The Night Beat with guest Darren Kramer
Join Doug Crane and his special guest, Darren Kramer, an instructor of music and jazz trombone at Colorado State University, during the 8 p.m. hour. They’ll be sampling and discussing several recordings co-led by trombonists J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding, primarily from the late 1940s to the early 1960s.
We’re featuring the J.J./Kai recordings to let you know about some upcoming shows at Nocturne that feature The Darren Kramer Quintet in the company of either John Fedchock or Steve Davis as the second trombonist; as they will recreate the sound of the J.J./Kai duo. The quintet will play at Nocturne on 3 Fridays - September 5, 12, and 19, for two sets each night, along with outstanding local rhythm sections.
The best of the J.J./Kai recordings featured quite inventive arrangements of either popular songs of the time or originals written by the two men. The ones penned by J.J. are probably the strongest, but that’s a matter of opinion. And once you become familiar with their playing styles, it’s relatively easy to tell whether it’s J.J. or Kai when they’re soloing.
Trivia: the very first album issued on Impulse Records was “The Great Kai and J.J.: Brand New and Swinging Together Again,” produced by Creed Taylor. He must have been a big fan of the J.J./Kai duo, as he produced an album by them for Bethlehem Records in the mid-1950s, the aforementioned album for Impulse, and three more for his CTI label in the late 1960s.
If you’re interested in learning about some not-well-known and rarely heard pieces of jazz history, please tune in on Wednesday, September 3, at 8 p.m. for The Night Beat Jazz Beyond Category with your host Doug Crane and special guest Darren Kramer.
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