Patricia Brennan Trio
The Side Door Jazz Club
Friday, June 20 · 8 – 10:30pm EDT.
Patricia Brennan – Vibes
Kim Cass – Bass
Noel Brennan – Drums
- -The jazz world can get stuck in a battle between the head and the heart, but rarely do you find an improviser like Patricia Brennan whose music seems to exist in a realm outside the body, but stays loaded with feeling. – Giovanni Russonello, The New York Times.
- Brennan supplements her dazzling technique with two-handed independence and unexpected tonal shifts courtesy of judicious use of electronics. – John Sharpe, The New York City Jazz Record.
Mexican born vibraphonist, marimbist, improviser and composer Patricia Brennan has been widely feted as one of the instrument’s newer leaders, observed The New York City Jazz Record. Patricia recently won the Jazz Journalists Association 2025 JJA Jazz Award as Mallet Instrument Player of the Year. She was also a nominee for the Jazz Journalists Association 2025 JJA Up & Coming Musician of the Year award. Patricia has also won the rising star vibraphonist award from Downbeat magazine’s 70th (2022) and 72nd (2024) Critics Poll and was listed #4 vibraphonist of the year on the 71st (2023) & 72nd (2024) Critics Poll.
Patricia’s extensive sidewoman work includes the Grammy nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus, Mary Halvorson’s Amaryllis, Grammy winning Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Big Band, amongst other groups and collectives. Patricia’s own projects include the solo project MAQUISHTI, MOCH – a collaborative duo with percussionist, drummer and turntablist Noel Brennan (DJ Arktureye), MORE TOUCH – a quartet with Mauricio Herrera on percussion, Marcus Gilmore on drums, and Kim Cass on bass, the PATRICIA BRENNAN SEPTET which features the rhythm section from More Touch and adding Adam O’Farrill on trumpet, Jon Irabagon on alto and sopranino saxophones and Mark Shim on tenor saxophone, TALAMANTI, a piano and mallet percussion duo with extraordinary pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and, OF THE NEAR AND FAR, a tentet comprised by a string quartet, a jazz quintet and an electronic musician.
Patricia’s acclaimed debut solo album “Maquishti”, released on Valley of Search, was listed #4 on The New York Times 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2021. Patricia’s sophomore album, “More Touch”, released in November 2022 on Pyroclastic Records received multiple accolades from critics. “More Touch” was included in several Best Jazz Albums of 2022 lists such as NPR Best Music of 2022, Bandcamp Best Jazz Albums of 2022 and PopMatters Best Jazz Albums of 2022. The opener track “Unquiet Respect”, from the record “More Touch”, was listed under NPR’s 100 Best Songs of 2022, a list featuring music from all genres and only including a handful of jazz artists. Patricia released her third album as a leader, “Breaking Stretch” featuring the Patricia Brennan Septet on September 6, 2024 on Pyroclastic Records. This septet record features master improvisers Adam O’Farrill on trumpet, Jon Irabagon on alto and sopranino saxophones, Mark Shim on tenor saxophone, Kim Cass on bass, Marcus Gilmore on drums and Mauricio Herrera on percussion. “Breaking Stretch” received wide acclaim earning spots on multiple Best Jazz Albums of 2024 including The New York Times Top 10 and NPR 50 Best Albums of 2024 (across all genres of music). Patricia will be releasing her fourth record featuring her latest tentet project OF THE NEAR AND FAR on October 24, 2025 on Pyroclastic Records. Also, Patricia recently recorded her duo project TALAMANTI with pianist Sylvie Courvoisier which is expected to be released in 2026.
Patricia Brennan is a Valley of Search artist, Pyroclastic Records artist, BlueHaus Mallets artist, and Audeze artist. Patricia is currently faculty at the Jazz Arts program at Manhattan School of Music, the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and at the Jazz Studies program at NYU Steinhardt.