Sage by Michelle Qureshi

A collection of intimate acoustic guitar compositions that create a beautiful tapestry of sound from vibrating strings and imagination.
The nine tracks that comprise Sage consist of tenderly played compositions on the acoustic guitar. From the opening playful track Skipping Stones to the impressionistic solo guitar piece Watercolors to the closing Messengers which presents as the most driven piece and the only track to feature slide guitar, this album's style is reminiscent of the 2018 release Short Stories, yet pushes forward toward a new, wiser introspection of the guitar.

Review from Minor 7th
"Sage" 2019 Sage is an album perfectly suited to our fraught times, delivering meditative, calm, restorative music. The title references the burning sage sticks that are used by Native peoples for spiritual cleansing, and these thoughtful pieces transport the listener on a sonic journey into peaceful internal spaces. Qureshi, a classically trained composer and multi-instrumentalist, plays acoustic fingerstyle on this, her 14th release, with calm assurance, pristine clarity, and rich tone. On "Skipping Stones," flourishes of pull-offs perfectly mimic the effect of stones skipped across water, while an arpeggiated section calls to mind the widening ripples after the stone's impact. On the sweet "Pushing Rainbows," a repeated motif of chiming harmonics contrasts with resonant bass, while "Tender Side of the Moon" features a beautiful single-note melody line as clear as droplets of water. "To Be With You" has a haunting quality, with contrasting melody lines, one jangly and one rich and deep, while "Messengers," which features Quereshi on slide guitar, has a sultry quality. Perhaps most beautiful is "Watercolors," the longest composition here, a somber, mysterious, ethereal piece. It has a deep reverb-like opening that moves through shadings of sound, reminiscent of the way watercolor paint melds into water. About halfway through the piece takes a turn into airy tremolo before returning to the opening melody. Qureshi is an outstanding musician who on Sage offers emotionally resonant, introspective music at a time when it is especially needed. © Céline Keating

Tracklist

1.	Skipping Stones	3:25

2.	Pushing Rainbows	2:52

3.	Watercolors	4:49

4.	When We Looked Away	2:25

5.	Take the Flowers	2:34

6.	Tender Side of the Moon	2:33

7.	To Be With You	2:38

8.	Beside Me Now	2:26

9.	Messengers	2:11

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