Label: Impulse!, 2025
Personnel - Brandee Younger: harp; Rashaan Carter: bass; Allan Mednard: drums; Shabaka: flute (#2), clarinet (#3); Joel Ross: vibraphone (#3); Makaya McCraven: percussion (#3); Niia (#9); Courtney Bryan: piano (#7); Josh Johnson: saxophone (#10).
Grammy-nominated harpist and composer Brandee Younger is a spiritual colorist who favors a heavenly smooth texture over any form of wild improvisation. Deeply influenced by jazz harp pioneers Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby, Younger also weaves elements of R&B and hip-hop into her music, making Gadabout Season her most personal work to date. Presented in a trio format with select guest appearances, the album notably features Younger playing the harp that once belonged to Alice Coltrane.
“Reckoning”, where a sweeping, hallowed harp resonates with power; “End Means”, featuring Shabaka’s glowing flute over a 10-beat cycle groove anchored by bassist/producer Rashaan Carter and drummer Allan Mednard; and “Discernment”, where an atmospheric psychedelia of sorts gains further dimension through saxophonist Josh Johnson’s well-placed multiphonics—all emerged from sketching and improvising at the close of home sessions.
“Breaking Point” thrives on a gripping bass groove around which the entire piece revolves. It leans into a funkier aesthetic, enhanced by jazzy undertones and some atypically adventurous plucks from the bandleader. The title cut, “Gadabout Season” (a gadabout being a carefree pleasure-seeker constantly in motion), is intended to embody joy, guesting vibraphonist Joel Ross, percussionist Makaya McCraven, and Shabaka on clarinet. Despite its compelling lineup, peculiar pacing, and staccato patterns, the piece didn’t resonate with me as much as “New Pinnacle” or “Surrender”. The former is an R&B-inflected ballad shaped by dulcet melodies and woozy bass wobbles, creating a velvety texture, while the latter—written for pianist Courtney Bryan, who soulfully discourses here—is imbued with divine consciousness and plenty of light.
If “BBL” adopts a funky groove within its modal R&B framework, then “Unswept Corners” leans fully into soul, tempered by Niia’s ethereal vocals. The spacious, spiritual vibe is a constant throughout, giving Younger’s music a peaceful, uplifting, and luminous aura.
Favorite Tracks:
06 - New Pinnacle ► 07 - Surrender ► 09 - Unswept Corners