PICTURE GALLERY – Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Friday 16 October 2026

Now the dust has settled on this year’s festival, I’m progressively posting images from the 15 concerts I had the privilege of attending. For the full festival review click here.

What a band to begin the festival on 16 October at The Jazzlab. Saxophonist and composer Yosvany Terry learned to play the chekeré from his father, violinist Eladio “Don Pancho” Terry, but in the second of four outings at the festival he did not demonstrate his ability with the instrument until the encore. That dexterity, combined with his vocals and some audience response chants, brought the house down.

The rhythm section –Yosvany’s brother Junior Terry, now in Melbourne, on bass, exciting New York drummer Julian Miltenberger and Brett Williams in superb form at the piano – was given plenty of opportunity to shine, while Yosvany showed how well his woodwind instruments could play that role too. I was thinking Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley as this deeply satisfying concert ended, the elder Terry’s great presence on stage lingering in my memory.

IMAGES: Roger Mitchell