Brandee Younger Trio at Jazz Alley

Brandee Younger Trio
Jazz Alley
Seattle, WA
June 6, 2023

The community of innovative and groundbreaking harpists is a small one. All of these visionaries have taken the large, but delicate instrument out of the context of European classical music, and ventured into a variety of genres, most notably, post-bop jazz. The entirety of the post- bop lineage can be traced back to Detroit harpist Dorothy Ashby, a fine singer and composer as well. The next in line influenced by her pioneering sound was pianist/organist Alice Coltrane, whose ideas seemed to spring from her keyboard awareness, into new shapes and forms shrouded in spirituality. In current times, that tradition is embodied in a whole sense by Brandee Younger. Younger's sound may be more well rounded in context than Ashby's or Coltrane's in that she bears the advantage of those two pioneers blazing a trail out of the constraints of classical harp. Her recent trio performance at Seattle's Jazz Alley presented her talents as a bandleader, performing in the classic jazz trio format, accompanied by bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Allan Medford. Over the course of the evening, she uncovered innovative original compositions, as well as classics from Ashby, and both Alice and John Coltrane.

One haunting factor for this performance was the realization that the instrument has a history that extends back through antiquity. While it made sense that the harp had piano like function in terms of the left hand, right hand relationship with harmony and melody, Younger's angelic, octave- spanning sweeps at times contained more hints of great vibraphonists like Gary Burton or modernists like Joel Ross, than drawing from the lineage of great jazz pianists. Her comping for Carter's well articulated solos was lithe and resonant, her melodic improvisation bearing the message that we were witnessing one of the true historic masters of an instrument that has barely come out of hiding in the world of modern jazz.

Younger's last pass through Seattle was as part of the pianoless quartet led by Alice and John Coltrane's son, Ravi Coltrane. She took to that role with great confidence, strength of spirit and sublime grace. Her opening number stayed within the Coltrane vibe, with a deeply inward interpretation of Ms. Coltrane's "Rama Rama." Her choice of partners for this tour came to light immediately, with Medford's intricate polyrhythms surrounding Younger's chant-like playing. Carter's playing on double bass was hardly conventional, adding to the collective mind of the trio as an equal, melodic partner.

Those same traits carried the trio next through Younger's "Love and Struggle," from her brilliant Dezron Douglas produced album, Somewhere Different (Impulse, 2021). While the harp is a quieter instrument than most lead voices in jazz, Younger played with a focused intensity befitting any keyboard or horn player. Her bandmates matched her groove while being keenly aware of the sound dynamics within this acoustic idiom. Just as importantly, the Jazz Alley audience was all in without distraction, allowing for the magic to happen. With iconic jazz trombonist and Seattle resident Julian Priester in the house for the show, I was reminded of something he once alluded to in conversation. He stated that, "Organized sound is a miracle." From blowing on a reed and making birdsongs to creating music with the unbridled capacity of trumpet or trombone, the audience on this evening witnessed a great musician seated with an instrument that spanned thousands of years, creating the miracle of sound in the context of jazz, a modern music born in Black culture and struggle in America. Her musical choices, whether in choosing music from the Coltrane or Ashby legacies, or in composing her original tunes, was accented notably in eastern spiritual thought from beginning to end. Within the tranquil sounds, her trademark intensity and focus bore a definitive impression.

Douglas' "Spirit You Will,'' had the same depth and spiritual conviction, with a funk groove gently pushing the melodic elements forward. Her rewrite of the Ashby gem, "You're a Girl For One Man Only," brought to light Younger's root influence, acting in concert with her modern jazz sensibilities. We were hearing Ashby's music performed with a distinct approach perhaps not heard since Ashby's passing in 1986. Furthermore, despite her close relationship with the Coltrane family legacy, and more specifically, with the music of Ms. Coltrane, her journey into that legacy on this evening bore the marks of an original style that has evolved over the course of her career. What she most shares with Ms. Coltrane despite very different musical upbringings, is using music and improvisation as vehicles of spiritual exploration.

The trio's end of set rendition of Mr. Coltrane's classic, "Wise One," ended the evening on a high note that sent the Tuesday evening crowd into the warm Seattle night with a true sense of calm and inner peace. It came with the realization of where music can take us if we only allow it to do so. It served as a reminder of what musicians can achieve collectively as one voice and certainly broadened the view of where modern jazz can reside instrumentally in the here and now.

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