Dennis González Yells At Eels - Colorado at Clinton

Eyal Hareuveni, AllAboutJazz

Alto saxophonist Aakash Mittal was a childhood friend of the González brothers while his family resided in Dallas. He studied music with saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa and percussionist Ravish Momin, visited the Indian subcontinent and developed his own East Indian-tinged musical language. This reunion with the González family was recorded over two days in late 2011 in Dallas.

It was a very intense and emotional meeting. Mittal's serpentine sax soars fits beautifully into the emphatic and powerful interplay of Yells At Eels on the Dennis González-penned "Devil's Slide." Dennis González's other compositions focus on the the expanded sonic palette and depth that Mittal introduces to the trio, often in an energetic mode with the exception of the fascinating sound poem "Constellations on the Ground."

Mittal proves himself as a varied improviser. His playing can be muscular and intense as on the "Wind Streaks in Syrtis Major," where he exchanges heated solos with Dennis González. But his two compositions, "Shadows" and "Shades of India," are the the most remarkable. Both stress the melodic and lyrical side of the quartet and emphasize his own Indian-informed playing, still filled with intense tension and characterized with arresting ability to sketch a story. Both compositions unfold patiently—a meditative introduction of the theme, a playful exchange of improvised solos on the theme till the inevitable cathartic climax and a simple, reprise of the theme; concise versions of the form of the traditional Indian raga.