J.J. and Kai's ISRAEL (A&M)

[Jim R]

I just came across a listing for a CD titled "My Funny Valentine" by J.J. and Kai, and soon realized it was a reissue of their A&M album ISRAEL, which I've never come across on CD (maybe it's been out in Japan, but if so, I missed it). Does anybody know anything about the NFR label? I don't expect I'll be seeing this in any local brick & mortars any time soon... anyway, just curious.

More info on the original album:

K. & J.J.

ISRAEL

A&M/CTi SP-3008

Released 1968

Produced by Creed Taylor

Songs:

1. My Funny Valentine (Rodgers/Hart) - 4:20*

2. Israel (John Carisi) - 5:20**

3. Catherine's Theme (Francis Lai) - 5:10*

4. Am I Blue/Sonnyboy (Akst/Clarke/DeSylva/Brown/Henderson/Jolson) - 4:30*

5. Never My Love (D. & D. Adrissi) - 3:00***

6. Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week (Jules Styne/Sammy Cahn) - 2:55**

7. St. James Infirmary (Joe Primrose) - 4:00**

8. Django (John Lewis) - 4:45*

9. Try To Remember (Tom Jones/Harvey Schmidt) - 4:05*

* - Arranged by Don Sebesky

** - Arranged by J.J. Johnson

*** - Arranged by Kai Winding

Musicians:

J.J. Johnson - Trombone

Kai Winding - Trombone

Ron Carter - Bass

Richard Davis - Bass (1, 4, 8, 9)

Grady Tate - Drums

Eric Gale - Guitar

Bucky Pizarelli - Guitar (1, 4, 8, 9)

Herbie Hancock - Piano, Electric Piano, Harpsichord

Ross Tompkins - Piano, Electric Piano, Harpsichord (1, 4, 8, 9)

Eugene Bianco - Harp (1, 4, 8, 9)

Bernie Glow - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Al Brown - Viola

George Ricci - Cello

Violin - Lewis Eley, Leo Kruczek, Charles Libove, David Nadien, Eugene Orloff, Tosha Samaroff

Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon - Phil Bodner, Walter Kane, George Marge, Romeo Penque, Frank Schwartz

Recorded at Van Gelder Studios

Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer

Recorded February 19; March 4, 12; April 16, 1968

Cover Photographs by Pete Turner

Album Design by Sam Antupit

Liner notes by Ira Gitler

Edited August 31, 2006 by Jim R

[Bluerein]

I can't seem to find it on the net (besides through this NFR site). Strange, never heard of them.

[tjobbe]

few words about the label as far as I can get it:

the label owner is a german musician called Knut Kiesewetter who even recorded some "Jazz-a-like" stuff like THIS here. That mentioned label should basically server for himself releasing music but as well for other local acts coming from the norther german area attached to the dutch border...called Friesland (partially located in the Netherlands as well as in Germany)

WHY there are two Jazz records obviously having no relationship to Kiesewetter as musician... no clue

You can get records of that label through german jpc.de website but only those from Kiesewetter himself.

Hope that helps for now....

Cheers, Oliver

EDIT: some more data (unfortunately in German only here: http://www.knutkiesewetter.de/lifeline.html)

Edited August 31, 2006 by tjobbe

[Claude]

WHY there are two Jazz records obviously having no relationship to Kiesewetter as musician... no clue

The Wilbur de Paris is a Collectables release, so it could be that the Jay and Kai has nothing to do with Kiesewetter's label as well

http://www.oldies.com/product-view/64002.html

Edited August 31, 2006 by Claude

[mikeweil]

EDIT: some more data (unfortunately in German only here: http://www.knutkiesewetter.de/lifeline.html)

The bio states Kiesewetter started as a trombonist, inspired by Jack Teagarden, and started singing because Teagarden did - maybe these two records are old favorites.

[Jim R]

WHY there are two Jazz records obviously having no relationship to Kiesewetter as musician... no clue

The Wilbur de Paris is a Collectables release, so it could be that the Jay and Kai has nothing to do with Kiesewetter's label as well

Except that they have NFR on the cover. New cover, new title for the A&M album... I can't help but wonder if this guy went through the (ahem) proper channels. Ah well, whatever. Thanks to all for the input.

Edited September 1, 2006 by Jim R

[Bluerein]

To answer all the questions I've mailed him and asked if I could buy this CD from him.

I usually don't post private emails but this one is so special I'll post it and it clears up everything as well:

Dear Reinier,

you reminded me of something! I´m a jazzmusician just as you (trombonist and

singer)and was a friend of Kai Winding.

In the sixties I bought the LP "Israel" and heard it very very often. When I met

Kai the last time he told me that I could buy a CD of this production privately

in the USA and so I did for a hell of money.

Now I thought that there will be any jazzmusicians in Germany who are interested

in this CD too. But there ain´t any. After years you are the first one who

ordered it.

So this will be a present of mine and the CD will disappear from my page.

Give me your adress and you will get it.

Keep swinging

Knut Kiesewetter

How nice don't you think!!!!!

[marcoliv]

according to the CTI discography website this one has been released twice in Japan (POCM-5023 02/12/1992) & (D32Y-3818 1987)

MCO

[Jim R]

To answer all the questions I've mailed him and asked if I could buy this CD from him.

I usually don't post private emails but this one is so special I'll post it and it clears up everything as well:

Dear Reinier,

you reminded me of something! I´m a jazzmusician just as you (trombonist and

singer)and was a friend of Kai Winding.

In the sixties I bought the LP "Israel" and heard it very very often. When I met

Kai the last time he told me that I could buy a CD of this production privately

in the USA and so I did for a hell of money.

Now I thought that there will be any jazzmusicians in Germany who are interested

in this CD too. But there ain´t any. After years you are the first one who

ordered it.

So this will be a present of mine and the CD will disappear from my page.

Give me your adress and you will get it.

Keep swinging

Knut Kiesewetter

How nice don't you think!!!!!

That's very nice of him, but it doesn't really clear up everything... for me, at least. Winding provided (or told him where to get) a privately produced CD? I'm not sure what that means (a limited CD run? a CDR?) Then, Kiesewetter makes the recording available through NFR... and my question is... how many NFR CD's were produced? It would also seem natural to question the legitimacy of this guy's operation (kind of odd how he altered the cover of that Collectables release), but I'm not really all that concerned about that. I just wonder how this worked logistically. Does he have an inventory that he's now going to dump locally, or what?

=====

Marcus, thanks for the info... I kind of suspected that was the case.

Edited September 4, 2006 by Jim R

[Daniel A]

Kai Winding died in 1983. I can't imagine anyone was able to privately manufacture a CD in those days.

[Bluerein]

I don't know but it's possible he altered the pictures of the cover for the web site. Easily done with photoshop or something similar. Let's wait and I'll post a report of the cd when it arrives.

[Bluerein]

Just received the cd. It's a home made cover for a cd-r. So that says it all. Nice of him to send it to me anyway.

[shaft]

Hi,

A CD-R made from Vinyl or tapes?

/Shaft

[Bluerein]

I believe LP but didn't listen that closely. To be honest I don't like the music at all.