Kai Winding
Encyclopedia
Kai Chresten Winding was a popular Danish
-born American trombonist
and jazz
composer. He is well known for a successful collaboration with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson.
. In 1934 his family immigrated to the United States
. He graduated in 1940 from Stuyvesant High School
in New York City
. His career as a professional trombonist began in 1940 with Shorty Allen's band. Subsequently, he played with Sonny Dunham
and Alvino Rey
until he entered the United States Coast Guard
during World War II
.
After the war, Winding joined Benny Goodman
's band, and later moved on to Stan Kenton
's orchestra. Winding participated in the first of the Birth of the Cool
sessions in 1949, appearing on 4 of the 12 tracks (while Johnson appears on the other eight, having participated on the other two sessions). In 1954, at the urging of producer Ozzie Cadena
, he joined forces with Johnson to produce a highly successful series of trombone duet recordings, which were initially on Savoy Records
and then on the Columbia Records
label. While at Columbia, Winding experimented with different instrumentation in brass ensembles: the 1956 album Jay & Kai + 6 features a trombone octet
, as well as Winding and Johnson performing on the trombone-like valved horn called the trombonium. Winding also arranged and/or composed many of the tracks he and Johnson recorded.
During the 1960s, Kai had a long stint at Verve Records
and under producer Creed Taylor
made some of his most memorable jazz-pop albums. His best-known recording from this period is More
, the theme from the movie Mondo Cane
. Arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman
, "More" featured what is probably the first appearance of the French electronic music instrument the Ondioline
on an American recording. Though Winding himself was credited with playing the Ondioline, guitarist Vinnie Bell, who worked on the session, has said he remembers distinctly that the French electronic-music pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey
was the actual player.
While at Verve, Kai further experimented with various ensembles, made solo albums, and even an album of country music
with the Anita Kerr Singers. In the late 1960s, Kai followed Creed Taylor to his new recording label at A&M
/CTI
and made at least two more albums with Johnson.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Kai recorded for a number of independent record labels. During this time, he continued to give clinics, play jazz concerts and even reunited with Johnson for a live concert in Japan
. He was a member of the all-star jazz group Giants of Jazz
in 1971-2. He also wrote instructional jazz trombone books that included transcribed solos.
Winding died of a brain tumor
in New York City
in 1983. He was survived at the time by his wife, the accomplished painter Ezshwan Winding, and his son, the session keyboardist Jai Winding.
1964/1965 Modern country (verve) V6-8602 (creed taylor)
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
-born American trombonist
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
composer. He is well known for a successful collaboration with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson.
Biography
Winding was born in Aarhus, DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. In 1934 his family immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He graduated in 1940 from Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. His career as a professional trombonist began in 1940 with Shorty Allen's band. Subsequently, he played with Sonny Dunham
Sonny Dunham
Elmer "Sonny" Dunham was an American trumpet player and bandleader.Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, the son of Elmer and Ethel Dunham, he attended local schools and took lessons on the valve trombone at the age of 7. He changed to the slide trombone at age 11, and was playing in local bands by...
and Alvino Rey
Alvino Rey
Alvin McBurney , known by his stage name Alvino Rey, was an American swing era musician and pioneer, often credited as the father of the pedal steel guitar...
until he entered the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
After the war, Winding joined Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
's band, and later moved on to Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
's orchestra. Winding participated in the first of the Birth of the Cool
Birth of the Cool
Birth of the Cool is a compilation album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 1957 on Capitol Records. It compiles twelve songs recorded by Davis's nonet for the label over the course of three sessions during 1949 and 1950...
sessions in 1949, appearing on 4 of the 12 tracks (while Johnson appears on the other eight, having participated on the other two sessions). In 1954, at the urging of producer Ozzie Cadena
Ozzie Cadena
Oscar "Ozzie" Cadena was an American record producer with Savoy Records and Prestige Records who recorded gospel and jazz music in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and helped popularize jazz music in Los Angeles.-Background:...
, he joined forces with Johnson to produce a highly successful series of trombone duet recordings, which were initially on Savoy Records
Savoy Records
Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
and then on the Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
label. While at Columbia, Winding experimented with different instrumentation in brass ensembles: the 1956 album Jay & Kai + 6 features a trombone octet
Octet
-Music:* Octet , ensemble consisting of eight instruments or voices, or composition written for such an ensemble* Octet , 1793 composition by Ludwig van Beethoven* Octet , 1825 composition by Felix Mendelssohn...
, as well as Winding and Johnson performing on the trombone-like valved horn called the trombonium. Winding also arranged and/or composed many of the tracks he and Johnson recorded.
