Zoot Sims
Throughout his career, Zoot Sims was famous for epitomizing the swinging musician, never playing an inappropriate phrase. He always sounded inspired, and although his style did not change much after the early 1950s, Zoot's enthusiasm and creativity never wavered.
Zoot's family was involved in vaudeville, and he played drums and clarinet as a youth. His older brother, Ray Sims, developed into a fine trombonist who sounded like Bill Harris. At age 13, Sims switched permanently to the tenor, and his initial inspiration was Lester Young, although he soon developed his own cool-toned sound. Sims was a professional by the age of 15, landing his first important job with Bobby Sherwood's Orchestra, and he joined Benny Goodman's big band for the first time in 1943; he would be one of BG's favorite tenormen for the next 30 years. He recorded with Joe Bushkin in 1944, and even at that early stage, his style was largely set.
After a period in the Army, Sims was with Goodman from 1946-1947. He gained his initial fame as one of Woody Herman's "Four Brothers" during his time with the Second Herd (1947-1949). Zoot had brief stints with Buddy Rich's short-lived big band, Artie Shaw, Goodman (1950), Chubby Jackson, and Elliot Lawrence. He toured and recorded with Stan Kenton (1953) and Gerry Mulligan (1954-1956). Sims was also a star soloist with Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band of the early '60s and visited the Soviet Union with Benny Goodman in 1962. A freelancer throughout most of his career, Sims often led his own combos or co-led bands with his friend Al Cohn; the two tenors had very similar sounds and styles. Zoot started doubling on soprano quite effectively in the '70s. Through the years, he appeared in countless situations, and always seemed to come out ahead. Fortunately, Zoot Sims recorded frequently, leading sessions for Prestige, Metronome, Vogue, Dawn, Storyville, Argo, ABC-Paramount, Riverside, United Artists, Pacific Jazz, Bethlehem, Colpix, Impulse, Groove Merchant, Famous Door, Choice, Sonet, and a wonderful series for Pablo.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Tenor Conclave
Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims
Jazz - Released by Prestige on Oct 29, 2022
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims
Jazz - Released by Blue Note Records on Jan 1, 1956
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
A Gasser!
Jazz - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on Sep 5, 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Basie & Zoot
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Apr 9, 1975
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Zoot Suite (Live)
Bebop - Released by HighNote Records on Feb 15, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Down Home (Remastered 2013)
Jazz - Released by Bethlehem Records on Jun 3, 2012
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Zoot Sims Plays Johnny Mandel: Quietly There
Jazz - Released by Fantasy Records on Jan 1, 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Celebration Of Duke
Sarah Vaughan, Zoot Sims, Joe Pass, Milt Jackson, Ray Brown, Mickey Roker
Vocal Jazz - Released by Pablo on Jan 1, 1980
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims
Jazz - Released by Blue Note Records on Jan 1, 1956
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Recado Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova - Released by Fresh Sound Records on Nov 16, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Suddenly It's Spring
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on May 26, 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Alive! A Night At The Half Note (Live)
Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Phil Woods
Jazz - Released by Blue Note Records on Jan 1, 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stretching Out
Jazz - Released by Blue Note Records on Aug 9, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Choice (Remastered 2002)
Jazz - Released by Blue Note Records on Jan 1, 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Wish I Were Twins
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Jan 1, 1981
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gerry Mulligan And The Concert Jazz Big Band feat. Zoot Sims, Zürich 1960 / Swiss Radio Days, Jazz Series Vol.12
Jazz - Released by TCB - The Montreux Jazz Label™ on Jan 1, 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Tenor Giants Featuring Oscar Peterson
Zoot Sims, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Jazz - Released by Pablo on Jan 1, 1975
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Zoot Sims Avec Henri Renaud Et Son Orchestre
French Music - Released by New Release Catalog on Jan 1, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Loose Blues
Bill Evans, Zoot Sims, Jim Hall, Ron Carter, Philly Joe Jones
Jazz - Released by Milestone on Jan 1, 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo