What beautiful music these cats make together. I saw JJ at an ITA summer workshop in Nashville in the mid-1980s. A real gentleman. Christian Lindberg was also there. JJ said about Lindberg: "I'm sure glad that guy doesn't play bebop!"
I was considered a weird teenager in the mid 50s as I preferred Jazz to Pop and Rock & Roll was in it's infancy. I grew up in the Canadian prairies and Jazz was foreign and no radio stations there or in North Dakota our neighbouring US state ever played it. Luckily my room was on the 3rd floor and so I could get Chicago stations late at night to satisfy my Jazz wants. The girl at my favourite record store tipped me off to latest Jazz recordings she brought in. She would let me take an LP some still in 10in format, into one if the 5 playing booths and keep them coming. When I first heard JJ and Kai and this number I had to come up with the grand sum of $4.20 to buy it and I did. I tried to play my snare drum along but man it was fast. I still had that LP until 2 years ago. Pure Genius and fab blending. It is most unlikely that any duo can replicate JJ and Kai.
I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with J.J. Johnson at his home in Indianapolis back in the early '90s. Wonderful man -- charming, highly opinionated, sharply peceptive about matters both musical and otherwise. He seemed like a content, centered, wise, and deeply thoughtful man. (What a kick it was when he answered his phone, and Benny Carter was on the line!) When he committed suicide a few years later, I was shocked. RIP to a gentleman and a genius.
TG to the people who saved these videos, so that history is saved. J.J. is sorely missed and it is so great that these are being put up by fans. Thank you, whoever you are!
Cole Porter was the complete composer. His music is current today! Knew Kai in Los Angeles in the seventies and used to go to Richie Kamuca's house in the Hollywood Hills regularly. Great parties with his wife Dorie.
And they were so fuckin' YOUNG! (Me too!) Thanks heaven for "little girl" and Internet. We still have an access to those treasures and me coming from Czechoslovakia, it will take me rest of my life to play, listen and catch up with everything I've missed. THANK YOU!
Not often 2 trombonists can be found to agree about anything! These two have such a rapport it's not easy to tell where one leaves off and the other begins.
I had this on a 12" vinyl which I bought in 1955 as 'K+ JJ' I now also have it on a CD called 'Nuf Said' - identical + a few more tracks. - Avenue Jazz - Bethlehem Archives - R2 75995
Fabulous. Thanks Ezshwan for sending the link! Really enjoyed your piece on your life with Kai and of course, admire your many drawing and paintings. Bravo!
I’m so sorry you gave up the trombone The only instrument conceived by God himself I never set the world on fire but I was a professional trombonist for 61 years We should never give up our dreams kindest regards TonyG
JoeyKuel Part of the tone difference is they're using different size instruments. I used to have a similar larger belled trombone like JJ is using, as well as a smaller more standard like Kai is playing. There is a notable difference in tone. I always liked the larger instrument better, but it was significantly more difficult to play in the upper registers. The broader, more mellow tone that melted panties was worth it though. But I must admit in this instance Kai's solo was more nuanced. Other times JJ is better. It balances.
idk, i guess its personal preference. But i know that i personally sound ten times better on a small bore trombone for jazz playing rather than a large bore for classical playing, it might just be the different mouthpiece and trombone sizes but i find it troubling considering i want to be a classical player and i would most likely be using a large bore for that
+JoeyKuel I am currently using an Accent trombone with a .525 bore and 6 1/2AL mouth piece and I love it compared to one I used when I was in highschool which was a .500 bore and from a brand I forgot. It was great because it sounded very bright ( both horns having f attachments) but for classical playing....it just....wasn't there. it was too bright. My new horn that I own however ( the Accent trombone I mentioned before) sounds WONDERFUL in its very rich tone but not too dark or bright....it's just perfect. When I play some marches it sounds awesome and with jazz....ugh..just perfectly sweet.
These guys are wonderful, and I don't think they would mind me posting this link because it features a lesser known friend and peer of theirs, Frank Rehak: soundcloud.com/dougrobinson/its-alright-with-me-performed-by-frank-rehak-and-doug-robinson In 1979, my mentor and friend Frank Rehak handed me charts to JJ Johnson's wonderful arrangement of this classic song. Frank was a peer of JJ and Kai Winding and all the other great trombonists of the '50s and '60s. JJ had arranged the tune for several trombones and rhythm section. I was 24 and hadn't touched the drums for a few years, but I sat down at a steam driven Tapesonic Sound on Sound tape recorder and laid the drum part down to the best of my ability. I then played the fretless bass part and finally the piano part. Frank then laid down 6 trombone parts, one more brilliant than the next. It was a tribute to his pals, I believe...drug addiction had kept him from staying at the top of the game but now that he had been clean for over a decade, I'm sure he wanted to get the word out that he was still playing well. Frank Rehak passed away in 1986, but left me with a mountain of old recordings which I transferred to digital in order to create a website: frankrehak.com. You'll hear him playing with Kai and JJ, Urbie Green, Bill Watrous and Frank Rosolino as well as Cannonball Adderly, Miles Davis, Coltrane and every big band leader you can think of. Check it out!
JJ is playing a King M21, which was the stock mouthpiece for the 3B and 2Bs for a while. It's about the same size as a Bach 7. I don't know what Kai is playing. Both were King endorsers for a long time. Toword the end of his life, JJ endorsed Yamaha trombones.
most of them go along with the classic statement: " I play whatever's in my case or closest to my hand" the story is that Urbie took every mpce known into a boat and threw them overboard one at a time and played the last one left. the point being: play whatever YOU are comfortable with, not what anyone else plays.
Jay was endorsing Yamaha around the late '80s. When I saw him in '88, he was playing a Yamaha. They are definitely playing Kings in this vid. It looks like JJ has a 3B and Kai, a 2B. Earl Williams and Larry Minick horns also had curved braces...not in the same spot of course! Also, I meant "toward!"
