(2021) Patricia Brennan - Maquishti


Review:
On Maquishti, mallet percussionist, improviser, and composer seeks artistic freedom outside the rigid confines of her classical training. The title comes from the Nahuatl word maquixtia, which means “to liberate” — a nod to her Mexican heritage, and to her quest to create music for her vibraphone and marimba that’s uninhibited by prescribed rules. Brennan’s solo debut spirals through nostalgic melodies and stirring dissonances. The intricate patterns and interlocking rhythms created by her instruments link each piece together, regardless of their disparities in tone, color, and melody. “Blame It,” the opener, builds eerie mystery by gliding between solemn, echoing pitches at a glacial pace, while “Magic Square,” one of the most riveting tracks on the album, unites its fragmented, upbeat melodies through a funky groove. Powerful harmony and a warm sense of stillness emerge from nowhere on “Derrumbe de Turquesas,” closing the album on a note of starry-eyed poignancy. Each piece on Maquishti is its own little universe, and each is as equally mesmerizing as the last.





Tracklist:
01 - Blame It
02 - Solar
03 - Improvisation VI
04 - Sonnet
05 - Episodes
06 - Improvisation III
07 - Magic Square
08 - Improvisation VII
09 - I Like for You to Be Still
10 - Point of No Return
11 - Away from Us
12 - Derrumbe de Turqesas


Media Report:
Genre: ambient, jazz
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits