyro Gyra, visit spyrogyra.com. For more about the Martin
Center or to purchase tickets, visit ETSUMartinCenter.org or call the Martin Center
box office at 423-439-2787.
For more information about the Johnson City Jazz Festival, visit JohnsonCityJazzFestival.com,
and for more information on the Jazz Foundation of America, visit jazzfoundation.org.
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About the Martin Center for the Arts: The 93,000 square foot ETSU Martin Center for the Arts, located at 1320 W. State
of Franklin Road, Johnson City, features three venues, as well as three rehearsal/meeting
rooms. Construction on the center began in early 2018 and was completed in fall 2020.
The ETSU Foundation Grand Hall can seat nearly 1,200.
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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