Dennis González Yells At Eels - Colorado at Clinton

Mark Corroto, AllAboutJazz

The Dennis Gonzalez family records, aka his Yells At Eels trio, is a fine working trio led by father, Dennis, a recognized leader in avant-garde trumpet since the 1970s. His 1980s records for the Swedish Silkheart label are valued gems (and worth the treasure hunt). His sons, Stefan González (drums) and Aaron González (bass) have performed and recorded in multiple settings. Their inclusion of guest stars add an additional layer to each release. Prior discs have found them collaborating with Louis Moholo-Moholo—Cape Of Storms (Ayler Records, 2010), Alvin Fielder—Resurrection Of Life (Ayler Records, 2011), Rodrigo Amado—The Great Bydgoszcz Concert (Ayler Records, 2009), and the unofficial Yells At Eels disc Renegade Spirits (Furthermore, 2008) with Aakash Mittal, a gifted Indian-American saxophonist, who like Rudresh Mahanthappa has incorporated South Indian into his jazz lexicon.

The attractive sounds here are the interplay of the Eels open rhythmic orientation and Mittal's Eastern accent. He penned two tracks, "Shadows" and "Shades Of India." Both meditative pieces, the latter an epic, heroic composition that quotes John Coltrane's "India." The family González is an empathetic partner to all, capable of absorbing varying styles and approaches to deliver inspirational music. Gonzalez' "Dokonori Shīīto" is presented as a high energy speed workout that Mittal is game for. He is chased, then chases the melody and the trio into a boiling cauldron of sound.