by Jim BrenholtsIf Marina Raye has a rival as "the feminine voice of the Native American flute," it is Mary Youngblood. Youngblood's flutes are deep and spacious and her techniques are flawless. She performed The Offering in the Moaning Cavern in Vallecito, CA, in September of 1997. The only sounds are her flutes, her breath, the natural resonance and echo of the cave, and an occasional water droplet. This minimalism and ambience has definite qualities of the best electronic space music. The atmospheres are large and expansive, the soundscapes are mysterious and vibrant, and the journeys are to all points of the soul. This CD will appeal to fans of the aforementioned Raye, Robert Tree Cody, R. Carlos Nakai, and Douglas Spotted Eagle. It is essential Native American music and interesting minimalism.