Kai Winding

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Kai Winding 1946 (Photo: William P. Gottlieb )

Kai Chresten Winding (born May 18, 1922 in Aarhus , Denmark , † May 6, 1983 in Yonkers , New York ) was an American jazz trombonist of Danish origin.

Live and act

Winding's family emigrated to the United States in 1934. He began his musical career in 1940 and initially played with Sonny Dunham and Alvino Rey (1941). After engagements in the bands of Shorty Allen , Benny Goodman (1945-46), Stan Kenton (1946-47) and Charlie Ventura (1947-48) and Tadd Dameron (1948-49), he led a combo with Buddy Stewart and was on participated in the Birth of the Cool recordings by Miles Davis , and subsequently worked with Gerry Mulligan . After working for radio and television, he worked from 1954 to 1956JJ Johnson as the second trombonist in the quintet, which became very popular. In Charles Mingus' Jazz Composers Workshop , four trombonists (also Willie Dennis and Bennie Green ) played with a rhythm section made up of John Lewis , Charles Mingus and Art Taylor . In the mid-fifties he founded a septet with Carl Fontana and Wayne Andre (tb), Dick Lieb (b-tb, bar-horn) and a rhythm section made up of Roy Frazee (p), Kenny O'Brien (b) and Jack Franklin ( dr). He later worked as a studio musician in New York. During this time he was already concerned with the use of electronic means in a wind ensemble. In 1962, Winding became musical director of Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club . Advised by producer Creed Taylor , he recorded several albums with jazz-oriented pop music during this time, such as More with the theme song for the film Mondo Cane arranged by Claus Ogerman . A number of albums during this period can also be assigned to the easy listening genre. He then worked again with JJ Johnson, giving workshops and concerts. In the early 1970s he took part in two tours with the Giants of Jazz ( Dizzy Gillespie , Sonny Stitt , Thelonious Monk , Al McKibbon and Art Blakey ). At the end of the 1970s, Kai Winding formed the group Trombone Summit with trombonists Bill Watrous , Albert Mangelsdorff and Jiggs Whigham , with whom he made a record in 1980 for the German label MPS. In 1980 he played in a combo with Curtis Fuller .

Winding was one of the first trombonists to successfully engage with the bebop ; But he always remained committed to swing and was also looking for extensions in modern jazz . Compared to JJ Johnson, his tone is rougher on the trumpet. He also recorded with Neal Hefti , the Kirby Stone Four , the Anita Kerr Singers and Chubby Jackson .

Winding died of complications from a brain tumor.

(From left: Eddie Safranski , Kai Winding, Stan Kenton , Pete Rugolo and Shelly Manne , circa January 1946. Photograph by William P. Gottlieb .

Discographic notes

Kai Winding, Don Lamond and Bubba Kolb
  • Kai and Jay with Bennie Green and Strings (OJC, 1952-54)
  • Trombone for Two / Trombone Sound (Collectables, 1955/56)
  • Nuff Said (Rhino, 1955) with JJ Johnson, Dick Katz , Tommy Potter , Al Harewood
  • Jive at Five (Status, 1957) with Carl Fontana
  • Bon Appetit: The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions (Black & Blue, 1980) with Curtis Fuller, Hank Jones , John Clayton , Jimmy Cobb
  • Jazz for Playboys: Kai Winding (Jazz Club / Verve / Universal, 2008)
  • In 2012 a CD was released in the series' Jazzplus' (Label Verve ), which compiled or re-released a total of 24 pieces from two of his records, namely by Soul Surfin ' and by Mondo Cane

literature

Web links

swell

  1. ^ "Kai Winding" - Discography Discography by Doug Payne.
  2. ↑ http://www.spaceagepop.com/winding.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/08/obituaries/kai-winding-60-trombonist-and-a-leader-of-jazz-groups.html
  4. ↑ audio samples
personal data
SURNAME Winding, Kai
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Winding, Kai Chresten (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz trombonist
DATE OF BIRTH May 18, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Aarhus , Denmark
DATE OF DEATH May 6, 1983
Place of death Yonkers , New York