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Brandee Younger

Gadabout Season

Impulse!
Release Date: June 18, 2025

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'Lift Every Voice and Sing'
'Essence of Ruby'
1 Reckoning [2:05]  
2 End Means Feat. Shabaka [4:12]  
3 Gadabout Season [4:45]  
4 Breaking Point [2:43]  
5 Reflection Eternal [2:18]  
6 New Pinnacle [4:49]  
7 Surrender Feat. Courtney Bryan [5:26]  
8 BBL [4:55]  
9 Unswept Corners Feat. NIIA [4:34]  
10 Discernment Feat. Josh Johnson [6:51]  
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It all started with a word-of-the-day email. Harpist Brandee Younger, bassist-producer Rashaan Carter and drummer Allan Mednard were on the road when they learned about the gadabout — a carefree pleasure-seeker who is always in motion, seeking out fun no matter the circumstances. The word of the day turned into the word of the tour, and seemed to describe their mission. These three simpatico travelers, whose shared history as trusted collaborators reaches back two decades, were always chasing and finding joy both onstage and off — through music, art, food and new experiences.

For Younger especially that joy was a healing force. Over the past year she’s faced personal challenges, so the gadabout concept acted as a helpful reminder that life happens to everyone — and that pursuing radiance in the midst of struggle is essential. “When it came time to write a piece to represent happiness, ‘Gadabout Season’ felt like the perfect title,” says the harpist, a Grammy nominee and NAACP Image Award winner who has garnered widespread acclaim for her soulful, spiritual meld of jazz, R&B and hip-hop’s essence.

Gadabout Season, Younger’s third for the legendary Impulse! label, releasing June 13, 2025, is her most personal and exploratory album to date – a reflective, imaginative body of work on which she has written or co-written nearly every composition. “The album reflects the journey — the search for meaning and beauty amid life’s most complex moments, ultimately emerging with a deeper sense of self,” says Younger. “Musically Gadabout Season is more creative and slightly more cerebral than my other works.” Listen to the title track, “Gadabout Season”, out now.

Known for her revelatory interpretations of harp legends Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby, Younger now steps boldly into her own compositional voice, crafting music that carries her forebears’ language forward without paying direct tribute. “This writing process forced me to be completely honest,” she says. “I’m not hiding behind someone else’s work.” Self-taught as a composer, Younger draws instinctively from a hybrid of influences — jazz, classical, old-school R&B, and hip-hop.

  • New Pinnacle, with Brandee Younger / 90.1WRTI - The Late Set
    Posted At: May 27, 2025
    Among the most celebrated jazz artists to emerge in the 21st century, Brandee Younger is a harpist, composer and bandleader whose music connects spiritual jazz and classical training to the rhythmic soulfulness of R&B and hip-hop. She grew up on Long Island, where she sang gospel, studied the harp classically and became enamored of both hip-hop and the vintage soul that rap producers sampled. When Young...

  • Flushing Town Hall set bring the multi - genre sound of The Brandee Younger Trio to Queens / Jazziz: discovery
    Posted At: May 1, 2025
    Jazziz: discovery writes….On Saturday (May 3), Flushing Town Hall will bring the genre-defying sound of The Brandee Younger Trio to Queens. Known for her fusion of classical, jazz, soul and funk, Younger has redefined the harp in contemporary music.Younger is revolutionizing the harp’s role in modern music. Over the past 15 years, she has worked relentlessly to stretch boundaries and limitations for harpist...

  • Brandee Younger's 'Gadabout Season' reflects the search for beauty amid life's most complex moments / udiscovermusic.
    Posted At: April 28, 2025
    udiscovermusic.'s Sam Armstrong writes…..Grammy nominated harpist Brandee Younger has announced a new album, Gadabout Season. Produced by bassist Rashaan Carter, the 10-track record features special guests Shabaka, Courtney Bryan, Niia, and Josh Johnson. The title track, which features vibraphonist Joel Ross, Makaya McCraven on percussion, and Shabaka on clarinet, is out now. Gadabout Season is Younger’s th...

