Jazz and Social Justice Vol. 23: Brandee Younger—Monument Eternal: The Light and Legacy of Alice Coltrane
Harpist Brandee Younger will lead the Alice Coltrane Ensemble from the New School, performing music composed by Alice Coltrane. Following the music, she and the series curator, journalist LarryBlumenfeld, will be joined by panelists to discuss Alice’s influence and message, as well as current initiatives of The John & Alice Coltrane Home and the “Year of Alice.”
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
A leading voice of the harp, Brandee Younger recently made history at the 2022 Grammy Awards as the first Black female solo artist nominated in the Best Instrumental Composition category for her song “Beautiful Is Black.” The mesmerizing track is from her 2021 critically well-received major label debut album, Somewhere Different, that also received a 2022 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental. Over her career Ms. Younger has performed and recorded across countless genres with artists including John Legend, The Roots, Lauryn Hill, Common, Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, Ron Carter, and Charlie Haden. Additionally her original composition “Hortense” was featured in the Netflix Concert-Documentary, Beyoncé: Homecoming and in 2019 the tireless musician was selected to perform her original music as a featured performer for Quincy Jones and Steve McQueens’ “Soundtrack of America.”
Ms. Younger’s ability to seamlessly inject the harp into arrangements and venues where it has historically been overlooked is a testament to her deep love for and exemplary command of the instrument. In addition to performing, she is on the teaching artist faculty at New York University and The New School College of Performing Arts in New York City.