During the 1960s, Kai had a long stint at Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
and under producer Creed Taylor
Creed Taylor
Creed Taylor is an American record producer, best known for his work with CTI Records, which he founded in 1968. Taylor’s career also included work at Bethlehem Records, ABC-Paramount, Verve, and A&M Records...
made some of his most memorable jazz-pop albums. His best-known recording from this period is More
More (Theme from Mondo Cane)
"More " is a film score song written by Riz Ortolani and Nino Oliviero for the 1962 Mondo film Mondo cane. Originally composed as an instrumental and titled "Ti guarderò nel cuore", lyrics were later provided by Marcello Ciorciolini, which were adapted into English by Norman Newell...
, the theme from the movie Mondo Cane
Mondo cane
Mondo cane is a documentary written and directed by Italian filmmakers Paolo Cavara, Franco Prosperi and Gualtiero Jacopetti. The film consists of a series of travelogue vignettes that provide glimpses into cultural practices around the world with the intention to shock or surprise Western film...
. Arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman
Claus Ogerman
Claus Ogerman is a German musical arranger/ orchestrator, conductor, and composer, best known for his works with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra and Diana Krall.-Life and work:...
, "More" featured what is probably the first appearance of the French electronic music instrument the Ondioline
Ondioline
The Ondioline is an electronic keyboard instrument, invented in 1941 by the Frenchman Georges Jenny, and is a forerunner of today's synthesizers.The Ondioline was capable of creating a wide variety of sounds...
on an American recording. Though Winding himself was credited with playing the Ondioline, guitarist Vinnie Bell, who worked on the session, has said he remembers distinctly that the French electronic-music pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey
Jean-Jacques Perrey
Jean-Jacques Perrey is a French electronic music producer and was an early pioneer in the genre. He is best known within the sphere of popular music as a member of the influential electronic music duo Perrey and Kingsley, and for his unusually light-hearted style of music.-Biography:Perrey was...
was the actual player.
While at Verve, Kai further experimented with various ensembles, made solo albums, and even an album of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
with the Anita Kerr Singers. In the late 1960s, Kai followed Creed Taylor to his new recording label at A&M
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
/CTI
CTI Records
CTI Records was a jazz record label founded in 1967 by producer/A&R manager Creed Taylor. Initially, CTI was a subsidiary of A&M Records, but the label went independent in 1970...
and made at least two more albums with Johnson.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Kai recorded for a number of independent record labels. During this time, he continued to give clinics, play jazz concerts and even reunited with Johnson for a live concert in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He was a member of the all-star jazz group Giants of Jazz
Giants of Jazz
The Giants of Jazz was a jazz all-star group of the 1970s which featured Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Al McKibbon, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Stitt, and Kai Winding. They recorded albums for Atlantic Records, Concord Records. and Emarcy Records....
in 1971-2. He also wrote instructional jazz trombone books that included transcribed solos.
Winding died of a brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1983. He was survived at the time by his wife, the accomplished painter Ezshwan Winding, and his son, the session keyboardist Jai Winding.
Discography
Albums with J. J. Johnson as co-leader
- 1954: Jay and Kai Savoy SV0163 (CD)
- 1954: An Afternoon at Birdland
- 1954: Jay and Kai Prestige
- 1955: 'Nuf Said Bethlehem 20-40062 (CD)
- 1955: Trombone for TwoTrombone for TwoTrombone For Two is a 1956 album by jazz trombonists J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding . It was the first of five albums that Winding and Johnson recorded for Columbia Records...
Columbia (LP); Collectables (CD) - 1956: Jay and Kai + 6Jay and Kai + 6Jay and Kai + 6 is the fifth album by jazz trombonists J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding, credited on this album as The Jay and Kai Trombone Octet. The title refers to the six trombonists who accompany Johnson and Winding on the recording. Columbia Records released the album as a monaural LP record...
Columbia (LP); Collectables (CD) - 1960: The Great Kai & J. J.The Great Kai & J. J.The Great Kai & J. J. is an album by American jazz trombonists Kai Winding and J. J. Johnson featuring performances recorded in 1960 as the very first release for the Impulse! label .-Reception:...
Impulse! RecordsImpulse! RecordsImpulse! Records was an American jazz record label, originally established in 1960 by producer Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount Records, based in New York City...
MCAD-42012 - 1968: Betwixt & Between (CTI RecordsCTI RecordsCTI Records was a jazz record label founded in 1967 by producer/A&R manager Creed Taylor. Initially, CTI was a subsidiary of A&M Records, but the label went independent in 1970...
) - 1968: Israel (CTI)
Solo albums
- 1960: The Incredible Kai Winding TrombonesThe Incredible Kai Winding TrombonesThe Incredible Kai Winding Trombones is an album by American jazz trombonist Kai Winding featuring performances recorded in 1960 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
(Impulse!) - 1961: Kai Ole
- 1963: The Kai Winding Trombones (Jazz Vault)
- 1965: Rainy Day (verve) V-8620
- 1967: Penny Lane and Time (verve) V-8691
1964/1965 Modern country (verve) V6-8602 (creed taylor)