  • Brandee Younger grooves at SFJAZZ with the New Century Chamber Orchestra / SFCV
    Posted At: March 10, 2025
    SFCV's Andrew Gilbert writes……Over the past few years, harpist Brandee Younger has introduced herself to Bay Area audiences as an eloquent and charismatic champion of the music of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby, the two most significant artists responsible for turning the harp into a credible vehicle for jazz. But in her second season as an SFJAZZ resident artistic director, Younger isn’t focusing on her ...

  • Brandee Younger's 'Brand New Life' makes YARDBARKER's 'best albums from the 2020s that you (probably) haven't heard'
    Posted At: August 5, 2024
    YARDBARKER's Evan Sawdey writes….Every year sees the release of thousands of albums, and only a select few manage to break through the noise to reach your ears eventually. During the pandemic lockdown, several music heads played catch up with a backlog of releases, but during this time, musicians ended up releasing a barrage of quarantine albums, choking up vinyl pressing plants and oversaturating the world...

  • Brandee Younger brings her trailblazing harp talent to La Jolla's annual SummerFest / THERESANDIEGO
    Posted At: August 1, 2024
    “No harpist thus far has been more capable of combining all of the modern harp traditions — from Salzedo, through Dorothy Ashby, through Alice Coltrane — with such strength, grace and commitment.” -  The New York TimesThe sonically innovative harpist, Brandee Younger, is revolutionizing harp for the digital era. Over the past fifteen years, she has worked relentlessly to stretch boundaries and limitati...

  • Brandee Younger kicks off a year of Alice Coltrane / SFCV
    Posted At: March 13, 2024
    SFCV - Andrew Gilbert writes…..There’s a lively debate in jazz circles over the usefulness, propriety, and creative efficacy of tribute concerts for departed masters. With so much interesting new music available to play, one part of the argument goes, why feed audiences familiar fare?The question answers itself, as a performance pegged to a beloved star is often much easier to publicize than a concert featu...

  • Undaunted Perseverance: Harpist Brandee Younger on the legacy of Dorothy Ashby / 88.3WBGO
    Posted At: January 8, 2024
    88.3WBGO's Lee Mergner writes….It’s often said that jazz musicians of today are standing on the shoulders of giants of the past. In the case of harpist Brandee Younger, she is standing on two sets of shoulders – those of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby – two women who created a remarkable legacy for the harp as a jazz instrument. Over the years, Younger has performed numerous concerts with Ravi Coltrane in...

  • Brandee Younger is anything but ordinary / ESSENCE
    Posted At: December 14, 2023
    SHE MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE SOLO ARTIST TO RECEIVE A GRAMMY NOMINATION, AND SHE CONTINUES TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES AS A HARPIST.ESSENCE - SHERYL NANCE-NASH writes….Brandee Younger says she doesn’t ever remember fitting in a nice little box. In junior high school she was the only Black girl among the harpists. In college, she was one of three Black students in the orchestra. Today, at 40, it’s s...

  • Brandee Younger - You're A Girl For One Man Only makes 90.1WRTI: Courtney Blue's Hot Five of 2023
    Posted At: December 13, 2023
    90.1WRTI: Courtney Blue writes…..Without question, 2023 gave us some great music. From new releases and debuts to limited reissues and archival finds, there was something special for almost anyone. We asked our jazz hosts to give us their five favorite tracks of 2023, so have a listen and read what they have to say. With pleasure, we present WRTI's Hot Fives.Brandee Younger’s latest album, Brand New Life, i...

  • Brandee Younger's 'Brand New Life' makes 90.1WRTI - Maurice Browne's Hot Five of 2023
    Posted At: December 12, 2023
    GRAMMY®-nominated harpist and composer Brandee Younger released ‘Brand New Life’ in 2023 via Impulse! Records. Produced by multi-hyphenate drummer and composer Makaya Mccraven, on Brand New Life, Younger celebrates one of her greatest inspirations, iconic jazz harpist and composer Dorothy Ashby. Ashby is widely credited with having asserted the harp’s place in contemporary music, showcasing the traditionall...

