you're a girl for one man only

That song was written by harpist Dorothy Ashby for a play she and her husband authored and staged in 1967.

Dorothy was 35 years old then.

Today, I listened raptly as Brandee Younger played the song on Harold, a borrowed harp, at the Metal Building at Trustees Garden.

Brandee was born in 1983, like my first niece, and will be 41 in July.

I liked her sense of style and femininity, as marked by that flowery dress and silver ankle boots.

However, that stylishness made it feel odd that Brandee believed that she had to apologize for the song's title as something "from another time when sensibilities were different."

Why did she think that apology was needed?

The Younger harpist - get the pun? - then proceeded to play several songs composed by Ashby, as well as a tune from Stevie Wonder, called "If It's Magic", on which Ashby was the harp player (as well as sole instrumentalist besides Wonder!).

Very nice!

Brandee Younger also played several songs written by Alice Coltrane, the harpist married to jazz legend John Coltrane for the last two years of his life.

Alice Coltrane was a contemporary of Mama's, born in 1937 just a few months before her, but wrote much of her music in her 20's and 30's.

How's that for coincidences?

Links to two of my people, in one place.

Right place, right time.

i thank You, God.

My favorite of this jazz-scented SMF noon30, though, was an original piece by Younger.

She composed it in two parts, one for just the harp, the other for harp, bass, and drums.

Nothing against Rashaan Carter or Allan Maynard, but "Unrest I', with just the flowing, urgent, pandemic-inspired notes from the harp, was sensational.

I was even swaying along with it...

not quite dancing, but in motion.

Yes, I think I'll take a listen to it again now.