Kai WINDING - Jazz For Playboys 1962-67

Kai WINDING - Jazz For Playboys 1962-67
Label: Verve
Reissued: 2008

Jazz

Delightful compilation by the German jazz expert Matthias Künnecke (with special assistance from Douglas Payne) including 20 tracks recorded by one of the world's top trombonists ever for the Verve label, during the 60s, under the aegis of superproducer Creed Taylor. Among the featured sidemen: Ron Carter, Grady Tate, Bucky Pizzarelli, Romeo Penque, Hubert Laws, Bill Watrous, Ross Tompkins and Russell George (the underrated bassist who currently works as a violin player with Ed Reed in San Francisco!) The arrangements were mostly written by Winding himself, but Oliver Nelson scored Henry Mancini's "Hatari".
There are three Brazilian tunes in the repertoire: Jobim's "Once I Loved" (aka "Amor em Paz"), Djalma Ferreira's "Recado Bossa Nova" and Carlos Lyra's "Lugar Bonito", also covered for Verve by Astrud Gilberto on the "Look to the Rainbow" album. Anyway, there's a lot of bossa nova tinge in other tracks such as Kai's own "I'm Your Bunny Bossa Nova". The versions of "Laura", "Playboy's Theme", "Un Homme et Une Femme", "A Time for Love" and "Just for Tonight" also deserve attention.
**
One of the finest trombonists to emerge from the bebop era, Kai Winding was always to an extent overshadowed by J.J. Johnson although they co-led one of the most popular jazz groups of the mid-'50s.

Born in Denmark, Winding emigrated to the U.S. with his family when he was 12. He had short stints with the orchestras of Alvino Rey and Sonny Dunham and played in a service band in the Coast Guard for three years. Winding's first burst of fame occured during his year with Stan Kenton's Orchestra (1946-47) during which his phrasing influenced and was adopted by the other trombonists, leading to a permanent change in the Kenton sound. He also participated in some early bop sessions, played with Tadd Dameron (1948-49) and was on one of the Miles Davis' nonet's famous recording sessions. After playing with the big bands of Charlie Ventura and Benny Goodman, he formed a quintet with J.J. Johnson (1954-56); the two trombonists (who sounded nearly identical at the time) had occasional reunions after going their separate ways.

Winding led a four-trombone septet off and on through the latter half of the 1950s and into the '60s, was music director for the Playboy clubs in New York and during 1971-72 worked with the Giants of Jazz (an all-star group with Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt and Thelonious Monk). Although he recorded frequently both as a leader and a sideman throughout his career, most of Winding's sessions are
not currently available on CD.
**
01. Night Side 02:32
02. I'm Your Bunny Bossa Nova 02:41
03. Playboy's Theme 02:33
04. Watermelon Man 02:59
05. Laura 02:49
06. Hatari 02:30
07. Once I Loved (Amor Em Paz) 03:53
08. Capricious 02:13
09. We Fell In Love In The Rain 02:36
10. Days Of Wine And Roses 02:14
11. A Man And A Woman (Um Homme Et Une Femme) 02:56
12. Puddles 02:26
13. Stella By Starlight 02:19
14. Hey There 03:37
15. April Showers 02:39
16. Recado Bossa Nova 03:48
17. Pretty Place (Lugar Bonito) 02:46
18. A Time For Love 02:26
19. Mini-Skirt 03:31
20. Just For Tonight 01:52
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*