The article explains how the majority of jazz harpists play, and then makes it clear that I’m not trying to copy that known style. Reading it made me think back to a transitional point in my playing: somewhere between the end of college and the beginning of graduate school. I remember sitting in a room, working on a couple of new compositions with the saxophonist Kenny Garrett, my teacher and mentor Nat Reeves on bass and a few other musicians. One piece was Tsunami Song, where toward the end, Garrett wanted the sound of the harp to represent water. This was achieved by glissandi. The entire piece was through composed, followed by a few choruses of improvisation where the harp freely glissed in the right hand while playing a rhythmic pattern in the left.  The other piece was not through composed and more rhythmic in nature.  This was possibly the first opportunity I had to freely think about making use of the harp, in different contexts.

After leaving school with a classical degree, and applying to graduate school for another classical degree, in the spaces between, I found myself dipping my hands into any kind of work that sparked my interest. This included top 40 recording sessions, small jazz ensembles, big band, singer songwriter settings — you name it — and I always remember asking “what would you like me to play here? How would you like me to play?  Would you like something rhythmic? Arpeggios? Flat or rolled chords?” I couldn’t help that! When you’re used to reading note for note with specific direction, that kind of freedom can be scary.

Soon, I found myself working with Ravi Coltrane and I think this is where my style began to take form. There were three main elements that he asked to have: his mother’s signature sound, traditional classical style and Dorothy Ashby’s style.

His mother, Alice Coltrane, was already a heavy influence on me. I listened to her music but had never played it before this point. My favorite piece of hers was Blue Nile. On Blue Nile, it is clear that the harp represents water, as in Tsunami Song mentioned above. On harp, she favored glissandi and that pentatonic sound was her definitive sound. To this day, there’s something about Journey in Satchidananda that takes listeners to another level of consciousness. Her approach was spiritual and this is the impact it had on listeners.

In an interview, John Coltrane was asked who his main influences were at the time and his reply was: Ornette Coleman, Ravi Shankar and Carlos Salzedo. It is no secret that Coltrane was a fan of the harp and it is even evident in his playing that he studied harp music. He favored the Classical compositions and arrangements of the French harp pioneer, Carlos Salzedo.

Dorothy Ashby, also from Detroit like Alice Coltrane, was the premiere jazz, popular and session harpist, composer and activist. With more than 10 albums as a leader, Ashby played incredible bebop on the harp and worked with some of the best musicians of her time. With her first couple of solo albums being straight ahead, she also did some big band recordings, funk/groove recordings and became the premiere session harpist on all of our favorite albums from the 70’s.

It only made sense that Ravi would favor the stylistic approach of these artists, which was very much alive in his consciousness for his entire life: Alice Coltrane(spiritual), Dorothy Ashby (jazz & groove, and whom Alice Coltrane admired) and Carlos Salzedo(traditional classical).

The article in the Washington City Paper states: Most…jazz harpists who’ve tackled the tradition work mainly in short, jabby chords, with clipped melodic phrases over top—as close to guitar technique as possible…These rules are important to know because Brandee Younger does not follow them. Is this true? Sometimes, yes. It also says: Younger prefers the … lingering tones that are more common for the orchestral harp.

I’ve always said that if you want the sound of a guitar, hire a guitarist and if you want the sound of a piano, hire a pianist. I play the harp. While there are plenty of times that I sound like a guitar or piano — mainly on gigs that aren’t my own compositions, or on very fast tunes — for the most part, I prefer the instrument to sound like what it is. I’ll be a work in progress for forever, and I’ve spent the past six or seven years connecting my classical background with the spiritual sound and rhythmic groove that is evolving into something very distinct: My own sound.

