Kohlhase, Charlie Explorer's Club

Adventures

Label: Boxholder Country: USA

"A longstanding veteran of the Boston jazz scene, multi-instrumentalist Charlie Kohlhase's skills as a bandleader were honed as a member of the esteemed Either/Orchestra and through collaborations with legendary saxophonist John Tchicai. The Explorer's Club is his newest venture, a powerhouse line-up featuring two drummers. Encompassing a range of dynamics, from AACM styled impressionism and Mingus-inspired collective interplay to riotous New Thing-era free expression, the septet exudes a mercurial sensibility redolent of Kohlhase's former teacher, trombonist Roswell Rudd.

A versatile and inventive writer, Kohlhase pens intricate charts, balancing the rich multi-layered voicings of a large ensemble with the nimble dexterity of a small combo. Maximizing the ensemble's raw sonic potential, his clever arrangements veer from the thorny contrapuntal fantasy of "Superhero Beatdown" to the ornate unison lines of "Utensor."

Embracing the collective aesthetic of the AACM, Kohlhase seeds his pieces with tumultuous group improvisation, rapid fire call and response dialogues, spacious cadenzas and other conversational strategies. Instilling a communal sensibility into the group's free ranging excursions, he allots his sidemen ample solo time, revealing his own visceral approach on such fare as "Thryllkyll On The Schyllkyll/Psychopath On The Cyclepath," sputtering bristling baritone cadences over roiling percussion.[...]

A bracing and bold album, Adventures is an appropriately titled debut for Kohlhase's newest ensemble. "-Troy Collins, All About Jazz