Brandee Younger Trio
January 18, 2025 @ 7:30 pm
Brandee Younger is revolutionizing the harp, an instrument most of us don’t often think of as part of jazz’s front line. Inspired by the work of harp-pioneers Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, Younger has developed a new vocabulary that is simultaneously fresh and connected to the instrument’s ancient sound (there are indications that the harp was used as far back as 3000 BC). Younger forges a deep connection with listeners of all genres, her unique approach is simultaneously free and reverential, informed by classical repertoire and the jazz tradition. Younger is being recognized across the genres. In 2022 she was nominated for two Grammy Awards (Best Instrumental Composition). She 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 such cultural icons as Common, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Pharoah Sanders, and Christian McBride. She 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. Younger is on the faculty at New York University, Steinhardt School, and The New School College of Performing Arts.
—Ravi Coltrane, The New York Times
