The Incredible Kai Winding TrombonesI think the best way to approach this album is to remember what it is: a novelty record of a "trombone choir" (Kai Winding's term for his group), consisting of 7 trombones. It also has a mellophone. A mellophone. (As a side note, this begs someone to ask whether or not Winding ever really quit Stan Kenton's band...) If that isn't a recipe for a bunch of mid-range mushiness, I don't know what is.
A brief statement: There is a difference between being musically creative and just trying something new for the sake of something new. This album isn't creative - it is simply a random experiment that turned out rather badly for those of us who don't worship at the Church of the Holy Trombone.
That many trombones makes this a niche record - I think the guy who wrote the allmusic.com review gets it just right: "Fine straight-ahead music obviously most enjoyed by listeners who like the sound of trombones."That is a remarkably polite way of saying that if you like the distinct tone of the trombone, in all of its mushy, non-offensive blandness, this is the album for you.
I have been listening to this music for a week now, and I have spent this week with a vague sense of irritation. I know that one of the reasons for this irritation is because this is the 2nd Kai Winding trombone high holy services I have attended in 3 weeks. It is frankly a rather inauspicious start to this blogging project (and frankly to impulse!). Thankfully the next 9 or 10 weeks of albums are going to be much better. But this has been way too much trombone for me.
I think the rest of my irritation is based on how boring this album is. After I listen to an album at least once a day (and for this one it is a few more times a day than that since it is just under 40 minutes long) I would expect to be able to remember track names and at least a general idea of where the each song is going. But there is so little to engage me musically on this recording, each time I listen to it is like it is new, and I mean that in the worst possible way. That is why this review is so incredibly nonspecific. I can't remember anything about it. Nothing sticks. Nothing stands out. Not even for me to take notes while I am listening.
Bye, Bye, Blackbird is the Stairway to Heaven of jazz - just like in the guitar shop in Wayne's World, the jazz community should forbid that song from ever being played again. This version is particularly horrible. 7 trombones and a mellophone working their way through it? This can only be considered a crime against humanity.
The album also contains the same tune twice, Michie (Fast) and Michie (Slow). Other than the fact that this tune is the musical jazz version of Charlie Brown's adult-character voices being done with a trombone (undifferentiated and mushy), the slow version of this song made me physically angry. The slow version is clearly a slow-tempo ballad. The first trombone solo (and all the solos for that matter) are essentially in double time. These are professional jazz musicians - that apparently never learned to improvise in a slow tempo. Why the hell the head slow and then speed it for the solos? The result is crap.
I honestly can't write any more about this album, thinking about it anymore is going to ruin my Saturday. If I didn't know what music was coming up, I would quit this project. Whoever let Creed Taylor record to Kai Winding albums in the first 3 impulse! releases should have been fired.
I am going to go listen to the next album at least 6 times in a row - Out of the Cool by The Gil Evans Orchestra. There are trombones on it, but the ratio of trombones to normal instruments is much lower than on this Kai Winding stuff. I am sorry if you like him, but it is just too Lawrence Welk for me.
I will write a better review next week I promise. It will probably be a good review too. But try to make me listen to Kai Winding again, and you get hurt.
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