Brandee Younger
GRAMMY-nominated harpist Brandee Younger makes her return this summer with her third album
Gadabout Season, set for release on June 13 via Impulse! Records.
Described as Younger’s most personal and exploratory project yet, the album features original compositions by Younger and was recorded entirely in her Harlem apartment where she turned her second bedroom into a recording studio. Inspiration for the album started on the road while on tour with a word-of-the-day prompt email that included the word
gadabout, referring to “a carefree pleasure-seeker who is always in motion, seeking out fun no matter the circumstances.”
Produced by bassist and frequent collaborator Rashaan Carter, the album features guest appearances from British jazz musician Shabaka, composer Courtney Bryan, singer-pianist Niia and saxophonist Josh Johnson. The album is the follow-up to 2023’s
Brand New Life, which won Outstanding Jazz Album at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards.
“When it came time to write a piece to represent happiness, ‘Gadabout Season’ felt like the perfect title,” says Younger in a statement. “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.” What makes
Gadabout Season
even more special is the fact that Younger recorded the album playing Alice Coltrane’s restored harp, which she became the custodian for last year. “It had to become my own,” she says. “This was not my first time playing the harp, but as this new music was unique to me, I had to become one with it at home.”
