Overview
“A maximal sound that brings crowds to their feet” (The Guardian)
With her new quartet, Japanese pianist and composer Hiromi taps into her funky side, exploring the avant-garde worlds of video-game soundtracks and pioneering jazz-fusion albums like Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters. It is “a showcase of Hiromi’s virtuosic dexterity across two keyboards and a grand piano — it’s a celebration of pure musical joy” (NPR). Harpist Brandee Younger and her trio open the program, paying homage to jazz harp pioneers Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane.
Three reasons why you should get your tickets today
- Edge-of-Your-Seat Energy: Hiromi “moves seamlessly between the three instruments, sometimes standing, sometimes sitting, sometimes dancing — always breathtaking” (NPR). She is a joyful guide on the exciting adventure that is her music.
- The Next Generation of Jazz: Hiromi’s sound has evolved with every release, erasing the lines between jazz and classical, composition and improvisation, and now her heaviest, funkiest musicyet. Brandee Younger’s music is imbued with a sense of purpose and respect of legacy, creating a larger platform for the harp to reach a wider audience than ever before.
- Hear One of Today’s Most Innovative Harpists: Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition and the winner of the 2024 NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Jazz Album, Brandee Younger’s “radiant playing is as cogent on hip-hop and R&B albums as it is set against classical and jazz backdrop” (The New Yorker).
