Brandee Younger Has Alice Coltrane’s Harp
Brandee Younger has recently noticed a shift in her audience. Once accustomed to seeing middle-aged jazz fans—what she jokingly calls the “Portland, 40s man” demographic—she’s now greeted by enthusiastic young women at her shows. It’s a welcome change for the harpist and composer, who grew up as “this little Black girl playing harp” with few role models in either classical or contemporary music.
“I want to nurture these 20-year-old girls,” she said, reflecting on how she wished for that kind of support at their age. Her newest album, Gadabout Season, feels like an extension of that nurturing spirit. It’s her third release with Impulse! Records and her most fully realized sonic blend yet—one that affirms the harp’s versatility across jazz, soul, and experimental sounds.
The album, recorded in her Harlem apartment with longtime collaborators Dezron Douglas and Allan Mednard, centers on joy in difficult times. Though she’s vague about the personal struggles that inspired it, Younger describes the record as “a story with no words,” emphasizing the process of emotional healing.
The whimsical title came from an email Younger received while on tour—a word-of-the-day featuring “gadabout,” meaning someone who flits about in search of fun. She sent it to Douglas, who agreed it matched their tour vibe. Soon, “Gadabout Season” became their inside joke for seeking joy through simple pleasures, like bookstores and good meals.
But the title also nods to a deeper legacy: the music and resilience of Alice Coltrane, one of Younger’s most profound influences. Coltrane’s own search for joy after the death of her husband, jazz legend John Coltrane, became a spiritual and artistic mission that resonates with Younger’s current journey.
In her East Harlem apartment—bright, filled with plants, and decorated with portraits of Coltrane, harpist Dorothy Ashby, and herself—Younger lives among her inspirations. One prized possession is Alice Coltrane’s harp, a Lyon & Healy style 11 once ordered by John but delivered posthumously. Younger has played it in tributes, including at Carnegie Hall, and used it on Gadabout Season, marking the harp’s first non-Coltrane appearance on record.
Michelle Coltrane, Alice’s daughter, sees the connection as divine. “Alice would say there are no coincidences,” she noted. Younger has been close to the Coltrane family since performing at Alice’s 2007 memorial. Her bond with the harp—and the family’s legacy—feels destined.
Younger’s first spark came when her father played a compilation CD featuring Alice Coltrane’s “Blue Nile.” Hearing the harp swing alongside a rhythm section gave her permission to think beyond genre. Ashby’s work with Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder added to her realization that the harp had untapped power in Black music.
This broad aesthetic vision defines Gadabout Season. Tracks like “Reckoning” invoke Coltrane’s meditative vibe, while others—like the sharp-edged “Breaking Point”—reject clichés about the harp being merely “ethereal.” Younger wants listeners to see the instrument’s full emotional range.
While past projects have leaned into explicit tribute—such as her 2023 Ashby covers—this album focuses on her own voice. Douglas described the shift as moving from “literal tribute to conceptual tribute.” Practicing daily on Coltrane’s harp helped her forge a personal connection to the instrument and its legacy.
Looking back on elitist attitudes she faced in classical spaces—where non-classical music was dismissed—Younger now plays what feels right. Her goal isn’t about ego or genre purity. It’s about connecting with audiences old and new. “I just want you to enjoy it,” she said with a smile.
