The Incredible Kai Winding--His Official Website

Received in email December 5, 2005:
Subject: Jay & Kai music

Dear B.J.,

Just became aware of your great Kai Winding web site - fantastic! Like yourself, I'm a lifetime Winding fan - in fact I got my first 45 EP with Jay & Kai in 1956 (I believe), at age 12.

I'm a jazz trombonist and since 1969 a radio jazz producer at NRK Oslo, Norway.

The reason I'm writing: For a lifetime I've ben thinking of putting together a Jay & Kai-group for the fun of it - and not the least for young generations who are not aware of that great 2 trombone sound. Now I'll simply do it!

[. . . .]

The best from

Erling Wicklund
Oslo, Norway

Date: January 27, 2006 8:39:27 AM EST

Dear B.J. Major,

I have just had the pleasure of visiting the official website of Kai
Winding. It is an impressive and exhaustive compilation of information and
background material on this great artist - and being a Dane I can only feel
pride of being related to him through his nationality. I am also grateful
to those who put such an effort in a contribution to his immortality - it
is really appreciated on this side of the pond.

[. . .]

Yours Sincerely
Jørn Skovsgaard
Author, Jazz-reviewer
_______________________________________________

Jørn Skovsgaard
Senior Adviser
Ministry of Education
The International Unit
Denmark

Received in email 7/11/06:

Hello,

I found your website because I was trying to look up information pertaining to Kai Winding's biography and found so much more! I'm embarrassed to admit that I did not know too much about Kai Winding although my first husband and myself named our son after him! My son Kai Cresten (middle name spelled a little different) was named after I found the name in my husband's jazz encyclopedia in 1974. Thanks to your website, I have learned a great deal and clicked on the Amazon link to order a couple of cd's.

You're probably asking yourself why would they name their child after this grat jazz artist while not knowing too much about him? Well, my husband was a sax man and just wanted the baby to have the initials KC as our last name was Jones, and at the time a grat Boston Celtics player was named KC Jones. I didn't go along with that and dragged out the jazz book and looked for a name that began with a K and middle name with a C, and thats how it happened. In the past 32 years when people have asked us about Kai's name being so unusual, we have explained the story over and over. As a matter of fact several people since have named their children after our son. Just a bit of trivia and to thank you for a wonderful website. I plan on giving my son Kai a CD of his name sake.

Sincerely,

Ginny Jones DeSilva

Received in email on March 19, 2007 from Kai Winding's widow:

Dear B.J.,

Another big thanks to you for all your unceasing work on the site. Every time I check out Kai's "Official site" I learn more about his work. I am so happy to see the photos of the Giants of Jazz. Somewhere in the States I have a small album of casual photos of the group on the road. When I visit my family in May, I will have to look for it.

All the best,

Eschwan (Winding)

Received in email: January 3, 2009 10:58:18 PM EST
Subject: A FAN OF KAI--AND YOUR WEBSITES!

BJ

Had to write, [to] tell you:

First: the most informative, tasteful, useful and effective websites I've had the pleasure of browsing. (This, from a professional communications person--writer, coordinator, video/audio producer). Just superb. "Follow your bliss"--the best advice you or anyone could follow!

Second: thanks so much for enlightening me about Kai Winding, a man I knew only through (what I now realize) was just a sliver of his professional career. Immersed in commercial radio in the 60s, I was introduced to Kai as most people were, through his hit single, More. Bought the "Kai Winding" Verve LP, which I had in my collection right up until 1999, when I (very carefully) reproduced it on cassette, when I sold my extensive collection and hit the road to Mexico (following my own personal "bliss").

I still play the cassette, and it's still one of my favourites, due, in part to Kai, and--I now know--to arranger, Claus Ogerman, a man I was familiar with through other recording sessions, including an Jobim session with Sinatra. Nice to discover more about him, too!

Have long searched in vain for CDs of Kai's 60s Creed Taylor pop/jazz Verve albums. Some of the arrangements are quite timeless (Washington Square, China Surf, etc)... maybe someday.

It's quite startling to see so many of my favourites--Jobim, Mancini, Winding--among your sites.

Again--thanks for putting it all together, so I can learn more about the other work the Dane did so well--and enjoy his widow's artwork, too.

Sincerely,

Rich Mole
Calgary, AB, Canada

Received in email: January 6, 2009 11:14:32 PM EST

Hello,

My name is Laura, and my husband, Bubba Kolb, was the house pianist at the Village Lounge - Walt Disney World, Fl.
As you know Kai performed there several times for 2 week stints. His lovely wife, Eleanor, was with him. They were such a charming, hospitable couple to be around. My husband was a trombone player with Disney also, and was thrilled to be backing Kai. He also asked for Carl Fontana, Frank Rosolino, Urbie Green and others. It was a dream gig. He stayed home, and every 2 weeks another Jazz great came in the lounge.

