Brandee Younger Announces May Tour Dates
In New York, Ohio, & Georgia
“No harpist thus far has been more capable of combining all of the modern harp traditions—from Salzedo, through Dorothy Ashby, through Alice Coltrane—with such strength, grace and commitment.”
-Ravi Coltrane (The New York Times)
Genre-defying jazz harpist, Brandee Younger proudly announces her multi-city series of concerts throughout the month of May, 2017. During this string of performances, Brandee will be collaborating with a melting pot of esteemed musicians including, Courtney Bryan, Dezron Douglas, Kassa Overall & Ravi Coltrane.
To kick off this succession of performances, The Miller Theatre located at Columbia University (2960 Broadway, New York) will present The Bremen Town Band, featuring Brandee Younger, on Saturday May 6th at 2pm & 5pm. The Bremen Town Band will take to the stage to perform an original score, composed by Courtney Bryan for the classic Grimm fairytale, “The Bremen Town Musicians”. Younger will perform this pristine musical as part of a quartet of respected musicians, including saxophonist Tyrone Birkett, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Kassa Overall, and through this performance, is set to bring this magical fable to life. This performance will serve as a showcase for the successful and now, regular collaborations that have blossomed between Younger and Bryan. Back in February of this year, both ladies performed in honor of the annual Black Women in Jazz Performance of IRADAC at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
On Wednesday May 10th, Courtney Bryan will join Younger yet again for a performance at The Cleveland Museum of Art at 7:30pm. These two ladies who, through both their individual careers and collaborations with each other, have undoubtedly made a definitive imprint on today’s jazz scene, will perform as part of a quartet, featuring bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Kassa Overall. Similar to their February performance, this evening’s program at the Cleveland Museum of Art will revolve around the music of Alice Coltrane, as well as Brandee Younger’s original compositions. Courtney explains that Alice Coltrane is a major influence on both her and Brandee, and this concert is a chance to pay homage to Coltrane’s music and legacy.
Brandee will then continue these performances by making her way down to Georgia for a very special rooftop concert, at a private location in Downtown Atlanta as part of The Atlanta Lovers of Music Association (ALOMA), on Sunday May 14th at 5:00pm. This performance, during which Brandee will be joined by Dezron Douglas on bass, will be part of the ALOMA home concerts series, at which guests will arrive at 5:00pm and will enjoy a unique musical experience while also having the opportunity to socialize with new friends during the intermission between sets. This home concert series will be a perfect environment for Brandee to enjoy an attentive audience and for the audience to enjoy a true and intimate listening experience. Concerts in the home are a great opportunity for musicians to play the music they love and for all music lovers to enjoy an atmosphere conducive to listening.
Finally, in this decennial year of Alice Coltrane’s passing, Brandee will bring this tour to a close on Sunday May 21st at The Redbull Music Academy Festival, at 6:00pm. This event, which will see Younger join a stellar line-up led by son of Coltrane, Ravi, will give Younger yet another opportunity to honour her beloved icon’s legacy. In what would have been her 80th year, this festival will celebrate Coltrane’s music and spirit at the stunning arts and performance space, Knockdown Center located at 52-19 Flushing Ave, Maspeth, New York.
A classically trained harpist, New York native Brandee Younger is a graduate of the prestigious Hartt School of Music as well as New York University’s Steinhardt School. Over the past decade, Younger has shared the stage with a host of jazz luminaries including Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Pharoah Sanders and particularly Ravi Coltrane, whom she began working with in 2007 to honor his late mother Alice Coltrane. Her debut EP “Prelude” was released in June 2011 to critical acclaim. As a classical musician, Younger has been featured as a soloist with The Harlem Chamber Players and has performed with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Waterbury Symphony, Soulful Symphony, Ensemble Du Monde, Camerata New York and the Red Bull Artsehcro, a “non-conformist” orchestra. In hip hop and R&B, Younger has worked with Common, Drake, John Legend and most recently, Lauryn Hill, to name a few. Younger has released three other recordings as a leader including the EP “Prelude”, released in 2011,“Live At The Breeding Ground”, released in 2014, and “Wax & Wane” from 2016.
These dates will precede two very special debut performances at Blue Note, Tokyo, as part of the EXP Series #11. On Wednesday June 28th and Thursday June 29th, Brandee will be joined by Anne Drummond on flute, Ravi Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Mark Whitfield on guitar, Rashaan Carter on bass and Adam Jackson on drums. On both nights, this all-star lineup will take to the stage for their first sets at 6:30pm (doors: 5:30pm) and for their second sets at 9:00pm (doors: 8:20pm).
Brandee Younger May Dates:
| Saturday, May 6th | New York, NY | The Miller Theatre @ Columbia University | 2pm & 5pm | Tickets |
| Wednesday, May 10th | Cleveland, OH | The Cleveland Museum of Art | 7:30pm | Tickets |
| Sunday, May 14th | Atlanta, GA | The Atlanta Lovers of Music Association (Private location in Downtown Atlanta) | 5:00pm | Tickets & more info on location |
| Sunday, May 21st | Queens, NY | The Redbull Music Academy Festival: Knockdown Center | 6:00pm | Tickets |
More information can be found at www.brandeeyounger.com