"Something About April III" is the final volume of Emmy-award winning composer and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge's psychedelic soul trilogy that began in 2011. This time around, Younge takes listeners on a trip to Brazil, a country whose music has become a major influence on the composer.
Since starting his own Jazz Is Dead label with A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaeed Muhammad in 2017, Younge has worked closely with several Brazilian legends such as Marcos Valle and João Donato. With "Something About April III" he wanted to create something similar to what these musicians were making in the 1960s and 1970s, and the final result is a cinematic journey that sees Younge conducting a 30-piece orchestra on a record he describes as one he's been looking for his entire life.
Younge will perform at Motorco Music Hall in Durham on June 24. He caught up with WUNC music reporter Brian Burns ahead of the show.
Congrats on the release of "Something About April III," which closes out the trilogy. For those who aren't familiar with these records, tell us what inspired them.
The "Something About April" series is essentially the most me you'll ever have on record. It's something I ultimately produced for myself. The first volume was really my debut. I did the score for a movie called "Black Dynamite" in 2009 and then after that, I did "Something About April," and it kind of blew up because people like Jay Z and 50 Cent were sampling it. For this third volume I'm paying homage to the psychedelic and soulful records of Brazil, because over my career I've gotten really deep into that music. I've worked with a lot of the maestros from the 60s and 70s and I wanted to create something similar to what they created. The "Something About April" records are basically my dreams put on wax.
What draws you to Brazilian music?
When you start digging Brazilian music as a DJ or record collector, it's like starting all over again with American music. The treasure trove runs that deep. It's interesting how they were influenced by Black American jazz, and Black American soul and made something completely different with it. Brazil is 85% Black, which most people don't realize. There's been a back and forth between the US and Brazil for a long time. American musicians like Charlie Byrd and Stevie Wonder took inspiration from Brazilian musicians the same way Brazilian musicians took inspiration from them.
Is there one Brazilian record that you think is the best gateway to that world?
There are so many, but off the top of my head right now I'd say Arthur Verocai's self-titled record from 1972.
How do you feel you've grown as an artist since the first "Something About April" came out?
When that record came out I didn't even know the difference between a major and minor chord. I'm a self-taught musician and over the years I've learned more and more about my craft and how to read and write music, and I'm at the point now where I can write for a full orchestra. "Something About April III" represents where I'm at right now as an Emmy Award winning composer, whereas on the first volume I was just sort of getting into the game.
How was your Portuguese going into this record?
That's another way I've evolved. I went to Brazil for the first time in 2019 and I didn't know one word of Portuguese. I'll never say I'm fluent, but now I'm doing podcasts in Portuguese and feeling pretty comfortable speaking the language.
We're really looking forward to your show at Motorco in Durham on June 24. What can people expect when they come out?
I always say expect to be taken into a portal. It's a real psychedelic cinematic experience. It's a roller coaster ride with ups and downs. Every time I perform I'm trying to give people the best show they've ever seen in their life. On this tour I've got a 10-piece orchestra with strings, horns, vocalists, drums, bass, guitar. It's pretty spectacular, man.
