MUSIC

ANCESTRAL MEMORIES

On Ancestral Memories, Terry delves into the cross-pollination of France and Africa in the New World, co-leading a quartet with prodigious French pianist Baptiste Trotignon. Rounded out by Terry’s brother, Yunior Terry, on contrabass, and Jeff “Tain” Watts on trap set, this modern-jazz ensemble delivers a seamlessly enthralling 10-track suite. The work was inspired by musical traditions that emerged from the African Diaspora in the former French territories of Louisiana and the Caribbean, which Terry describes as an “Antilles aesthetic,” or a melding of “the sophistication of language with dance.” Ancestral Memories reveals a meeting of the minds between Terry and Trotignon, who share compositional credits, as well as the genealogies, etched into their musical DNA.
– Jazziz

NEW THRONED KING

“The call of ancestry, and its expression through folklore, has always been a potent preoccupation for Afro-Caribbean jazz musicians in the United States. Yosvany Terry, a saxophonist, percussionist and composer from an influential musical family in Camagüey, Cuba, is a leader among the current generation, which keeps finding ways of deepening its inquiry. His latest album amounts to an act of scholarship as well as musical syncretism, and some of his most arresting work. Featuring his band Ye-Dé-Gbé, it’s a celebration of Arara culture, especially as found in the Matanzas province of Cuba.”
- Nate Chinen, The New York Times

TODAY’S OPINION

Yosvany Terry has helped redefine the Afro-Cuban and contemporary jazz idiom in the New York music scene. Mr. Terry's new release Today's Opinion reflects the growth of a young but mature composer in the international music scene. The music of this album reflects Mr. Terry's deep cultural roots as well as the versatility of his musical styles. An extraordinary cast of musicians performs on this recording: Michael Rodriguez on trumpet, Osmany Paredes on piano, Yunior Terry on bass, Obed Calvaireon drums, Pedro Martinez on percussion and vocal, and Yosvany Terry on saxophones and chekere. This exceptional, multilayered recording Today's Opinion manages to be simultaneously accessible and profound; it signals the next phase of Mr. Terry's distinctive personal vision.
– Amazon.com