Tsantsa from Ts'iibil Chaaltun by Dennis Gonzalez's Ataraxia

On "Tsantsa," Gonzalez establishes the foundation of the song with a repeating figure on charango (a small Andean mandolin made from an armadillo shell), over which he plays fragmented chords on guitar. On this recording, Gonzalez returns to the extreme multi-instrumentalism of some of his earliest recordings. Phelps responds with the deep, mournful song of his arco bass. His then 3-year-old granddaughter Issy helped with the concept of this song.

Dennis Gonzalez, composer/musician, visual artist, educator, broadcaster, and writer has worked from Dallas for 46 years. He has played, toured, and recorded with many of the luminaries of New Jazz worldwide.