Born: August 15, 1954 Primary Instrument: Trumpet
Trumpeter Dennis González is a musician/composer, visual artist, broadcaster, writer, educator, linguist, and world traveler who has lived in Dallas for the past 33 years. He has recorded 30 CD's as a leader in diverse styles for Ayler Records, Stockholm's Silkheart Records, Berlin's Konnex Records, Poland's Gowi Records and Not Two Records, Brut Records in Ljubljana, and Clean Feed in Lisbon, as well as U.S. record companies Music and Arts (Berkeley), Koch Jazz (New York), Furthermore Recordings, and 8th Harmonic Breakdown (Chicago). He has also produced CD's on his own label in Dallas, daagnimRecords, since 1979. His international career began when he played and recorded at his home studio in Dallas with musicians in town to play at Ft. Worth’s Caravan of Dreams: John Purcell, Prince Lasha, John Blake, Ronnie Burrage, Charlie Burnham, Warren Benbow, Pheeroan ak Laff and Kelvyn Bell.
In New Orleans, he began a 20-year association that continues today with Alvin Fielder, Tim Green, Kidd Jordan, Marlon Jordan, Elton Heron, and Clyde Kerr, Jr.. In California, he connected musically with Sunship Theus, Henry Franklin, John Carter, Michael Sessions, Nels Cline, and Alex Cline. His European connections grew as he began traveling with his music and visual art, playing with Louis Moholo, Elton Dean, Keith Tippett, Kazimierz Jonkisz, Sidsel Endresen, Nils Petter Molvaer, John Stevens, Dudu Pukwana, Paul Rogers, Mark Sanders, Mark Hewins, Jim Dvorak, Lado Jaksa and Ernest Mothle.
He has performed in festivals, concerts, workshops, and television and radio programs throughout Asia, Europe, Central America, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and in most major American cities for the past 24 years, playing and recording with luminaries such as Charles Brackeen, Frank Lowe, Andrew Cyrille, Malachi Favors, Roy Hargrove, Fred Hopkins, Oliver Lake, Max Roach, Cecil Taylor, Henry Grimes, Ahmed Abdullah, Mark Helias, Ellery Eskelin, George Cartwright, Sabir Mateen, Roy Campbell, Jr., Olu Dara, Douglas Ewart, Hamid Drake, Mike Thompson, and many more. His more recent forays into the New England jazz scene have been particularly productive, gigging and recording with Joe Morris, Charlie Kohlhase, Nate McBride, Luther Gray, and Timo Shanko. For a decade, he was a vibrant part of the Austin creative music scene, associated with Vinnie Golia, Wayne Peet, Tina Marsh, Alex Coke, Ken Filiano, and the Creative Opportunity Orchestra for which he was commissioned to write several full-length pieces. In 2007, his jazz trio Yells at Eels, with sons Aaron and Stefan, will celebrate its eighth year of existence.
He produced radio programs for National Public Radio affiliate KERA-FM in Dallas for 21 years and has worked to produce programs at UNT's KNTU-FM in Denton and Radio Student in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where he also led three different incarnations of his Ljubljana New Music Workshop Orchestra, which boasts some 55 alumni, and which was led by Peter Kowald after 1985. His Dallas productions “Miles Out”, “The New Jazz Review”, “The Literary Review”, “Pirate Radio”, and Eduardo Mata's “The Music of Hispano-America” (he was music consultant to the late conductor Mata) have all garnered international acclaim.
González is a renowned visual artist with exhibits around the world from 1978 to the present, as well as an accomplished writer, with two books to his credit: Xi and Cu, both bilingual editions of his travel poems. His writings have appeared in various anthologies.
Dennis González is fluent in 6 languages, has taught in Texas public schools for 35 years, and has also held residencies in multidisciplinary subjects at area universities, as well as European universities and high schools in Europe, Central America, and the U.S. He currently teaches at North Dallas High School and Spence Middle School, specializing in Tejano / Mariachi / Latino Music Studies as well as Spanish, French, and Jazz Studies.
