The Jazz Gallery: TJG 30th Anniversary Homage to Jazz Cubano Series // Caracas Trio with Special Guests Yosvany Terry and Michael Rodriguez

The Jazz Gallery
1158 Broadway, 5th Fl.
New York, NY 10001

Sets at 7:30pm and 9:30pm

Gabriel Chakarji -piano
Juan Diego Villalobos -vibraphone
Michael Rodriguez –trumpet
Daniel Prim -drums
Plus Special Guests
Yosvany Terry -saxophone
Michael Rodriguez –trumpet

The Jazz Gallery, NYC is proud to present An Homage to Jazz Cubano with the Caracas Trio, featuring Yosvany Terry & Michael Rodriguez as part of our 30th Anniversary Special Concert Series. Jazz Cubano was the first thematic series presented at The Jazz Gallery from 2000 to 2001. Dale Fitzgerald who founded The Jazz Gallery cultivated his deep love of Cuba and its culture through the time he spent in Ghana doing the fieldwork for Ph.D dissertation in Anthropology at the UC Berkeley. How the music had and continues to connect West Africa, Cuba, and subsequently NYC across the Atlantic fascinated Dale to no end; the music that born out of the human experience, resilience, and irrepressible joy was Jazz Cubano to Dale.

Every Thursday night, Yosvany Terry would assemble a band that included his regular quartet – Luis Perdomo on piano, John Benitez on bass, and Dafnis Prieto on drums – along with illustrious guests. The Jazz Gallery presented Chucho Valdes, Chuchito Valdes, Bobby Carcassés, Pedrito Martinez, and other Cuban artists known and unknown to the NYC audience in early 2000s.

As part of our 30th Anniversary celebration, we are presenting Yosvany Terry and Michael Rodriguez along with a trio that represents the younger generation of torch bearers, paying homage to Dale Fitzgerald whose spirit lives on in the Jazz Cubano!

Caracas Trio is a New York-based Venezuelan musical group that has been captivating audiences with their unique sound and style. The trio is made up of three highly talented musicians, each bringing their own individual flair to the group. Their music is deeply rooted in the Afro-Venezuelan rhythms and melodic improvisation that form the foundation of Venezuelan folk music.

What sets Caracas Trio apart is their use of a distinctive instrumentation consisting of keyboards, drums, and vibraphone. This combination of instruments allows the group to create a diverse range of sounds and colors, weaving together intricate rhythms and melodies in their compositions.

In addition to their musical prowess, the members of Caracas Trio also share bass parts, percussion, and vocal duties, adding to the richness and complexity of their sound. Their music is a fusion of traditional Venezuelan folk music with modern elements, resulting in a unique and innovative sound that appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Caracas Trio’s compositions are known for their rhythmic and melodic complexity, exploring the immense variations of rhythms and grooves found in Venezuelan music. They incorporate a mix of drums and Venezuelan percussion instruments, paired with the melodic dexterity and improvisation featured by the keyboard and vibraphone. The result is music that is at once deeply rooted in tradition and yet contemporary and fresh.

Overall, Caracas Trio strives to connect with the folkloric spirit of music, while incorporating modern elements and techniques. Their music is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage of Venezuela, and a testament to the enduring power and beauty of music as a universal language.

The band members are Gabriel Chakarji, Juan Diego Villalobos, and Daniel Prim.

Since his arrival in New York in 1999, Cuban saxophonist/percussionist/composer Yosvany Terry has been making a difference in contemporary music. His innovative work, a unique confluence of Cuban roots music and jazz, “has helped redefine Latin jazz as a complex new idiom. — “The New York Times” Born into a musical family in Camaguey, Cuba. Yosvany went on to classical music training in Havana at the prestigious National School of Arts (ENA) and Amadeo Roldan Conservatory. After graduating, Yosvany worked with major figures in every realm of Cuban music including pianists Chucho Valdes, and Frank Emilio and the celebrated nueva trova singer/guitarist Silvio Rodriguez. From his earliest days in New York, Yosvany has been welcomed by a broad range of artists in the jazz and contemporary music community; playing with, Steve Coleman, Rufus Reid, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Roy Hargrove, Vijay Iyer, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Avishai Cohen, Baptiste Trotignon, Eddie Palmieri, and Gerald Clayton. Yosvany has continued his music education in New York, he studied composition, orchestration and counterpoint with Leo Edward, Rudolph Palmer. Yosvany has received a number of commissions as well as grants to support both his performance and composition work. He is a recipient of the prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award of the class 2015. His ‘New Throned King’ album received a Grammy Award Nomination for “Best Latin Jazz Album”. A key aspect of his work is educating the next generation of musicians both here, and in Cuba. He has taught at prestigious institutions across the United States and Canada. He regularly visits his alma maters in Cuba to give workshops and master classes. In 2015, Yosvany joined the full time faculty at Harvard University as Senior Lecture and Director of Jazz Ensembles in the Department of Music.

GRAMMY® Award winningTrumpeter/composer, Michael Rodriguez was born on July 14, 1979 in Queens, New York. Michael was inspired to pursue music as a career by his father, drummer Roberto Rodriguez. Michael studied at the New World school of the Arts in Miami, Florida where he grew up and continued his studies at the University of Miami. After completing two years at the University of Miami, he decided to transfer to the New School University in New York where he received his B.A.  Michael has performed and toured with Clark Terry, Bobby Watson, Quincy Jones, Joe Lovano, Toshiko Akiyoshi Orchestra, Pop Icon Jessica Simpson, Chico O’farill Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis and the JALC, Lincoln Center Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and is a member of Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra. Michael has also performed and traveled with Jon Faddis and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Carla Bley Band and Quintet, Kenny Barron’s Quintet, Conrad Herwig Latin Side Projects, Clayton Brothers Quintet, Harry Conick jr., Bob Mintzer, Eddie Palmieri Septet, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and the Spanish Heart Band,  Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra amoung others. In December of 2003 Michael recorded on Charlie Haden’s GRAMMY® award winning album featuring Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Joe Lovano entitled ¨Land of the Sun¨. Michael has also recorded on Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra’s latest album entitled “Not in Our Name” and is featured on “America the Beautiful” and Dvojak’s “Going Home”. In 2008, Michael became a member of the Gonzalo Rubalcaba quintet and recorded “Avatar” under the Blue Note Label. In 2019, Michael joined Chick Corea’s Spanish Heart Band and won a GRAMMY® for “Antidote” for best Latin Jazz in 2020. He is currently a member of the internationally Acclaimed group SFJazz Collective.

Michael and his brother, pianist/composer Robert Rodriguez, have recorded five albums together “Introducing the Rodriguez Brothers” ,”Conversations”, “Mood Swing”, “impromptu” which was nominated for a GRAMMY® or best latin jazz album 2015, and “reunited Live at Dizzys.

Michael is currently on the faculty at NYU and Juilliard and travels the globe as a clinician. In March of 2013, he released his debut solo recording under the CrissCross label Entitled “Reverence”. His most recent recording is entitled “Pathways” under the label Rodbrosmusic which is co-owned by both him and his brother Robert Rodriguez.