Carlie Kohlhase Quintet: Dancing on My Bedpost

As a mainstay in Boston’s jazz scene, saxophonist Charlie Kohlhase has helped cultivate the city as one of America’s most fertile hotbeds for creative music. Dancing on My Bedpost exudes the cool/hot aesthetic of that city as he and his quintet engage in some fleeting free-bop excursions that offset heady collective improvisations with infectious rhythms and whimsical melodies. Kohlhase hones a big blustery sound on baritone and a searing white-hot tone on alto that would have nestled perfectly in one of Charles Mingus’ workshops. In fact, the feel of Mingus and the ’70s Loft jazz scene is superbly evoked on Dancing on My Bedpost and the mysterious “The International Wingo Conspiracy.” John Carlson’s stinging muted trumpet provides a Don Cherry exuberance as he prances on top bassist John Turner’s prowling bass. A slice of Boston’s underground jazz scene at it’s finest, Dancing on My Bedpost is a delight.

Originally Published June 1, 1999