  • Brandee Younger's 'Brand New Life' makes YARDBARKER: 50 best albums of 2023
    Posted At: December 7, 2023
    YARDBARKER's Evan Sawdey writes…..More than most years, 2023 felt like the class divide was stretching into the world of music, as the gap between superstars and the hard-working everypeople felt larger than ever. The charts were dominated by Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen, while the tours for both Swift and Beyoncé generated as many headlines as they did ticket sales, conquering both arenas and your local ...

  • Brandee Younger performs 'Moving Target' on the Tamron Hall Show
    Posted At: November 6, 2023
    A fearless and versatile talent,GRAMMY®-nominated harpist and composer Brandee Younger moves far afield of genre as a classically trained musician playing in the avant-garde tradition of her sonically forward forebears Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Ms.Younger delivers a consistently fresh take on the ancient instrument as an educator, event curator, performer and leader of the Brande...

  • Ahead of Wisconsin Union Theater date, Brandee Younger chats with Wisconsin Public Radio
    Posted At: September 27, 2023
    A fearless and versatile talent, GRAMMY®-nominated harpist and composer Brandee Younger moves far afield of genre as a classically trained musician playing in the avant-garde tradition of her sonically forward forebears Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Ms.Younger delivers a consistently fresh take on the ancient instrument as an educator, event curator, performer and leader of the Brand...

  • Ahead of the Chicago Jazz Festival, Brandee Younger chats with 90.9WDCB
    Posted At: August 31, 2023
    A fearless and versatile talent, harpist Brandee Younger moves far afield of genre as a classically trained musician playing in the avant-garde tradition of her sonically forward forebears Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Ms.Younger delivers a consistently fresh take on the ancient instrument as an educator, event curator, performer and leader of the Brandee Younger Jazz Harp Quartet. Flanked by drummer E....

  • Brandee Younger is in the 'relix Spotlight'
    Posted At: August 7, 2023
    relix - Jeff Tamarkin writes…..Brandee Younger knows that her chosen instrument, the harp, is something of an outlier. It has a very specific tone and feel and is anything but portable—good luck trying to convince a flight attendant that it will fit into the overhead compartment. Making Younger’s choice even more of a challenge is the fact that she isn’t especially interested in playing the harp in a classi...

  • WSHU Public Radio's 'Beautiful Music NOW' features: Brandee Younger & Dezron Douglas: Live from Columbia's Miller Theatre
    Posted At: July 26, 2023
    Double bassist Dezon Douglas and Harpist Brandee Younger have been performing and recording professionally since the mid-2000s either as sideman, leader or on each other’s records. Both musicians also happen to be husband and wife and initially met at The Hartt School performing arts conservatory in Connecticut.Over the year, audiences have perhaps been conditioned to expect a double bass or a harp as instr...

  • Brandee Younger plays NPR's 'Tiny Desk Concert'
    Posted At: June 28, 2023
    NPR's Mitra I. Arthur writes….NPR Music is celebrating Black Music Month with an array of brand new Tiny Desk concerts. Together, these artists represent the past, present and future of Black music. This month of carefully curated shows is a celebration of Black artists expressing themselves in ways we've never seen before, and of the Tiny Desk's unique way of showcasing that talent.On a beautifully ornate ...

  • Brandee Younger...from orchestra girl to emerging icon / 88.3WBGO
    Posted At: June 27, 2023
    A fearless and versatile talent, harpist Brandee Younger moves far afield of genre as a classically trained musician playing in the avant-garde tradition of her sonically forward forebears Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Ms.Younger delivers a consistently fresh take on the ancient instrument as an educator, event curator, performer and leader of the Brandee Younger Jazz Harp Quartet. F...

  • In advance of her Seattle- Dimitriou's Jazz Alley show, Brandee Younger plays and chats with Tacoma's Jazz 88.5KNKX
    Posted At: June 14, 2023
    Harpist Brandee Younger is an artist living in two worlds. Her education was mostly in the classical tradition and she's worked extensively with orchestras, but Younger is a natural improvisor with a love of hip hop and respect for the jazz harpists who blazed the path for her.Younger's new album Brand New Life is a tribute to trailblazing harpist and composer Dorothy Ashby, featuring songs from Ashby's alb...