Brandee Younger

You wouldn’t think there’d be a “typical” way of playing the harp, of all things, in jazz music. But most of the half-dozen or so jazz harpists who’ve tackled the tradition work mainly in short, jabby chords, with clipped melodic phrases over top—as close to guitar technique as possible. These rules are important to know because Brandee Younger does not follow them. A classical harpist until college, Younger prefers the luxuriant glisses and lingering tones that are more common for the orchestral harp. That’s especially remarkable considering how much of her career has been spent freelancing as a studio harpist for hip-hop records (her credits include Common and Drake), where the rhythmic approach would be an even more obvious choice. Younger, then, is that much bolder; she not only plays an instrument with few jazz predecessors, she’s also determined to distinguish herself from them.

Brandee Younger performs May 31 to June 1 at Bohemian Caverns. $18.

Visit The Washington City Paper

Check out this video of the quartet from the Zinc Bar this winter!

Free at Le Poisson Rouge.  Doors @7pm.

]]> http://brandeeyounger.com/2013/04/bk-nation-live-music-culture-sessions/feed/ 0 http://brandeeyounger.com/2013/03/brandee-on-new-john-legend-f-rick-ross/ http://brandeeyounger.com/2013/03/brandee-on-new-john-legend-f-rick-ross/#comments Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:55:29 +0000 Brandee http://brandeeyounger.com/?p=2345 I’m happy to hear all of the harp on John Legend’s new single, featuring Rick Ross.  I recorded a couple of tracks for this album last year, and then a few months ago, I got a call to come in that day to work on one more track — and I’m excited that it’s the first single off the upcoming album “Love in the Future” to be released on June 25. This is going to be a great album!

“Who Do We Think We Are”

I went along with tv producer, Blair Younger aka my sister and author, Jay Fingers (who has a brand new book coming out next month!) and also ran into some friends from around the way.  A good retreat from the daily grind. And now…back to practice!

Mimosa Time with Blair

Blair & Jay. Yep, the sunglasses were necessary!

Just arriving…battling the sun!  

Next concert:

March 19 at the Zinc Bar

Full Calendar

Life: Last Night at Fat Cat Jazz Lounge
Posted on November 16, 2012

Last night, I went to see my friend, harpist Brandee Younger, and her band perform at Fat Cat Jazz Club, a dive bar/game lounge/jazz club. Quite the hybrid, no?

Fat Cat, located in Greenwich Village, is a little cool spot. After descending a rather steep set of stairs, you find yourself in a somewhat dark, cavernous den of standards and scorecards. People crowd around the small bar, clamoring for the attention of bartenders with devil-may-care attitudes. Hardcore gamers huddle over backgammon or Monopoly boards. Sharks menacingly circle the sea of pool tables. And, of course, there’s foosball.

But off to the side, there’s an enclave that plays host to jazz performances. Don’t think only under-the-radar musicians play here. Plenty legends have rolled through; in fact, I saw composer Bill Lee, father of filmmaker Spike Lee, once.

Last night, however, was all about the Brandee Younger Quintet, which consisted of saxophonists Stacy Dillard and Chelsea Baratz, drummer Chris Beck, and bassist Jonathan Michel. They played a variety of tunes, ranging from original pieces (like the Trayvon Martin tribute “Awareness (He Has A Name)”) to Dorothy Ashby covers (“Afro Harping“).

Each of the musicians had a chance to shine, and the two-and-a-half hour set was one of the best times I’d had in recent memory.

Of course, I had a few PBRs to drink and my trusty LOMO LC-A+ by my side to assist in documenting the night! Once I get those photos developed and scanned, I’ll certainly post them.

The coolest part of the night, however, belongs to my man Robert Kendall, who was painting the musicians during their performance. He’s been doing this for some time now, but when I discovered him last night, I was left awestruck.

Of course I had to get a piece for myself! Robert hooked me with a custom painting, which you can see below.

All in all, I had an amazing time at Fat Cat. Whether you’re a tourist a native New Yorker, I encourage you to head on down to Christopher Street in the Village at least once and immerse yourself in the place’s vibe. Take in the sounds, the sights, the music, the experience.

Cheers!