Mark Helias

Dennis González is an extraordinary musician and composer that has developed his activity since the early 70’s. Unlike many musicians who establish themselves in a place making it their musical habitat and connecting to the local jazz scene, his adventurous and free spirit made him welcome in many different cities, establishing musical bonds with diverse local musicians.

It often seems like there’s an inverse proportion between the number of musicians involved in creating improvised music and the balance between the instrumentalists. The more players who are involved, the greater the imbalance. Anything larger than a trio usually features at least one subservient member.

What a super team. A bassist associated with the best New York improvisers - Mark Helias; a drummer who has continued his meteoric rise since his stint as a member of Braxton's well-known Nineties quartet - Gerry Hemingway; and a trombonist known for his intensity and his motto, which says it all: “if I ever had a home, it was the slide trombone”- Ray Anderson.

Aside from this new release, the Dennis González NY Quartet is also featured on an earlier Clean Feed release, “NY Midnight Suite,” which was recorded shortly after a 2003 concert at the now defunct club Tonic. The live Tonic concert was recorded as well, but only partially. Because of technical problems, only 34 minutes of that fantastic performance survived.

Known for his partnerships with Ray Anderson and Peter Evans, Colombian expatriate Ricardo Gallo is becoming a noteworthy voice as a pianist and composer in American creative jazz.