Across cultures and ages, the harp has long been associated with peace and tranquility. Its light tones are painted as a ray of light shining down from the heavens. But there is so much more to the instrument. As George R.R. Martin provided in the literary antecedent to the show Game of Thrones, “a harp can be as dangerous as a sword, in the right hands.” As a result, it should come as no surprise there are artists like Zeena Parkins and Jacqueline Kerrod who explore the strings’ outer sonic edges. In reality, most music lies between the extremes of idealized grandeur and wild experimentalism. Alice Coltrane’s melding of Eastern spirituality and avant-garde sensibility straddled the two well, but she is hardly the only harpist to do so. Brandee Younger paves another path, particularly in her collection of original compositions on Gadabout Season (Impulse!, 2025).

Many have, and will, underscore the connections between Coltrane’s legacy and Younger’s continued growth as an artist. The younger harpist was inspired to pursue improvised music —a less common arena for their instrument of choice —upon hearing the elder’s “Blue Nile.” When the journeyer in Satchidananda passed away in 2007, Younger performed at her memorial service. And, in the years since, has worked closely with the legend’s family, including her son, Ravi Coltrane. Younger has also curated and performed at several tributes to Coltrane at venues as prominent as Carnegie Hall and SFJazz. With Gadabout Season – released on the Coltranes’ label of choice no less – she even records herself using Alice’s restored Lyon & Healy harp that was gifted to the latter by John around the time of his death.

Those connections to Alice are certainly evident on the opening track to Gadabout Season. The aptly titled “Reckoning” seems to reflect a moment of the leader coming to terms with her role in the marginalized line of improvised harp. The piece sounds like an outtake from an Alice Coltrane record with a slow-moving bassline, skittish percussion, and harp glissandos that practically beg for a Pharaoh Sanders tenor sax solo. The opener merely sets the stage for the following track, which attempts to craft an open slate. “End Means” with guest Shabaka on flute is an exercise in an atmospheric ambiance that reflects the rural vastness of the cabin in upstate New York, where much of the album’s pieces were written. The sparseness of notes on “End Means” also serves as a pivot point to move the core trio – with longtime collaborators drummer Allan Mednard and producer-bassist Rashaan Carter – towards the follow-up tracks that dig deeper into Younger’s interests in hip hop and R&B. And, by incorporating such additional elements, further opens the door to emotions beyond the stereotype of a peaceful harp, from the bouncing joyfulness of the title track to the burning anger of “Breaking Point.”

Ultimately, Gadabout Season is a compelling listen because it neither ignores the contributions of Younger’s predecessors nor finds the artist inescapably bound to them. In leading her own way, Younger produces a music truer to herself as an individual – unquestionably one of the most important harpists performing today – while fully bringing out the true meaning of playing Coltrane’s instrument. It’s not the soundbox or strings that give a harp its heart; it’s the soul of the person behind it. By refusing to be defined or limited to what many may assume of her, Younger honors the legacy of Alice Coltrane in a way deeper and more meaningful than covers of “Lord, Help Me to Be” or “Ohendaruth” ever could.

PostGenre: You were recently part of a special performance at Carnegie Hall to honor Alice Coltrane. How did it go?

Brandee Younger: It was really beautiful, even more than we were expecting it to be. Hearing the strings in that space is always great. Carnegie Hall is not really designed for a band, but it is fantastic for strings. But what made the performance particularly special was how it was a family affair. And I think it was well received too. 

PG: You played Alice’s harp in both the Carnegie Hall performance and on Gadabout Season. How did you get connected with the instrument?

BY: Well, I’ve been working with Ravi [Coltrane] since Alice died in 2007. And it’s funny because, all along, I’ve been like, “Hey, what about that harp?” [laughing]. Ravi knows I’m very silly. He would always say to me; “I have the piano. The harp is with my sister.” Ravi is here in Brooklyn but his sister, [Michelle Coltrane], lives in California. They’re also different people.  So, I have a different relationship with Michelle. 

I did get to play Alice’s harp for a big event for  Red Bull with Flying Lotus, and the [Sai Anantam] ashram singers. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson also made some string arrangements. It was a lot of fun. But playing Alice’s harp as part of it was mind-blowing to me. I told Michelle after the performance that I felt the harp really needed to be played. It was just sitting at home. It plays well, but any instrument when it’s not played sort of… 

PG: Atrophies.

BY: Yeah, like a body. 

After the Red Bull performance, we spent a long time discussing my playing it more. We talked for a while, so I didn’t think it was really gonna happen. But then Alice’s estate and the Coltrane home were planning a special “Year of Alice.” They are going to have a monumental John Coltrane year next year. But the “Year of Alice,” kind of turned into two years. And they told me that part of it was the restoration of her harp for me to play it. I said I wouldn’t believe it until I saw it. [laughing]. It wasn’t until Michelle was like, “Brandee, they’re trying to put the harp in a cardboard box. My mom’s harp did not come in a cardboard box.” [laughing]. Yes, we use a cardboard shipping crate these days to transport a harp. But, that’s when I realized it was actually happening. So, it got restored, and then it was shipped straight to Detroit for the Detroit Jazz Festival for its premiere in its new skin. 