Dennis González Jazz News
As a Leader
Cape of Storms
Dennis González Yells At Eels
Ayler Records - 2010
Tracks: Document for Walt Dickerson; Interlude: A Desert Hidden in the Waves; Tag; Document Interlude: Gecka; Cape of Storms I; Interlude: Internal Dialogue, Eternal Pulse; Tranquilidad Alborotadora I; Cape of Storms II; Tranquilidad Alborotadora II; Snakehandler.
Personnel: Dennis González: C trumpet, cornet, percussion; Aaron González: double bass; Stefan González: drums, percussion; Louis Moholo-Moholo: drums, percussion; Tim Green: tenor sax.
The Great Bydgoszcz Concert
Dennis González Yells At Eels
Ayler Records - 2009
Tracks: Crow Soul; Happy House; Joining Pleasure with Useful; Document for William Parker; Dialeto da Desordem; Litania; Elegy for a Slaughtered Democracy; Oszkosz Bydgoszcz.
Personnel: Dennis González: C trumpet, cornet, voice; Aaron González: acoustic bass; Stefan González: drums; Rodrigo Amado: tenor sax.
Songs Of Early Autumn
Dennis González Connecticut Quartet
NoBusiness - 2009
Tracks: Loft; Acceleration; Bush Medicine; Idolo; In Tallation; Lamentation; Those Who Came Before; Loyalty.
Personnel: Dennis Gonzalez: C trumpet; Joe Morris: bass; Timo Shanko: tenor sax; Luther Gray: drums.
A Matter of Blood
Dennis González
Furthermore - 2009
Tracks: Alzar La Mano; Interlude: Untitled; Arbyrd Lumenal; Interlude: Fuzzy's Adventure; A Matter of Blood; Anthem for the Moment; Interlude: 30 december; Chant de la Fée.
Personnel: Dennis González: C trumpet, B cornet; Reggie Workman: bass; Curtis Clark: piano; Michael Thompson: drums.
ScapeGrace
Dennis González/João Paulo Duo
Clean Feed - 2009
Tracks: First Song; Anthem for the Moment; Tolleymore; Spacegrace; Duas Dancas Arcaicas; Hymn for Later; Seixal Township; Broken Bop; Última Canção.
Personnel: Dennis González: cornet, C trumpet; João Paulo Esteves da Silva: piano.
Renegade Spirits
Dennis González
Furthermore - 2009
Tracks: In the Blink of a Hat; Skin and Bones; Evil Elixir; Mayombé; Quartège; Flesh and Blood; Zarabanda; Renegade Spirits; Triage; Sangarédi.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpets; Tim Green: tenor sax; Famoudou Don Moye: drums, percussion; Aaron González: bass, percussion; Stefan González: drums, percussion, bass clarinet.
Hymn for Tomasz Stanko
Dennis González & Faruq Z. Bey with Northwoods Improvisers
Qbico - 2008
Tracks: Hymn For Tomasz Stanko; Hu-Nu; Calligraphy; Kuntu; Namesake; Ilam.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpets; Faruq Z. Bey: reeds; Mike Gilmore: vibes; Mike Carey: reeds; Mike Johnston: bass; Skeeter Shelton: reeds; Nick Ashton: drums.
The Gift of Discernment
Dennis González Jnaana Septet
Not Two - 2008
Tracks: Raise the Spirit; There's a Face for Every Year; Ganesha the Spy; Tamazunchale 1; Portugal (for Linda Sharrock); Tamazunchale 2.
Personnel: Dennis Gonzalez: trumpets, cornet, gong, bongos; Alvin Fielder: drums, percussion, small instruments; Chris Parker: piano, percussion; Aaron Gonzalez: acoustic bass, gongs; Stefan Gonzalez: drums, percussion, balafon; Leena Conquest: voice; Robbie Mercado: bata, congas, tambora.
Dance of the Soothsayer’s Tongue (Live at Tonic)
Dennis González NY Quartet
Clean Feed - 2007
Tracks: Reaching Through the Skin; The Matter at Hand; Dance of the Soothsayer’s Tongue; Soundrhythium; Afrikanu Suite Part 1-5; Archipelago of Days.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet; Ellery Eskelin: tenor sax; Mark Helias: double bass; Michael T.A. Thompson: drums.