  • Brandee Younger at Dazzle. Denver hasn't seen jazz harp played like this. It was a one-of-a-kind evening / All About Jazz
    Posted At: June 12, 2023
    All About Jazz - Geoff Anderson writes….The harp is far from a common jazz instrument and the list of famous jazz harpists is a short one. In fact, the list of significant jazz harpists probably numbers about two: Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby. There have been a few others here and there, but none that had the impact of those two. But wait, there's a new contender on the scene: Brandee Younger. Sunday ni...

  • Brandee Younger, freshening up the great American art form / InsideHook
    Posted At: June 10, 2023
    She's brought her harp along to sessions for Drake, Common and Lauryn Hill. Now it's time to freshen up the great American art form.InsideHook's BONNIE STIERNBERG writes…..Brandee Younger has just arrived for her gig at the Edition Hotel in New York City when two curious onlookers approach, wanting to know what the large, covered object she’s pushing on a dolly is. She smiles patiently and tells them it’s a...

  • Heir to Harp legends Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby, Brandee Younger is set for Seattle's Jazz Alley / The Stranger
    Posted At: June 8, 2023
    The Stranger's DAVE SEGAL writes…..The last dozen years or so have seen jazz enjoying a resurgence in popularity and artistic excellence. London, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York's scenes are especially thriving, and Long Island harpist/composer Brandee Younger has ridden that wave to prominence and a deal with the revered Impulse! label and its modern-day equal as an incubator of forward-thinking jazz, I...

  • Brandee Younger's Spoleto performance proves that in the right hands, the harp is exciting / Charleston City Paper
    Posted At: June 3, 2023
    Charleston City Paper's  Timia Cobb and Piper Starnes write……. Harpist Brandee Younger redefines what the harp can do. Younger’s first performance of the Spoleto Festival USA season Thursday was quite the night for spontaneity — and maybe a little too much of it.When Younger took the stage at Queen Street Playhouse with bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Allan Mednard, they kicked things off with Alice...

  • Brandee Younger set for 'Detroit legends' tribute this weekend / Detroit Free Press
    Posted At: May 26, 2023
    Detroit Free Press - Duante Beddingfield writes……This weekend will bring three opportunities to catch Grammy-nominated jazz harpist Brandee Younger in the metro region, with one performance Friday night at The CUBE in Detroit’s Orchestra Hall and two Saturday night sets at Ann Arbor’s Blue Llama Jazz Club.Younger will be paying tribute to two pioneering female, African American jazz harpists who both hailed...

  • Brandee Younger chats with JAZZ 88 - Minneapolis ahead of Dakota date
    Posted At: May 23, 2023
    GRAMMY®-nominated harpist and composer: Brandee Younger has released her new album, Brand New Life via Impulse! Records, The first single off of the Dorothy Ashby inspired album is the previously unrecorded and evocative Ashby composition, “You’re A Girl For One Man Only.”Produced by multi-hyphenate drummer and composer Makaya Mccraven, on Brand New Life, Younger celebrates one of her greatest inspirations,...

  • Brandee Younger 'Brand New Life' makes JAZZIZ Editors Choice
    Posted At: May 19, 2023
    A fearless and versatile talent, harpist Brandee Younger moves far afield of genre as a classically trained musician playing in the avant-garde tradition of her sonically forward forebears Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Ms.Younger delivers a consistently fresh take on the ancient instrument as an educator, event curator, performer and leader of the Brandee Younger Jazz Harp Quartet. F...

  • Watch Brandee Younger's enchanting cover of Stevie Wonder's 'If It's Magic' / GRAMMY.com
    Posted At: May 17, 2023
    GRAMMY.com writes….Using just a harp, GRAMMY®-nominated harpist and composer: Brandee Younger delivers a moving performance of Stevie Wonder's 1976 deep cut "If It's Magic," from his GRAMMY-winning album 'Songs in the Key of Life.'As one of the most prominent Black, female harpists, Younger strives to highlight the musical contributions of Black women. In 2022, she became the first Black woman to be nominat...

