Vibraphonist, marimbist, improviser and composer Patricia Brennan served notice that she wasn’t going to be just any percussion newcomer. Applying an advanced, extended technique married to groundbreaking electronic effects, anyone can tell from the get-go she stands apart from her peers.
Hailing from Veracruz, Mexico but residing in progressive jazz Ground Zero in NYC, we first noticed Brennan as a member of Matt Mitchell’s Phalanx Ambassadors quintet full of forward-thinking musicians. With her 2021 debut Maquisti, Brennan chose to strike out on her own alone: she played vibes and marimba unaccompanied and the electronics effects were there but not prominent.
Her new, second release More Touch (Pyroclastic Records) represents a fuller coming out party. Now backed by a very able trio of Kim Cass (bass), Mauricio Herrera (percussion), and Marcus Gilmore (drums), Brennan is making her mark in the progressive wing of jazz and you won’t mistake this record for anyone else’s.
That’s because much as Susan Alcorn has taken the pedal steel to places it was never intended, so does Brennan share that same audacity to use an old instrument in a completely different way.
Composition is part of her artistic identity as well, applying extended forms that allow for a lot of improvisation but take on shapes that conform to the novel textures she generates, and often involve unique blend of styles. A lively Latin rhythm pervades “Unquiet Respect” but marrying that to Brennan’s effect-laden vibes puts this on a whole ‘nother plane. It’s hard to not think of Mary Halvorson when those notes dip down like a turntable being manipulated. By contrast, “More Touch” is moored from rhythm, revealing Brennan’s mastery over mood and texture, using electronics very judiciously. Cass’ fuzzed-up bass arises from the calm to whip up a brief release.
The multi-faceted “Space For Hour” takes its time, Brennan’s marimba is unfolding in mysterious ways. Herrera quietly establishes the pulse later on and Brennan thoughtfully adjusts her approach to account for that, and then when the pace quickens, she’s locked into that knotted rhythm.
Brennan adroitly navigates – and even takes command of – the odd time signature underpinning “El Nahualli (The Shadow Soul),” and turns up the pedal-assisted, wonderful weirdness when the band dives into a freeform breakdown. “The Woman Who Weeps” is an intrepid engagement between Brennan and Cass, while “Square Bimagic” puts Cass in a crucial role bridging between the impenetrable rhythm bank of Gilmore/Herrera and the jagged ostinato of Brennan.
Soft surprises are always lurking around the corner in these performances. Cass’ bass showcase that launches “Convergences” is joined about a minute later by some trippy sounds emanating from Brennan’s tricked-up vibes, and this ends up being arguably the best representation of her novel approach to the instrument as she knows how to exploit the ringing resonance of the instrument and accentuate that using technology.
On “Robbin,” Brennan manages to make her vibraphone sometimes sound like it’s being played backwards but make no mistake, she remains committed to the melody. That melody unfolds into a pretty pattern when Gilmore propulses the song forward, providing a platform for the leader to stretch out.
“Sizigia (Syzygy)” is a stout funk construction framed by the three-man rhythm section that dissolves into an ether when Brennan’s vibes do. The electrified vibes and sawed bass soars over Herrera’s hand percussion during “And There Was Light,” a strangely appealing juxtaposition of modern and tribal styles.
In greatly expanding the possibilities for vibraphone and marimba, Patricia Brennan’s More Touch takes us to exciting new sonic territory fueled by exceptional musicianship and a lot of gumption.
More Touch is now on sale, and can be obtained from Bandcamp.
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