No Photograph Available
Dennis González Boston Project
Clean Feed - 2006
Tracks: Primate; Old Time Revival, Part I; The Matter At Hand; Hymn For Julius Hemphill; Constrictor - Old Time Revival, Part II.
Personnel: Dennis González: C trumpet, Bb trumpet; Charlie Kohlase: alto, tenor and baritone sax; Nate McBride: double bass; Joe Morris: double bass; Croix Galipault: drums.
Geografía
Dennis González Yells At Eels
Inner Realms Outer Realms - 2006
Tracks: Ethereal Carpet Ride; Geografía; Elegy for a
Slaughtered Democracy; Crow Soul; Mutation Station; Document for William Parker.
Personnel: Aaron González: electric and acoustic bass; Dennis González: C trumpet, Bb trumpet, drums, flute; Stefan González: drums, vibraphone; with special guests: Carl Smith: tenor sax; Devon Wells: flute; Kim Corbet: trombone, keyboards, electronics; Bill Pohl: electric guitar.
Idle Wild
Dennis González's Spirit Meridian
Clean Feed - 2005
Tracks: Elegy (Elegy for Malachi Favors); Bush Medicine; Dust; Idle Wild; Song; Document for Toshinori Kondo.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet; Oliver Lake: alto sax; Ken Filiano: double bass; Michael T.A. Thompson: drums.
NY Midnight Suite
Dennis González NY Quartet
Clean Feed - 2004
Tracks: NY Midnight Suite; Hymn for the Elders; Dominant Fang; New Short Song.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet; Ellery Eskelin: tenor sax; Mark Helias: double bass; Michael T.A. Thompson: drums.
Nile River Suite
Dennis González's Inspiration Band
daagnim - 2004
Tracks: Lyons in Lyon (For Jimmy Lyons); Sand Baptist; Nile River Suite.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet; Roy Campbell, Jr.: trumpet, fluegelhorn, pocket trumpet, flute; Sabir Mateen: alto and tenor sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute; Henry Grimes: double bass; Michael T.A. Thompson: drums, percussion.
Old Time Revival
Dennis González New Southern Quintet
daagnim - 2003
Tracks: The Matter at Hand; Free Jazz is Thrash, Asshole; Document for Charles Brackeen; Hordes of the Morning Star; Hymn for Albert Ayler; Rhapsody and Blood Lust; Four Moods for Carol; Old Time Revival.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet; Andrew Lamb: tenor sax; Tim Green: tenor and bass sax, saxello; Malachi Favors: bass; Alvin Fielder: drums.
Home Away from Home
Dennis González Yells At Eels
daagnim - 2002
Tracks: Who You Gonna Call?; Soundtrack; Nils Petter's Foxtrot; Document for Toshinori Kondo; Home; Document for Leo Smith.
Personnel: Aaron González: electric and acoustic bass; Dennis González: trumpet, keyboards; Stefan González: drums; with special guests: George Cartwright: tenor sax; Douglas Ewart: sopranino and alto sax, didgeridoo, percussion.
Pictogram
Dennis González Yells At Eels
daagnim - 2002
Tracks: Carol's Rain Song; Free Jazz is Thrash, Asshole; cD 11.62; Trinity; Variations on a Theme for Don Cherry; Rhapsody and Blood Lust; Umbilical Pendulum; Pictogram; Hymn for Julius Hemphill.
Personnel: Aaron González: electric and acoustic bass; Dennis González: trumpet, keyboards, electric bass; Stefan González: drums; with special guests: Tim Green: saxello, tenor sax; Scott Bucklin: piano; Shane Cooper: electric guitar; Carol González: motorcycle.
Herido
Dennis González/Yusef Komunyakaa Quintet
8th Harmonic Breakdown - 2001
Tracks: Jasmine/Beat'go; Wild Fruit/Salome/Amazing Grace; Blues for Lester Bowie; Sugar; Gristmill; Hymn for Tim Green; An Old Lowdown Blues; More Girl than Boy; Moonshine; Herido; Cousins; Strands; No-Good Blues.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet, piano, keyboards, samples; Yusef Komunyakaa: vocals, texts; Sugar Blue: harmonica; Mark Deutsch: electric bass, bazantar, sitar; Susie Ibarra: drums, percussion.
