Brandee Younger

Her instrument isn’t exactly easy to handle; it’s also difficult to play and, due to technical limitations, not necessarily suited for jazz. Yet Brandee Younger makes the harp sound as if it had always been part of the standard jazz repertoire. The way she accentuates and conjures up enchanting arpeggios, the way she harmonizes and improvises—it’s simply one-of-a-kind. She is a worthy successor to the harpists she so admires: Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane.

Brandee Younger’s songs—most recently those on the album *Gadaout Season*—bring together a variety of elements: classical training, a penchant for spiritual jazz, and various offshoots of the avant-garde, hip-hop, pop, and R&B. Under her nimble fingers, all genre boundaries dissolve, and everything becomes a kaleidoscope of African American music. We look forward to this fearless and groundbreaking harp virtuoso.

Lineup:

Brandee Younger (harp)

Rashaan Carter (b, eb)

Allan Mednard (dr)