  • On 'Brand New Life,' Brandee Younger explores her instrument to optimum effect / jazztrail
    Posted At: May 10, 2023
    jazztrail writes…..Brandee Younger has no rival in today’s jazz harp world. Her music is contemporary, often spiritual, and terrifically eclectic with oodles of crossover currents that include soul, funk and hip-hop. Brand New Life, the follow-up to Somewhere Different (Impulse!, 2021), is a tribute to one of her harp heroes, Dorothy Ashby, whose music she approaches here from new angles. With drummer extra...

  • Brandee Younger - Brand New Life makes INSIDEPULSE: Weekly Round-Up
    Posted At: May 8, 2023
    GRAMMY®-nominated harpist and composer: Brandee Younger has released her new album, Brand New Life (Impulse! Records). Produced by multi-hyphenate drummer and composer Makaya Mccraven, on Brand New Life, Younger celebrates one of her greatest inspirations, iconic jazz harpist and composer Dorothy Ashby. Ashby is widely credited with having asserted the harp’s place in contemporary music, showcasing the trad...

  • Brandee Younger's 'Brand New Life' makes VF's featured new releases
    Posted At: May 7, 2023
    GRAMMY®-nominated harpist and composer  Brandee Younger new album, Brand New Life (Impulse! Records was released on April 7th. Produced by multi-hyphenate drummer and composer Makaya Mccraven, on Brand New Life, Younger celebrates one of her greatest inspirations, iconic jazz harpist and composer Dorothy Ashby. Ashby is widely credited with having asserted the harp’s place in contemporary music, showca...

  • Brandee Younger plays New York Public Radio's 'Soundcheck'
    Posted At: April 17, 2023
    GRAMMY®-nominated harpist and composer: Brandee Younger has a new album, ‘Brand New Life’ on (Impulse! Records). Released on April 7th, the first single off of the Dorothy Ashby inspired album is the previously unrecorded and evocative Ashby composition, “You’re A Girl For One Man Only.” Listen to Younger’s mesmerizing take on the track and preorder the album HERE.Produced by multi-hyphenate drummer and com...

  • Brandee Younger's 'Brand New Life' makes STEREOGUM: THE MONTH IN JAZZ
    Posted At: April 17, 2023
    GRAMMY®-nominated harpist and composer Brandee Younger has a new album, Brand New Life (Impulse! Records). Released on April 7th, the first single off of the Dorothy Ashby inspired album is the previously unrecorded and evocative Ashby composition, “You’re A Girl For One Man Only.” Produced by multi-hyphenate drummer and composer Makaya Mccraven, on Brand New Life, Younger celebrates one of her greates...

  • Brandee Younger releases: 'brand new' album and announces new 2023-24 tour / TheUrbanMusicScene
    Posted At: April 14, 2023
    TheUrbanMusicScene JaSupreme writes….Today, GRAMMY®-nominated harpist and composer Brandee Younger releases her new album Brand New Life via Impulse! Records. At once a stunning testament to Younger’s power as a composer and a remarkable tribute to trailblazing harpist Dorothy Ashby, the album features Pete Rock, 9th Wonder, Mumu Fresh, and more.On her second album for Impulse!, Younger pays tribute to the ...

  • Brandee Younger's 'Dust' from 'Brand New Life' makes NY Public Radio: New Sounds 'Weekly Music Roundup'
    Posted At: April 10, 2023
    Sean Carlson - Host, WNYC/WQXR News and John Schaefer Host, New Sounds and Soundcheck bring you the WNYC: New Sounds 'Weekly Music RoundupFor the Week of April 10: cosmic jazz from harpist Brandee Younger, Afro-Venezuelan dance music from Gotopo, and soundscapes from cellist Issei Herr. Plus, duo music for kemancheh and kora from Kayhan Kalhor and Toumani Diabate.Brandee Younger Pays Tribute To Dorothy Ashb...

  • Dorothy Ashby was the pioneer harpist who opened up the instrument to black musicians like me / The Guardian
    Posted At: April 10, 2023
    A contemporary of Alice Coltrane’s, Ashby mixed genres and broke down musical barriers. Now I am proud to be bringing some of her unreleased music to audiences for the first timeAs told to Ammar Kalia, Brandee Younger writes…..I began playing harp at 11 and the traditional path to follow with the instrument was the classical music one, where all the players I saw or studied were white. I found it quite an i...
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