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