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Ahead of Wisconsin Union Theater date, Brandee Younger chats with Wisconsin Public Radio

Posted: September 27, 2023
Interview with Wisconsin PR

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 Brandee Younger Jazz Harp Quartet. Flanked by drummer E.J. Strickland, bassist Dezron Douglas and tenor saxophonists Stacy Dillard & Chelsea Baratz, Ms. Younger has produced an impressive body of work since the 2011 debut of her seminal Prelude EP, including Brandee Younger Live @ The Breeding Ground, a breakthrough performance on Revive Music 's 2015 Supreme Sonacy Vol. 1 LP, and the more recent release of her critically acclaimed 2016 Wax & Wane LP.

Known for expressive interpretations of traditional harp repertoire as well as her continued work with a diverse cross-section of musical talents, Ms. Younger is widely recognized as a creative linchpin whose nuanced presence and willingness to push boundaries have made her irreplaceable on record and in performance. The same protean ability has found her sharing stages with jazz leaders and popular hiphop and r&b titans including Ravi Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Jack DeJohnette, Reggie Workman, Common, John Legend and Lauryn Hill.

As well versed in performance art as she is the art of creative risk-taking, Brandee Younger challenges commonly held notions in her quest to  "make the harp a more relevant force in today's music ." Ms. Younger's ability to seamlessly inject the harp into arrangements and venues where it has historically been overlooked is a testament to her deep love for and exemplary command of the instrument.

Younger latest album, Brand New Life (Impulse! Records), released on April 7th was 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 traditionally-classical instrument on groundbreaking albums such as Afro-Harping and Dorothy’s Harp. Her unparalleled body of work has continued to be influential for decades and has been heavily sampled and transposed across jazz, hip-hop, and R&B, by artists including Jay-Z, J. Dilla, Pete Rock and Flying Lotus.

Brand New Life is a stunning amalgamation of past and present, combining original works from Younger, select reinterpretations of Ashby’s work, and previously-unrecorded compositions by Ashby. Younger was initially introduced to Ashby’s work through the many hip-hop artists who sampled her music, and now collaborates with some of those very artists on Brand New Life, including the legendary Pete Rock and 9th Wonder. Brand New Life also includes features by Meshell N’degeocello, Mumu Fresh, and production by drummer and composer  Makaya McCraven.


Wisconsin Public Radio writes…. Grammy-nominated harpist Brandee Younger fuses a classical instrument with music genres like jazz, R&B and hip-hop that are rooted in Black culture. Younger is set to perform at the Wisconsin Union Theater on Friday. Younger joins us.

Host(s): 
Kate Archer Kent

Guest(s): 
Brandee Younger
Producer(s): 
Trevor Hook

Technical Director(s): 
Lee Rayburn

PHOTO: Mary Altaffer/AP Photo

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