The Great Kai and JJ (Acoustic Sounds)

The first-ever Impulse release (catalog number A-1) and known as one of the best efforts of Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson, this 1960 session features a collection of jazz heavyweights, including Bill Evans (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Art Taylor and Roy Haynes (drums). Evans’ playing, in particular, raises this album beyond a mere Kai and J.J. and spotlights the group as a whole. Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.