“Beauty in Bloom” by Black Is Beautiful Experience feat. Brandee Younger

The phrase “Black is beautiful” was popularized by photojournalist Kwame Brathwaite, whose work during the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s documented life in Harlem and Africa as well as numerous artists and celebrities, including the Jacksons, Nina Simone, James Brown, and Muhammad Ali. In 1962, he helped stage the “Naturally ‘62” fashion show, which featured Black models showcasing their natural hairstyles and African-inspired clothing. The intent was to encourage Black people to take pride in their own unique beauty and culture, rather than feel compelled to simply embrace white/Caucasian fashion and beauty styles.

Flash forward 60+ years, and the Black Is Beautiful Experience — a multi-artist effort led by Brandon Baker, Kwame S. Brathwaite, Marcus Gilmore, and Nicholas Payton — seeks to pay tribute to Brathwaite’s photography and advocacy. Their latest work is “Beauty in Bloom,” composed by Grammy-nominated harpist Brandee Younger. It’s a rich, evocative jazz number, and the manner in which Younger’s dulcet tones flow together with Joel Ross’s vibraphone, Joe Dyson’s brushed percussion, Marquis Hill’s wistful trumpet, and De’Sean Jones’s string arrangements is the very definition of graceful.

“Beauty in Bloom” is currently available via Black Is Beautiful Experience, and it bodes well for the project’s future releases. As for Younger, her most recent album is Gadabout Season, released in 2025 on Impulse! Records.