Concert
The Young Mothers
“Better If You Let It”
The Young Mothers © Malwina Witkowska / No Earplugs
Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten assembled his raucous sextet Young Mothers when he lived in Austin, Texas. A decade and a half later, its members scattered around the globe, they’re still at it, a familial cohesion binding their most overt stylistic collisions.
The Young Mothers: “Better If You Let It”
(NO, US)
The phenomenal Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten formed The Young Mothers soon after he moved to Austin, Texas in 2009. Hungry to build connections with the local scene, he recruited a disparate group of musicians, bringing along his old Chicago compatriot Frank Rosaly on drums. Each musician brought different interests to the fold, and their collective commitment and musicality allowed them to transcend any sense of stylistic whiplash with a palpable sense of joy and passion. The band played a searing concert at Jazzfest Berlin in 2019, right before the pandemic upended the world, sending Håker Flaten back to Norway.
Geographic distance, with Rosaly already living in Amsterdam, put the band on hold, but not its commitment. They finally reconvened a few years ago and last year the group released its third and best album “Better If You Let It”, where the writing and programming talents of trumpeter and rapper Jawwaad Taylor fully emerged. From a root base of deeply soulful post-bop the band veers into hip-hop here or touches on extreme metal through the howling of drummer Stefan González there. The elastic guitarist Jonathan F. Horne can shred or swing, while the fiery saxophonist Jason Jackson brings it all back to that jazz foundation. But the band’s sense of collective purpose seals the deal.
Line-up
Jawwaad Taylor – trumpet, rhymes, electronics, programming
Jason Jackson – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
Stefan González – vibraphone, drums, percussion, voice
Jonathan F. Horne – guitar
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten – double bass, electric bass
Frank Rosaly – drums, electronics, programming