Home
Dennis González Yells At Eels
daagnim - 2001
Tracks: Document for Leo Smith; Nils Petter's Foxtrot; Soundtrack; Who You Gonna Call?; Beat'go; Home; Document for Toshinori Kondo; Ganesha the Spy
Personnel: Aaron González: electric and acoustic bass; Dennis González: C trumpet, keyboards, samples; Stefan González: drums; with special guests: Tim Green: soprano, tenor and bass sax; Scott Bucklin: piano; Bill Pohl: acoustic and electric guitar.
Welcome to Us
Dennis González Band of Nordic Wizards
Gowi - 1994
Tracks: Prologue; Warszawa; Song for a Poet; Welcome to Us; Monkey Scratch Dance; Kraków na wiosne,; Song for a Singer; Rail; Epilogue.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet, fluegelhorn, guitar, percussion, texts; Nils Petter Molvaer: trumpet, percussion;
Bugge Wesseltoft: piano, synth; Terje Gewelt: bass;
Pål Thowsen: drums; Sidsel Endresen, vocals.
The Desert Wind
Dennis González New Dallasangeles
Silkheart - 1992
Tracks: Hymn for Julius Hemphill; Aamriq'aa; The Desert Wind (The Breath of Jehovah); Battalion of Saints; Max-Well.
Personnel: Dennis González: Bb trumpet, C trumpet, pocket trumpet; Charles Brackeen: soprano and tenor sax; Michael Session: soprano, alto and tenor sax; Kim Corbet: trombone; Michael Kruge: cello; Henry Franklin: bass; Alvin Fielder: drums.
The Earth and the Heart
Dennis González
Konnex - 1991 / Music & Arts - 1995 (reissue)
Tracks: The Earth and the Heart Suite; A Simple Melody;
Mountain City Hidden by Clouds; Two for Mr. Bradford; Overturned!; Everybody Solo.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet, C trumpet, fluegelhorn, piano, vocals; Nels Cline: acoustic and electric guitar, devices; Mark Hewins: guitar, synth; Ken Filiano: bass; Andrew Cyrille: drums; Alex Cline: drums, percussion, synth.
Hymn for the Perfect Heart of a Pearl
Dennis González Band of Sorcerers
Konnex - 1991
Tracks: Hymn for the Perfect Heart of a Pearl; Astonishing Emptiness; Hymn for Louis Moholo; The Peculiar Stillness at Noon;
Angels of the Bop Apocalypse; Parachute; Hymn for Lionel Battiste/De Lawd's Train.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet, C trumpet, train whistle; Carlos Ward: alto sax, flute; Tim Green: tenor sax; Paul Plimley: piano; Paul Rogers: bass; Louis Moholo: drums, whistles, vocals.
Debenge-Debenge
Dennis González New DallasOrleanssippi
Silkheart - 1988
Tracks: The Masses; Innocence; Debenge-Debenge; Zydeco Red; Drew-Do.
Personnel: Dennis González: Bb trumpet, C trumpet, pocket trumpet; Marlon Jordan: trumpet; Charles Brackeen: tenor sax; "Kidd" Jordan: sopranino and alto sax, bass clarinet; Malachi Favors: bass; Henry Franklin: bass; Alvin Fielder: drums; W. A. Richardson: drums.
Namesake
Dennis González New Dallas Sextet
Silkheart - 1987
Tracks: Namesake; The Separation of Stones; Johnny - Johnny; Hamba Khale Qhawe; Four Pigs and a Bird's Nest; Hymn for Mbizo; Good Friends.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet, pocket trumpet, fluegelhorn, pao de chuva, Pakistani bells, kalimba, vocals; Ahmed Abdullah: trumpet, fluegelhorn, balafon; Charles Brackeen: tenor sax, conga; Douglas Ewart: alto sax, bass clarinet; Malachi Favors: bass, vocal; Alvin Fielder: drums, percussion.