PG: Obviously, the instrument has a great history but, from a logistical perspective, what is it like actually playing it? Is it similar to playing your own harp?

BY: Well, the big picture is that John bought this harp for Alice and never saw it when he did. It was made to order. He went to a shop, picked out the harp type, and then it was made. It took about a year for it to be made and John died before it was completed. He never saw the harp once it was done. So, she received it as a gift from her deceased husband. And since getting the harp, she went and fulfilled his wishes of completing a studio down in their basement and recording on it. She recorded super sacred music that came directly from her spiritual calling. So, playing it is a heavy weight and responsibility. The fact that they entrusted me with this harp is not something I take lightly.

But I became comfortable enough with it to record my new album on it. That was part of why I’m getting into playing her harp too. The Red Bull concert was one thing but playing my own music on it is quite another. Yes, it is a harp, but it feels different. Since Gadabout Season was the first time I used the harp to express my own voice, I had to sit with the instrument. I needed it to become an extension of me. 

PG: So, you had to spend a lot of time alone with the harp before you recorded your compositions on it?

BY: Well, I remember the day when the harp came because I was in class, teaching, and the guy delivering it called me to tell me they were already at my place, much earlier than expected. Allan [Mednard] and Rashaan [Carter] were already at my place because we were planning to record the album at home. Rashaan did all the engineering for the record and turned my second bedroom into a studio. But when the harp came, I rushed home and literally started recording on it as soon as it came off of the truck. 

However, recording the album was a very slow process. So slow that it drove Allen and me crazy at times. [laughing]. We both have one and done types of personalities. But this is the way Rashaan, as the producer, wanted to put the album together. That said, I had opportunity upon opportunity to record on it, but then we had gaps between sessions where we were on the road. When I was home, I was practicing on her harp every morning. That amount of practice is what makes it possible for your voice to come out of an instrument. To make it so it is not like I was borrowing a harp for a week and then executing something, I kept practicing and practicing on it. While practicing, I would occasionally look up on my record shelf and see my copy of A Monastic Trio (Impulse!, 1968) with the picture of Alice playing the same harp on the cover. It is incredibly cool to look up and see that image while I am playing the same instrument. 

PG: It is interesting too that Alice recorded A Monastic Trio at her home and you recorded your first record with her harp at your own home after turning a second bedroom in your apartment into a recording space. You also recorded all those sessions with Dezron [Douglas] at home, partly due to pandemic-related limitations. Is there something special about recording at home? 

BY: Yes. Gadabout Season is super personal to me. I remember at one point, my manager and Rashaan were plotting how to pull together music for the album. They asked me what I needed to write some new music and I felt like all that I really needed was to be left alone. That’s really what it comes down to for my level of comfort. So, I went upstate to a cottage my cousin has behind his house and worked on the music. 

Then [Allan and Rashaan] came and met me there and we worked out the music. Rashaan actually brought his rig and recorded what we came up with. But at some point, he mentioned we could just as easily record it all at my home. I’m much more productive when I’m in my comfort zone, which is at home with nobody there. No label people showing up. No agent. No extra producer. Nobody else there besides Allen and Rashaan. I’m also a homebody, so the idea of recording at home was the perfect situation for me because it just feels more natural.

With this record, I dug deeper with the compositions, both sonically and emotionally. It’s not about honoring anyone’s legacy. I was writing from the inside out. And being in my comfort zone and my element makes a huge difference in that. Especially since there are no lyrics in my music to make the narrative particularly clear. We’re trying to convey all of these feelings and emotions that everyone has, and I like the idea for the music to be relatable for everyone and create a source of connection without words. And that is a challenge. We’re dealing with a harp where everyone thinks the instrument is so beautiful and so serious. 

PG: Do those perceptions of the harp bother you much? People may be familiar with recordings under your own name or your hip-hop work but would likely be surprised at seeing an Anthony Braxton album [12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Firehouse 12, 2021)] in your discography. 

BY: [laughing] That was such a cool experience. The harp has an incredible range. It has a lot of depth beyond what I think most people expect to hear from the instrument. 

It’s funny you should mention my discography because I actually hadn’t looked at it until recently. Someone asked me about something in it that I forgot about and had to look up. Looking up my discography was a reality check that I am not twenty-two anymore. [laughing]. My first major session was Cassie’s first – well, her only – album [Cassie (NextSelection/Bad Boy/Atlantic, 2006)], and that was nearly twenty years ago. But I still find myself navigating new spaces for the instrument, and I think the harp belongs everywhere. 

PG: Do you find a huge difference in how you play based on whether it is more of a “jazz” context compared to a “hip hop” one?

BY: I did originally. But nowadays people are calling me because they know my music and my sound. I try to serve the music to the best of my ability, but the artists I am working with tell me that they want my sound. So I have to find ways to serve the music while remaining myself. 

PG: It must be difficult to balance the two. 

