Because of its almost signature identification with either European classical music or folk music forms, the violin is not always thought of as a jazz instrument. In fact, the major practitioners of the jazz violin represent a relatively small group of jazz musicians. One who has surely excelled at jazz violin, and at symphonic violin as well, is one of our host's dear friends, Joe Kennedy, Jr. who is our guest for this edition of Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center. Its always a treat when Dr. Taylor gets together with old friends and musical acquaintances, and such is the case with this warm and witty edition of the show, a program whose opening musical selection "Capricious" is a piece Dr. Taylor identifies as having recorded with his guest "many, many years ago."

The fraternity of jazz playing violinists is a small one indeed, and right away Dr. Taylor identifies Kennedy as being an amalgam of two of that fraternity's most distinguished and senior members -- Stuff Smith and Eddie South. It doesn't take long until Kennedy and Dr. Taylor are off and swinging with a version of the standard "I Love You," with Kennedy's sinewy strings literally singing the classic melody. Their conversation later veers off into Kennedy's musical beginnings as Dr. Taylor inquires as to just what it was that drew him to the violin. Seems like at an early age, Kennedy was totally taken by his initial exposure to a young Yehudi Menhuin, the late classical violin grandmaster. Among Kennedy's non-violin, influences were such virtuosos as pianist Art Tatum, trumpeter Freddie Webster, and saxmen Chu Berry and Benny Carter.

Inevitably, Kennedy's wonderful violin playing was also in European classical music as he spent 18 years playing with the Richmond Symphony. Living in Richmond, Virginia also brought Kennedy in contact with a young student of his who went to become that city's most famous sportsman, the late tennis player Arthur Ashe. Kennedy joins Dr. Taylor's trio for a warm rendition of his tune, "Always Remembered," which he wrote in memory of Ashe, and his late fellow musical friends saxophonist Budd Johnson and bassist George Duvivier.

As to Kennedy's violin influences, he responds to an audience member that he's always been more interested in emulating the sound of horns than of jazz vocalists. A particularly interesting audience query asks if Kennedy thinks of himself as a jazz musician who plays the violin, or a violinst who also plays jazz. Kennedy responds that he is simply "a violinist who can improvise," a succinct response that draws giggles from the audience. A delightfully engaging man who is given to concise answers, Kennedy answers a question about the violin's sound and approach in dealing with different types of music, like jazz and folk music. The audience member suggests that "geography often dictates the different sounds and styles."

Additional music featured on the show include "My Romance," and a swinging version of the Clifford Brown jazz classic "Joy Spring," an apt title given the musical joy Kennedy shares with our host on the show.