Jazz legends Spyro Gyra and Lee Ritenour kick off the 25th performing arts season of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Spyro Gyra will highlight songs from one of its first albums, Morning Dance, from 1979. The band released The Rhinebeck Sessions, their 30th album, in 2013.

Spyro Gyra is an unlikely story of a group with humble beginnings in Buffalo. They have continued to reach an international audience over nearly 40 years, resulting in sales of more than 10 million albums and having played more than 5,000 shows on five continents. They have accomplished this due to a forward looking approach combined with the work ethic of an underdog and always challenging themselves to do something new while never resting on past success.

In a career that spans five decades and more than 40 albums, guitarist Lee Ritenour has developed a keen understanding of the symbiotic balance between the frontman and the supporting players, between the wisdom of experience and the enthusiasm of youth. On Rhythm Sessions, released in 2012, Ritenour surrounds himself with a cadre of high-profile veterans and promising newcomers all of whom reaffirm the vital role played by the rhythm section in any worthwhile musical endeavor.