BY: It’s a nice challenge. It’s a nice challenge. 

PG: As far as your music, since Gadabout Season focuses on your own writing, what is your compositional process? Do you typically write while sitting at the harp?

BY: I do write while on the harp, which may be a bad thing, but I know when I write at the harp that what I am writing is something I can play. There are a lot of ideas in my ear. Some things I write, I can’t actually play on the harp and will need the bass to cover. I also always hear instruments that sustain, and the harp can’t sustain. Maybe I just ended up on the wrong instrument. I don’t know. But, often, I hear parts for a flute or horns in my head. Writing on the harp helps me ensure the parts I do have in mind for the harp can actually be played on it.

PG: Do you feel you hear the flute in part because that was your first instrument?

BY: Nope. I think that all the horn sounds initially came from me trying to hide. [laughing]. Then it turned into stuff I wanted to hear that doesn’t sound right on the harp, like a bunch of fast lines that sound very hokey on the harp but would work great on a saxophone. I think the style of music that I hear in my ear, just doesn’t always translate over to the harp. 

PG: For Gadabout Season, did you know all along that the record would be of original compositions? You were never tempted to do some of Alice’s compositions on her harp?

BY: No. The album was actually supposed to be done much earlier. When I started this record, I wasn’t counting on having her harp because things about my playing it were so up in the air. I did know that I wanted to do a record on her harp, but the timing just worked out the way it did. Actually, one of the songs – “Gadabout Season” – is on my own harp. I didn’t think things would line up to record on her harp. But once we realized that we were absolutely going to have the harp it worked out. But, even once I had her harp, it was never my intention to record her music on her harp. That would just be too obvious. It just seems way too gimmicky to me. I couldn’t handle it. 

PG: Once you did have Alice’s harp for the pieces, did you ever feel there was a conflict between the deeply serious spiritual nature of her work on the harp and the idea of a gadabout?

BY: I don’t remember the textbook definition of a gadabout. 

PG: It is “a carefree pleasure seeker who is always in motion, seeking out fun, no matter the circumstances.”

BY: That’s right. I found it when I received a word of the day email and forwarded it to Rashaan. I was like, “Hey, this is you, right?” and we just laughed about it. But then it popped up three months later as a word of the day again, and I thought it was funny.

Then we were out on the road. Touring is exhausting, full of early flights and long days. So, we always make it a point to find something beautiful wherever we go, whether a good meal, a walk, or a laugh. And we started referring to those moments as gadabout season. The phrase almost became a mantra of sorts for us that reminded us to choose joy even in the midst of hustle. And that, essentially, is what the album is about. It’s about choosing joy, even when it’s hard. I’m looking at a gadabout as someone who’s seeking out joy even during hard times because that became a metaphor for what I was doing personally, but also for us as a band and what we are doing on the road. It’s not about a specific event. It’s about what it means to process deep emotions and to come out on the other side. I wanted to tell a story through feelings. And, because of that, the music covers a full range of emotions that reflect both my real-life experiences and feelings that everyone has to deal with. It’s very real. And the only thing we can do to save ourselves is to literally find joy. 

PG: Of course, the idea of finding joy is not necessarily antithetical to the spiritual nature of the music Alice made on the harp. You grew up in the church, and “Surrender” references the church. Do you see music creation as a spiritual practice?

BY:  Oh, absolutely, of course.  “Surrender” is probably the most revealing piece on the album. I’ve collaborated a bunch with Courtney [Bryan, who plays on the track] and, funnily, regardless of whatever we do together, it always goes back to church. We both grew up in the Black church. “Surrender” is not from the church of our upbringing. It was inspired by a Benjamin Britten piece, “A Ceremony of Carols” that was written for the high voices of a little boys’ choir and harp. It is traditionally performed in a cathedral with a purity of sound. “Surrender” has a very dry sound, and that’s on purpose because it’s intended to represent a stripped-down moment where you’ve given everything spiritually and emotionally, and just release. 

We all hate the term “spiritual jazz,” but music is inherently spiritual. I don’t sit down at the harp and openly set out to have a spiritual experience. But everything I do musically, everything I write, and everything play, is inherently spiritual. It is such even if I tried for it not to be. Even the title track is spiritual, even as we’re having fun. 

Ultimately, the music always comes from a bigger place than just me. I mean, who am I? We’re all just people. I don’t have so much of an ego to think I’m more special than anyone else and that whatever I do is something amazing that I alone made. The incredible musicians I work with already show the flaws in that self-focused line of thought. No, no, no. I didn’t wake up one day asking for a harp. It was bestowed upon me from something much bigger than me.  I guess if I had it my way, maybe I’d be playing a saxophone or flute now, instead of a huge eighty-five-pound instrument that is difficult to move around. But I have learned to trust fate. I’ve learned to trust that things will be as they’re supposed to be. 

‘Gadabout Season’ is out now on Impulse! Records. It can be purchased on Bandcamp. More information about Brandee Younger is available on her website.

Photo credit: Patrice O’Brien