Jazz harp is a unique instrument and one that takes on ever more intoxicating textures on Brandee Younger's seventh album, 2023's Brand New Life. In fact, harp is so rare in jazz circles it's hard to think of two more influential performers on the instrument than Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, both of whom Younger has drawn from in the past and whose work inspires much of Brand New Life. Younger is a strikingly gifted performer, blessed with a crisp technique marked by spiraling, melodic lines and great harmonic, multi ...
Read More
Jazz harp is a unique instrument and one that takes on ever more intoxicating textures on Brandee Younger's seventh album, 2023's Brand New Life. In fact, harp is so rare in jazz circles it's hard to think of two more influential performers on the instrument than Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, both of whom Younger has drawn from in the past and whose work inspires much of Brand New Life. Younger is a strikingly gifted performer, blessed with a crisp technique marked by spiraling, melodic lines and great harmonic, multi-note swells. While sophisticated post-bop jazz is at the core of her style, she pulls equally from classical, funk, and R&B. Primarily, she evokes the work of Ashby, whose groundbreaking albums like 1968's Afro-Harping serve as a model for Younger's own genre-bending sound. Here, she showcases her vibrant harp sound, juxtaposing her glassy, otherworldly tone with skittering drum grooves, velvety bass, strings, marimba, and the occasional flute. There's a dream-like quality to her playing here, as in the opening "You're a Girl for One Man Only," a shimmering take on the romantic Ashby ballad that sounds like it was culled from the soundtrack to a '70s romantic thriller. Just as compelling is her reading of Ashby's most recognizable composition, "The Windmills of Your Mind," which Younger reworks with an angular hip-hop-infused atmosphere with the aid of DJ/producer 9th Wonder. Other throwback R&B-style moments follow, including the languid title track featuring vocalist Mumu Fresh and the reggae-infused "Dust" with Meshell N'degeocello. There are also bold instrumental tracks, like "Moving Target," a woozy blend of downtempo club grooves and widescreen orchestral jazz. While there's certainly a classic soul-jazz vibe to much of Younger's work, her music is swaggering, boldly contemporary, and too conceptually forward-thinking to ever feel anything less than of the now. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi
Read Less
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.