专辑简介

Charlie Kohlhase专辑介绍：by Eugene ChadbourneThe title and accompanying artwork of this double-CD set, while amusingly dramatic, is nonetheless an honest indicator of the frame of mind of many of the musicians dedicated to performing modern jazz improvisation in all its glory. To some listeners the idea of "freedom" suggests nothing more than unbridled anarchy -- as described by no less a master of the genre than Anthony Braxton, something like the sounds of what happens when the teacher leaves the classroom. To Charlie Kohlhase and the talented members of his quintet, it is a freedom to work in areas of their own choosing and interest, to communicate with ideas from both the heart and the head. The results, honed down from a series of live performances in 2001, rarely get anywhere near the sound of an all-out free-form freak-out. It is a tightly disciplined, intentionally varied program executed by a quite typical jazz instrumental lineup of three horns, drums, and bass. Of the two discs that fit smartly into a compact and convenient cardboard sleeve, the second one is more immediately engaging. Kicking off with a terrific cover of Sun Ra's "Super Bronze," Kohlhase whips through a baritone sax solo that swings as hard as vintage Pepper Adams. The theme is laid out sharply, the rhythmic feel buoyant yet held to the earth with a mastery of syncopation. Going into a version of Thelonious Monk's "Crepescule With Nellie," the group holds forth for about the same length as some of Monk's earliest Blue Note recordings, deciding not to extrapolate at any length. "Mad," the opening salvo in a suite inspired at least in part by an obnoxious roommate, is really a wondrous thing, proving for one thing that a composer simply can't do wrong when attempting to be intentionally irritating.

Interest may falter during later sections of this performance, portions featuring unaccompanied horn exchanges about as energized as a couple of players trying out mouthpieces in a music shop. Kohlhase's diverse compositional interests dominate the first CD, including once again portions adapted from a suite, this time inspired by the comic book madman Dr. Doom. Pieces such as "Pigpile" and "Grasping at Straws" involve interesting motifs: duos taking turns gnawing on melodic bites and simultaneous combinations of contrasting rhythms and lines both written and improvised. The players work together well, the tried-and-true glue between trumpet and reeds stirred well, making possible a lively scrapbook of musical images from John Carlson on three different brass instruments and tenor man Matt Langley. The listener looking only for a uniqueness factor, as in something about the sound or style of a group that makes it totally different than anything else going on in jazz, will not find it here. That is really not what Kohlhase and his associates are all about, however -- any such motivation might leave them feeling slightly less than free, after all. The Boxholder label set is a superior documentation of the group's battle for liberation, a nice addition to any live jazz collection, and certainly a must-have for Kohlhase followers.