JJ Johnson & Kai Winding - Trombone for Two 1956 [Remastered, 2007]

2 classic Columbia albums from the duo of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding – back to back on a single CD! First up is Trombone For Two – a 1955 session that features some really magical interplay from the twin-trombone team of Johnson and Winding! The great thing about the set is the way in which both players really bring a sense of "voice" to their music – trading back and forth almost like two friends chatting in friendly conversation – but managing to do so with a lot more swing than most! Backings are by Dick Katz on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums – and there's a short, simple brilliance to these tunes that's hard to deny. Titles include "We Two", "It's Sand Man", "Give Me The Simple Life", "Turnabout", and "Trombone For Two". Jay & Kai captures JJ Johnson and Kai Winding at the height of their dual powers – working together beautifully at a level that both embraces the modern sound of the trombone in larger 50s ensembles, but also offers up the more fluid personality of the instrument in the smaller combo scene! The pair have a great way of coming together at the start, then splitting off to find their own space on the tunes – a wonderful antidote to some of the too-tight trombone lines of the 50s, and a great reminder that there's always a voice behind the horn. The group on the record features Dick Katz on piano and celeste, plus either Bill Crow or Milt Hinton on bass, and Shadow Wilson or Kenny Clarke on drums. Candido plays a bit of percussion on the track "Caribe" – and the pair play tromboniums on the tune "Tromboniums In Motion". Other tracks include "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe", "The Song Is You", and "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning".

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow
The J.J. Johnson-Kai Winding quintet became one of the more unlikely successes of the mid-'50s, recording nine albums during their two years of steady collaborations. Their first Columbia LP (there would be five) has such likable songs as "Give Me the Simple Life," "Trombone for Two," "It's Sand Man," "Let's Get Away from It All" and "This Can't Be Love." With pianist Dick Katz, bassist Paul Chambers (who would soon join Miles Davis) and drummer Osie Johnson, the focus is almost entirely on the competitive but complementary trombonists. The results are bop-based but full of surprises, tasteful but not always predictable. All of this group's albums deserve to be reissued in coherent fashion on CD; this one will be hard to find.