Yosvany Terry Coming to Yerba Buena Gardens

Yosvany Terry (photograph by Govert Driessen, from a Facebook Event page)

The jazz offering at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival (YBGF) that is likely to be the most interesting this month will come at the end of the month with a visit from Yosvany Terry. Terry is a Cuban saxophonist, percussionist, and composer, who has had a major impact on the jazz scene in this country and its passion for Latin-based jazz. For his YBGF visit he will lead a sextet featuring a stellar cast of his long-time collaborators. His bass player will be his younger brother Yunior. The rhythm section will also include two fellow Cubans, Osmany Paredes on piano and Mauricio Herrera on percussion. The front line will feature Oakland-born trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. The remaining member of the group will be Haitian-American drummer Oded Calvaire, currently a member of the SFJAZZ Collective.

Yosvany Terry’s Afro-Cuban Sextet will perform on the YBGF “main stage” in the Yerba Buena Gardens Esplanade, which is near the northwest corner of Howard Street and Third Street. This particular concert will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, and should last for about 90 minutes. Seats are usually set up in front of the stage; but if July 28 happens to be one of those rare days when the sun comes out (like yesterday), attendees should be prepared to have their own ways to shade themselves. There are also a few shady spots under trees near the stage, and some may even have chairs set up there. There is no charge for this (or any other) YBGF event; so showing up is all that is required. Donations will be collected throughout and after the performance.