Dennis González - The Earth and the Heart (Konnex, 1991)

This post is by Dan

Dennis González (tr, vo, p, flhn); Andrew Cyrille (d); Alex Cline (d, perc); Nels Cline (g); Mark Hewins (g); Ken Filiano (b)

Recorded July 2 and December 30, 1989

The Earth and the Heart was recorded at two sessions in different cities with varying personnel. Often split dates don't gel as coherently as a single session might, but this record is an exception. Even the three-part title "Suite" was recorded by different players and sequenced as Parts 3, 1, and 4 spanning over 23 minutes. Amazingly, there are no audible seams. 

Although the entire "Suite" was composed by leader Dennis González, the rest of the program was written by band members: Andrew Cyrille, Alex Cline, Nels Cline, and Mark Hewins. The suite affords plenty of solo space to González, Hewins, Nels, and Ken Filiano. After the high drama of "Suite," Andrew Cyrille's "A Simple Melody" engages Hewins, González, and Filiano in a peaceful acoustic respite. Hewins' guitar sounds harp-like behind González's muted trumpet. 

Alex's "Mountain City Hidden by Clouds" follows and reflects his "monastic" tendencies in 14 minutes of gongs and other percussion along with mystical sounds from González and Nels. Intensity builds as González steps to the foreground, followed by Nels on a soaring electric solo. The track continues to build as both Clines, González and Filiano improvise collectively before bringing the energy down to a peaceful conclusion. "Mountain City" is a high point of the album. 

The Clines, of course, are twin brothers born in 1956. Nels is left and Alex right in the photo.

After "Mountain City" we get Nels' lovely tribute to trumpeter Bobby Bradford ("Two for Mr. Bradford"), a brief free exercise attributed to the whole band ("Overturned!"), and the jaunty "Everybody Solo," penned by Hewins whose solo is taken on a digital guitar that sounds like an organ. 

For all the variety of players, compositions and moods, this album never loses its graceful coherence. It's a hidden gem in the decade of the 1980s, still waiting to be discovered by many.

The original release of The Earth and the Heart was on the German Konnex label. It was reissued in 1996 by Music & Arts and is available for streaming/downloading.