| Brandee Younger 4tet |
| Live at the Breeding Ground |
Brandee Younger 4tet — Live at the Breeding Ground
°•° Zatímco seznam aktuálně působících významných hudebních osobností na téměř jakýkoli daný nástroj by mohl vyplnit stránky od jedné kapitoly až do knihy nebo dvou, vyčerpaná komunita aktivních jazzových harfistů může vyplnit tak nanejvýše velmi malou část letáku.
°•° “Younger taps into the spiritual well that fueled the art of both Ashby and Coltrane, yet she remains ever–cognizant of the time in which she lives and plays.” — All About Jazz
°•° “...this tyro is simply a force of nature hitting it right into that soul/free jazz sweet spot.” — Midwest Record 
Location: New York City
Album release: July 21, 2014
Record Label: Brandee Younger
Duration: 56:04
Tracks:
01 Soul Vibration 4:33
02 Wax And Wane 3:59
03 Essence Of Ruby 4:56
04 Hortense 6:27
05 Respected Destroyer 4:45
06 Games 5:45
07 Blue Nile 13:10
08 He Has A Name (Awareness) 7:29
09 Effi 5:56
© Copyright — Brandee Younger / Brandee Younger (888295117739)
Personnel:
°•° Brandee Younger: harp
°•° Dezron Douglas: bass
°•° E.J.Strickland: drums
°•° Chelsea Baratz: tenor saxophone
°•° Stacy Dillard: soprano saxophone
REVIEW
By DAN BILAWSKY, Published: July 16, 2014 | SCORE: ****
°•° While a list of currently operating notables on nearly any given instrument could fill anywhere from a chapter to a book or two, a rundown of head–turning active jazz harpists might only fill out a very small portion of a leaflet. The most important among them — Latin jazz trailblazer Edmar Castaneda, refined role model Carol Robbins, and wide–ranging experimentalist Zeena Parkins, to name just a few — all manage to say something unique with the instrument, pushing it into places where it wasn’t always welcome or expected before. Brandee Younger, who manages to do the same here with a post–Alice Coltrane/ Dorothy Ashby brand of soulful and mystical jazz that’s coated with a twenty–first century urban glaze, has earned her place on that short list.
°•° On Live at The Breeding Ground, Younger taps into the spiritual well that fueled the art of both Ashby and Coltrane, yet she remains ever–cognizant of the time in which she lives and plays. Younger goes in a heavy and funky direction with some help from E.J. Strickland’s hard–hitting drum work and Dezron Douglas’ bubbly bass (“Soul Vibrations”), builds easy–to–absorb melodies atop slick foundational grooves (“Essence Of Ruby”), sparkles aside soprano saxophonist Stacy Dillard (“Hortense”), and creates music that’s simultaneously powerful, sophisticated, hypnotic, and sly (Stanley Cowell’s “EFFI”).
°•° Younger’s most direct allusions to the aforementioned female harp pioneers–Coltrane’s “Blue Nile”; Ashby’s “Wax And Wane” and “Games” — serve as fitting tributes. “Blue Nile” veers close to Coltrane’s version, speaking directly of the weighty blues spirit that exists within her legendary husband’s music. The Ashby tunes offer more surprises. The free–your–mind aesthetic of the original “Wax and Wane” is washed away by a flow of energy, transforming the very nature of the piece, and the pseudo Afro–Brazilian vibe of Ashby’s version of “Games” is replaced by a measured, searching sound that gives way to a more outwardly soulful statement.
°•° While Younger, as mentioned, isn’t alone in elevating and broadening her instrument’s place in jazz, this album certainly indicates that she’s carved out her own niche and done her part. She’s as hip as harpists come. :: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/
Abbreviated bio
°•° A versatile artist who has been proven to defy genres and labels, this young harpist has created a unique niche in both traditional and non–traditional harp arenas. °•° In addition to expressively interpreting traditional harp repertoire, this young harpist plays in a style reminiscent of Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, yet has developed a beautiful and fresh sound all her own. Ms Younger is most recognized for working with Jazz royalty as well as Grammy winning Hip–Hop producers and artists. Her ability to feature the harp in genres of music where the instrument is often absent is a testament of her love for the instrument, and her cross–reaching ability as a musician.
°•° A New York native, Brandee Younger is classically trained, yet has made her mark as a groundbreaking artist having worked with jazz royalty Ravi Coltrane, Jack Dejohnette, Reggie Workman, Charlie Haden, Bill Lee and Butch Morris amongst others. In popular music, she has worked with Hip–Hop & R&B producers and artists such asCommon, Ryan Leslie, John Legend, Drake and Ski Beatz. Most recently, she was featured on the Grammy Award nominated album “New York: A Love Story” by R&B newcomer, Mack Wilds.
