The Incredible Kai Winding--His Official Website

Caricature of Kai Winding by Bill Utterback for Playboy Enterprises, Inc.
These drawings were created for each of the Jazz Poll winners each year.
Kai placed third place in this particular poll (1966), right behind J.J. Johnson and Si Zentner, just ahead of Bob Brookmeyer.
This drawing was done in February 1967.

Kai Winding Jazz Choir Competition--"Established in 1987 to honor the late jazz trombonist Kai Winding, this competition was first held in 1988. It was created by the officers and Board of ITA as a new competition for jazz trombone ensembles of four to ten trombones plus rhythm section". Current recipient of this award plus a listing of past recipients can be
seen at the ITA site, here.

The following is a letter received by Ezshwan Winding from the Eastman School of Music. It was written January 8, 1986 by John Marcellus, Professor of Trombone:

I would like to thank you, through the assistance of Chuck Mangione, for giving the Eastman School of Music the entire Kai Winding Trombone Septet Library of over 200 arrangements.

Kai is the most important figure in the 20th Century to establish the jazz trombone ensemble as a viable medium in concert appearances, club dates and records. Likewise, most of the important jazz trombone soloists perform with his various trombone ensembles whether it was the classic duo of Jai and Kai, the Septet, J and K + 6 or the other jazz trombone ensembles Kai was involved in.

It's quite an honor to have his library located here (it will be housed in the Sibley Music Library, probably the largest collection of its kind in the world--we will be utilizing copies of the originals so they won't be damaged) and I will be forming, as part of the Eastman Trombone Choir, like the Bionic Bones, the Eastman-Winding Trombone Septet, devoted specifically to the medium of the trombone quartet and rhythm section established by Kai Winding. . .

Enclosed please find 1) a cassette tape and program of "Trombone Panorama, A Tribute to Kai Winding", performed November 1, 1984 and aired locally over WXXI-FM; 2) a cassette tape and program of our latest Bionix Bones concert (11/3/85), where we performed two of Kai's arrangements, “It's Alright with Me” and “Stardust”; 3) a program from the Concord Hotel where we performed the Panorama again on November 23, 1984.

Also enclosed is a form from the Sibley Music Library which needs to be filled out and returned for their records. If you could return this at your convenience in the enclosed envelope I would appreciate it very much.

It was my pleasure to meet you when you were in Rochester and again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for such a significant gift to the Eastman School and in particular to the future musicians of the 21st Century and beyond.

Sincerely Yours,
John