Anyway, I kept a scrapbook during that time with posters, pictures, and correspondence. You might be interested in some of it pertaining to Kai. I have posted some of the pics on my Flicker photo site, and have noticed them floating around on the internet. I don't mind if it is "not for profit."

Sincerely,

Laura Kolb

Received in email on 8/1/09

Hey Beej,

Thank you for everything you've done in helping to showcase one on the world's greatest trombone players, Kai Winding. Your site has given me much to absorb about Kai Windings life and contributions to jazz.

I read with great interest the anecdote about Carl and his friend Bill digging out of the closet an old trombone that had once belonged to Kai Winding. You see, many years ago, around the early to mid 90's, I happened to be in Las Vegas and wanted to have a lesson with Carl while I was there. I looked in the telephone directory and low and behold, there was Carl's phone number. I called and the phone rang for quite some time until finally an answering machine picked up. I left a message. My stay finally ended and I had to leave a little disappointed, never having heard back from Carl.

The following year I planned ahead to be able to see Carl in performance at the Four Queens, where he had a standing Monday night gig with Bobby Shew. The casino was packed for the performance and a multitude of fans and admirers, myself included, sat within the aisles of the slot machines. This looked to cause much consternation with the security who patrolled this area, as nobody was even remotely interested in gambling while these titans performed. We all sat quietly and listened as these two brought an evenings worth of standards to life, as only these two masters could.

During a break, I took advantage of the opportunity and squeezed through the crowd to go and meet my hero, Carl Fontana. As I walked up to Carl, I checked to see that he could see me approaching to greet him. Indeed he did and as I extended my hand to shake his, I introduced myself. "Mr. Fontana", I said, "my name is Erick and I just wanted to come up and meet you". To which he quickly replied, displaying his discerning ear and a great memory, "You called me a year ago!"

We spoke together for the whole break. At one point Carl stopped and asked if I wanted to buy a trombone. He told me that Kai Winding's widow wanted to sell one of his trombones to help with [hospital] expenses and asked if I was interested in buying Kai Winding's trombone. What a joyful shock it was to be offered such a historic instrument. However, I truly did not feel worthy and had to pass on that opportunity.

The article I read sparked my memory of that past exchange I had had with with one of my favorite trombonists involving another of my trombone heroes own instrument. I don't know of I did the right thing turning down the offer to buy Kai Winding's trombone. To tell you the truth, I felt both a little ill and a little relieved at the same time. I imagine I would have felt the same way had I bought it.

I just wanted to share that with you. Once again, thank you for compiling such good data on Kai Winding and so many others.

May God bless you,

Erick Djerf

P.S. Please check out my art and photography website. It's located at <www.hotbebop.com>. If you like the artwork, would you mind helping me to get out into the world and forward my website to those you think might enjoy my paintings and photography? Thanks again.

Received in email on Aug 10, 2009, at 2:35 PM

Re: Kai's lead

Barbara,

You speak of your "love affair" with Kai's playing. Well, I'm late to that party but have arrived none the less. I've been doing a re-visitation of his life's work and come away with the following: He was the greatest promoter and producer of high quality trombone ensemble literature and performance. He was without a doubt one of the, if not the greatest lead trombonist in jazz history. All of those "Kai Winding Trombones" albums are completely domonated by his personal style and vision. One can learn pretty much all there is to learn about the art and craft of lead bone playing by studying his work.

I've always liked his work, but after my re-examination of late, I have grown to really love it.

His concept of lead and section playing was so complete and advanced, you needed to be a great lead player yourself just to play the section parts under him.

Thanks for your great work which was in itself the main reason for my re-visitation to his work. Like youself, my first contact with Kai came in High School when I was first starting out playing the trombone in 1964. My parents had a old Kenton 78 disc of "Collaboration" that I listened to intensely. Soon others played a more influential role in forming my own musical style. I'm retired from playing now, but I still need to have the trombone sound close by and lately it's been dominated by Kai's work.

J.D. Smith

Received in email on Friday, February 10, 2012 from the UK:

For me discovering "J & K" in 1954 when I was 21, was like opening the window on a new world.
I didn't have my own record player then but having bought the LP would go round to my married older sister's place in the next street and play it repeatedly.
Couldn't get enough of that sound.
Went on to follow both of them through their careers, sadly losing Kai quite early.
Thank you for keeping the music alive, B.J.
[...]

Michael Young