Brandee Younger Trio

The Vermont Jazz Center is thrilled to welcome back harpist Brandee Younger. Brandee is performing tonight with her working trio: Rashaan Carter and Allan Mednard. Many VJC aficionados were moved by Younger’s appearance with Makaya McCraven’s ensemble last February. Since then, she has been consistently on the move: releasing a solo harp EP and touring London, Germany, Brooklyn, the Netherlands, Portugal, Australia, Brussels, and beyond.

Initially, you may not associate the harp with jazz, but Younger is redefining the role of the instrument in this traditional music. One of her goals is to correct the inaccuracies of our misconceptions of the harp. In an online short, she pulls us away from the generalization of associating her instrument with “naked baby angels.” Her mission is to convey the depth of the harp’s importance and get beyond standard clichés.

Younger is a tireless promoter of the music of Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, two jazz harpists who influenced her the most and whose music she continuously revisits. Her love for music and dedication to the harp extends to her involvement with the American Harp Association (AHA), where she helps raise funds and serves as the co-president of one of its board chapters.

In 2017, she presented an article in the AHA Journal titled: “Alice Coltrane: The Harpist and Her Legacy.” In that essay, Younger illustrates the tremendous impact Alice Coltrane continues to impart on her life, not just musically, but also as a spiritual role model. She wrote about hearing Coltrane’s “Blue Nile” for the first time, illuminating how that piece became a stepping stone that led to a pathway of profound connections.

Younger continues to relay on Coltrane’s lasting impact, stating: “Every concert that I play pays tribute to Alice Coltrane’s legacy… the spirit of her music felt more powerful than anything technical or on paper. It was more powerful than any industry standard and to me, it came from a place of selflessness and humility. This influence has helped me immensely over the years in my approach to playing the harp and interpreting music. It has allowed me to be flexible and to resist conforming to a particular genre or style.”

Younger’s flexibility is her calling card which connects her with musicians as disparate from the jazz world as Pete Rock and Beyoncé. Today, Younger is recognized across many genres, from classical to hip-hop. She has released eight albums as a leader and appears on over 100 albums as a side-person. In 2022 she was nominated for two Grammy Awards (Best Instrumental Composition) and is the winner of a 2024 NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Jazz Album for her album Brand New Life.

Her expansive career includes recordings and touring opportunities with cultural icons Lizz Wright, Common, Drake, Billal, Ice Tee, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Meshell Ndegeocello, Pharoah Sanders, BadBadNotGood, and Christian McBride. Notable jazz recordings include work with Joel Ross, Makaya McCraven, Jeremy Pelt, Ravi Coltrane, Marcus Strickland, Lakecia Benjamin, Shabaka Hutchings, Terri Lyne Carrington, and many others.

Younger was featured in the Netflix Concert Documentary, Beyoncé: Homecoming, and recognized for her original composition “Hortense,” which was featured in Quincy Jones and Steve McQueens’ “Soundtrack of America.” Younger has made it a point to reach out to new audiences, exposing a multigenerational cache of listeners to her compelling sound and concept. She is also an in-demand educator who serves on the faculty at New York University, Steinhardt School, and The New School College of Performing Arts.

We will be livestreaming here on our website and on the VJC Facebook page

Each concert will have a limited in-person audience and a livestream component this year. You may purchase in-person tickets and/or donate to the livestream by clicking above.  Please give generously to support our students. Tickets for this show are valued at $55 per seat.  Your attendance and contributions will go directly towards sustaining and continuing the Vermont Jazz Center mission and vision. 

Saturday

January 18, 2025  at 7:30 pm EST

LIVE STREAM & IN PERSON

“No harpist thus far has been more capable of combining all of the modern traditions – from Salzedo, through Dorothy Ashby, through Alice Coltrane – with such strength, grace, and commitment.” – The New York Times

Line Up

The bassist for the Brandee Younger Trio is Rashaan Carter who grew up in the Washington D.C. area. While attending the New School in New York City he began to work with many of the faculty including Joe Chambers and Jimmy Owens and became a member of the Black Art Jazz Collective. He has worked with Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller and Louis Hayes, Wallace Roney, Marc Cary, Cindy Blackman, Doug and Jean Carn, Antoine Roney, Sonny Simmons, and many more. He also studied with one of his prime influences, Ron Carter. Carter appears on recordings with Black Art Jazz Collective, Lizz Wright, Norah Jones, Meshell Ndegeocello, Marc Cary, Aruán Ortiz, Wayne Escoffery, Josh Evans, Frank Lacy, Wallace Roney and others.

On drums will be Allan Mednard. His recordings include work with Michael Wolff, Arcoiris Sandoval, Jeremy Pelt, Ben Allison, and others. He has shared the stage with ensembles led by Kurt Rosenwinkel, Aaron Parks, Ben Street, Godwin Louis, Andrew D’Angelo, Alix Ambroise, Jaleel Shaw, Arco Iris Sandoval, Le Boeuf Brothers, Melissa Aldana and many others.

Thanks to our Sponsors

The Jazz Center is grateful for the generosity of long-term supporter Diana Bingham for this concert’s sponsorship. Diana’s enduring friendship inspires us to continue to reach out to younger audiences. The music and positive energy emitted by Brandee Younger and her trio is a reflection of how younger artists have enriched the legacy of jazz; she gives us assurance that the future of our music is in good hands.

The VJC also appreciates the support of the Vermont Arts Council, the Vermont Humanities Council, the New England Foundation of the Arts and the National Endowment of the Arts. Thanks also to media support from The Commons and The Brattleboro Reformer.

Many thanks to our videographer Michael Hanish, sound engineer Max Adam, photographer Jeff Starratt, to our many volunteers, and dedicated board members.

Upcoming 2025 Concerts: Feb. 9 @ 4 pm Billy Childs Quartet; Mar. 8 @ 7:30 pm Huntertones; Mar. 29 @ 7:30 pm Heat Fund Benefit w/Rhythm Future Quartet;  Apr. 18-19 9th Solo Jazz Piano Festival; May 10 @ 7:30 pm Endea Owens and the Cookout; June 14 @ 7:30 pm Convergence Project