Experimental harpist Brandee Younger will kick off Ars Nova’s 2018 season at Johnny Brenda’s

Opening for local experimental jazz / rock band Desertion Trio (on their album release party night, nonetheless), New York’s Brandee Younger is certain to deliver a cordial opening set to kick off the celebration this February. Having performed with modern legends ranging from Lauryn Hill to Common, The Roots to Ravi Coltrane, and more recently appearing on NPR’s Tiny Desk series with Moses Sumney, it is clear that Younger has established herself as one of the best harpists in the modern Jazz and R&B scenes – but this wasn’t always her scene.

Younger was brought up as a classical harpist, but transitioned to the jazz realm after matriculating on a performance degree scholarship in college. It was here, at the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, that Younger discovered avant-garde jazz harpist legends Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. From there, Younger dove into the genre headfirst, exploring each facet of these experimentalist jazz harpists’ eccentricities and adopting some as her own along the way. Currently, Younger continues on her quest to ”make the harp a more relevant force in today’s music.”

Get a taste for what to expect from her opening set below, thanks to NPR. For tickets and more information on the show, visit XPN’s Concert Calendar – but be sure to show up early as Brandee Younger takes the stage at 8:30 PM.