Stefan
Dennis González New Dallas Quartet
Silkheart - 1987
Tracks: Enrico; Fortuity ; Stefan; Hymn for Don Cherry; Boi Fuba; Deacon John Ray; Doxology.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet, fluegelhorn, berimbau; John Purcell: bass clarinet, alto sax, flute; Henry Franklin: bass; Malachi Favors: bass; W.A. Richardson: drums.
Catechism
Dennis González Dallas-London Sextet
daagnim - 1987 / Music & Arts - 1995 (reissue)
Tracks: Surely Goodness and Mercy (Kwela for Carol); The Sunny Murray-Cecil Taylor Dancing Lesson; Hymn for John Carter; Catechism, Part One; Catechism, Part Two; Surely Goodness and Mercy , Take 2; The Names We Are Known By.
Personnel: Dennis González: trumpet, pocket trumpet; Rob Blakeslee: trumpet, fluegelhorn; Elton Dean: saxello, alto sax; Keith Tippett: piano; Marcio Mattos: bass; Louis Moholo: drums; Kim Corbet: trombone.
As a Side Musician
Paura: the Construction of Fear
Alipio C. Neto
Creative Sources - 2008
Tracks: Pulsion; Void and Voices; Paura - Lyrikon (dedicated to the greek poet Demosthenes Agrafiotis).
Personnel: Alípio C Neto: soprano & tenor saxophones; Dennis González: trumpet; Ernesto Rodrigues: viola; Guilherme Rodrigues: cello, radio; Mark Sanders: drums.
A Measure of Vision
Alvin Fielder Trio
Clean Feed - 2007
Tracks: Your Sons and Daughters Shall Prophesy; A Mon Frere; Camel; Max-Well; Ripe For Vision; Your Young Men Shall See Visions; Time No Time; Your Old Men Shall Dream Dreams; The Cecil Taylor-Sunny Murray Dancing Lesson.
Personnel: Alvin Fielder: drums, percussion; Chris Parker: piano; Dennis González: C trumpet, Bb trumpet; Aaron González: acoustic bass; Stefan González: vibes, drums.
Spiritualized
Lisbon Improvisation Players
Clean Feed - 2006
Tracks: Tensegrity; Dreams/Reflections; Awareness; Time - Rising Spirits; Meeting of our Times; Spiritualized.
Personnel: Rodrigo Amado: alto and baritone saxs; Dennis González: trumpet; Pedro Gonçalves: double bass; Bruno Pedroso: drums.
The Heaven Line
Tina Marsh and the Creative Opportunity Orchestra
CreOp Muse - 1994
Tracks: WABZ; Cloud on Cloud; Circle; Pensif; Aftermath; A Marvelous Error!.
Personnel: Tina Marsh: vocals; Dennis González, Martin Banks, Larry Spencer: trumpet; Randy Zimmerman, James Lakey: trombone; Jay Rozen: tuba; John Mills, Greg Wilson, Alex Coke: woodwinds; Bob Rodriguez: piano; Ken Filiano: bass; Billy Mintz: drums.
Worshippers Come Nigh
Charles Brackeen Quartet
Silkheart - 1987
Tracks: Worshippers Come Nigh; Bannar; Tinytown; Ible; Cing Kong; News Stand.
Personnel: Charles Brackeen: tenor sax; Olu Dara: cornet; Fred Hopkins: bass; Andrew Cyrille: drums, congas; Dennis González: pao de chuva.
Attainment
Charles Brackeen Quartet
Silkheart - 1987
Tracks: Attainment; Prince of Night; New Stand; House of Gold; Yogan Love.
Personnel: Charles Brackeen: tenor sax, voice; Olu Dara: cornet, voice, berimbau; Fred Hopkins: bass, toy drum, voice; Andrew Cyrille: drums, congas, voice; Dennis González: pao de chuva, voice.
Banar
Charles Brackeen Quartet
Silkheart - 1987
Tracks: Three Monks Suite; Open; Allah; Stone; Story; Open (Take 2).
Personnel: Charles Brackeen: tenor and soprano sax; Dennis Gonzalez: trumpet, fluegelhorn; Malachi Favors: bass; Alvin Fielder: drums.
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Primary Instrument:
Trumpet
Location:
Dallas, TX
Willing to teach:
Intermediate to advanced students
