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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Zoot Sims And The Gershwin Brothers (Album Version)
Jazz - