Charlie Kohlhase: The Cranky Yankee

Between his stints on WMBR radio (Research and Development, Mondays 2-4pm, broadcast or streaming), playing baritone saxophone with the Either/Orchestra, and with his many other musical projects, teaching at the Longy School of Music as well as overnights running the board on WBUR radio, etc., saxophonist Charlie Kohlhase is a fixture in this town. Having met Charlie on a few occasions I'm not sure where the "cranky" in the title comes from, but Celeste Sunderland has written a nice piece on Charlie Kohlhase for AllAboutJazz.com; here's a snippet:

"State, New Hampshire. Party affiliation, communist. Obsession, Woody Herman’s 1963 Herd. No, it’s not Boston-based saxophonist Charlie Kohlhase. It’s the Cranky Yankee, a character he’s been known to slip into while on the road. 'He would go on and on about this 1963 Herd and the brilliance of Jake Hanna at the drums,' said Either/Orchestra founder Russ Gershon who Kohlhase played with for 14 years. 'He’s an absolutely hilarious guy.'"

Read all of Charlie Kohlhase: The Cranky Yankee.

FYI: Charlie Kohlhase isn't booked to play any Celebrity Series concerts at present, but he has played two previously with the Either/Orchestra: our Labor Day Fest at the Decordova Museum and Sculpture Park in 1995 and a What Makes It Great? program with Rob Kapilow on Duke Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder in 1998.