Tiffany Terry
As the daughter of James Luckett, Sr., Tiffany Terry represents a second generation of soul gospel talent in Milwaukee. But while her dad leads one of the city's longest-running traditional vocal quartets in The Fabulous Luckett Brothers, Terry hews toward the trends in African American commercial sacred music that make it more sonically compatible with grown folks’ R&B.
The preponderance of a loosely grooving band over the five tracks comprising Terry’s latest offering, He Kept Me, already distinguishes it from the often more synthetic production on many similar divas’ radio-charting fare. Terry’s parentage, including her mother's church-adjacent business of operating a mortuary, may give her an advantage in leading the players, including an especially hot drummer and guitarist with penchants for gutsy grit and the occasional seemingly prog rock flair.
The youthful spirit in Terry’s tone and effectively unshowy display of technique ultimately sell her as a potential her to probable influences such as Yolanda Adams and Kim Burrell, as well as possible competition for gospel’s current female fold. Terry’s versatility encompassing nearly shouting-styled hard, trad' sounds to the lighter praise & worship sounds that have come into black Christian musical over the past three decades portend that Terry has it in her to make a full album at least as compelling.