°•° Ms. Younger earned her bachelor’s degree in Harp Performance and Music Management from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford and earned her Master’s degree in Harp Performance and Composition at New York University. °•° She is the leader of the Brandee Younger Jazz Harp Quartet and Afro Harping: A Tribute to Dorothy Ashby, in honor of the great, late jazz harp pioneer. When not touring with her groups, she teaches educational workshops and also teaches harp lessons at the Greenwich House Music School in the West Village and has a private teaching studio on Long Island.
Full Bio
°•° A versatile artist who has been proven to defy genres and labels, this young harpist has created a unique niche in both traditional and non–traditional harp arenas. °•° In addition to expressively interpreting traditional harp repertoire, Ms Younger is most recognized for working with Jazz royalty as well as Grammy winning Hip–Hop producers and artists. Her ability to feature the harp in genres of music where the instrument is often absent is a testament of her love for the instrument, and her cross–reaching ability as a musician.
°•° A classically trained harpist, Ms. Younger received her undergraduate degrees in Harp Performance and Music Business at the Hartt School of Music in West Hartford Connecticut, where she was also mentored by the faculty of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz and African American Studies. Her studies at Hartt, coupled by the mentorship of the jazz department would serve as the foundation for her career as an innovative harpist. “My time at Hartt was critical to my growth in becoming the musician I am today. While there, I always wanted to do things differently and constant encouragement from Nat Reeves, Steve Davis and Jackie McLean gave me the confidence to move forward without acknowledging boundaries. They never once said ‘no’ to me, ever.” Upon graduating from Hartt, bassist Nat Reeves introduced her to saxophonist Kenny Garrett, with whom she would learn some valuable lessons in ensemble playing and improvisation. By the time she entered New York University six months later for graduate school, Ms. Younger had built quite a resume having opened for Slide Hampton as a member of the Hartford based collective “The New Jazz Workshop”, developed a working relationship with producer and artist Ryan Leslie and grammy winning producer Omen, and joined the harp faculty at the Hartt School Community Division.
°•° She began working with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane in a series of concerts honoring the music of the late pianist, organist and harpist, Alice Coltrane. The study of Coltrane’s music, along with work of harpist Dorothy Ashby, would help Ms. Younger to begin to create her own sound and style as a harpist and musician. After several years of playing as a sideman in various ensembles, Ms. Younger released her debut EP, “Prelude” which was originally intended for use as a demo. In June 2011, the EP was recorded in an analog studio with bassist Dezron Douglas, drummer E.J. Strickland and vocalist Niia; After Prelude’s official release it was received with much acclaim on the indie music scene. Mercedes Benz featured the well received original track ‘So Alive’ in their compilation “Mercedes Benz Mixed Tape” and said: “highly reminiscent of legendary jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby…a compelling soul jazz composition, in which all instruments are melded to a haunting universe centered around Niia’s celestial voice. Beguiling musical subtlety in these times of loudness.”
°•° As a classical musician, Ms. Younger has been a featured soloist with The Harlem Chamber Players and was a selected artist for the Impulse Artist Series, a solo music series led by Houston pianist and innovator, Jade Simmons. Ms. Younger has also performed with an array of ensembles including the Eastern Connecticut Symphony, Waterbury Symphony, Soulful Symphony, Ensemble Du Monde, Camerata New York and the Red Bull Artsehcro, a “non–conformist” orchestra.
°•° She has worked & recorded with a number of jazz luminaries including Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane, Wycliffe Gordon, Charlie Haden, Reggie Workman, Kenny Garrett, Rashied Ali, Butch Morris, and Bill Lee, as well as a host of New York City’s top, young jazz musicians.
°•° In hip–hop, she has worked with several artists and producers, including Common, Ryan Leslie, Cassie, Talib Kweli and Drake. She effortlessly performs in many diverse genres, due to her proficiency as an artist and all around musician, not just as an instrumentalist.
°•° A native of Long Island, New York, Ms. Younger grew up in Hempstead and Uniondale where she began her harp studies as a teen. She earned her Bachelor of Music at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford her Master of Arts from New York University. Her formal instructors on the University level include harpists Rebecca Flannery, Susan Jolles, Emily Mitchell, and bassist, Nat Reeves.
°•° Currently, she resides in New York where she maintains a rigorous performing and teaching schedule. In addition to performing, Ms. Younger has a private teaching studio in New York and is on the harp faculty of the Hartt School Community Division at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, CT; Adelphi University in Garden City, NY and The Greenwich House Music School in New York, NY. She is Vice President of the Long Island Chapter of the American Harp Society.
°•° ~ Making harp a more relevant force in today’s music ~
Website: http://brandeeyounger.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harpista
Press:
Bandcamp: http://brandee.bandcamp.com/album/prelude
Also:
Woodrow Wilkins
:: http://www.smooth-jazz.de/Woodrow/Younger/LiveattheBreedingGround.htm
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| Brandee Younger 4tet |
| Live at the Breeding Ground |