Harpist Brandee Younger will release Gadabout Season, her third album for the Impulse! label, on June 13. The album is available for pre-order now.
According to a press release, the album’s concept and title arose from a word-of-the-day email referencing “the gadabout—a carefree pleasure-seeker who is always in motion, seeking out fun no matter the circumstances.” Younger felt this definition fit her lifestyle as a musician on tour with her group, “always chasing and finding joy both onstage and off—through music, art, food, and new experiences.” Younger says that through personal challenges over the past year, the gadabout concept reminded her that pursuing joy is important in any circumstance.
While Younger is known for her interpretations of music by harpists Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby, she says composing or co-writing the works on this album was a new artistic experience. “I’m used to doing one and done in the studio,” Younger says. “This recording process was slow and intentional, allowing the sound of the album to reveal itself over time and mirroring a journey of discovery… The album reflects the journey—the search for meaning and beauty amid life’s most complex moments, ultimately emerging with a deeper sense of self.” Recorded on Coltrane’s harp, Gadabout Season features collaborations from clarinetist and flutist Shabaka, pianist-composer Courtney Bryan, singer-songwriter and pianist NIIA, and saxophonist Josh Johnson.
Younger’s first album for Impulse! Records was Somewhere Different, which earned a Grammy nomination in the Best Instrumental Composition category for the track “Beautiful Is Black.” Her second Impulse! album, Brand New Life, featured rediscovered compositions by Ashby and won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album. In addition to her performance schedule, Younger teaches on the faculties of New York University and the New School.
Check out our cover interview with Younger in the January-February 2021 issue of Harp Column. Listen to the title track of Gadabout Season below.
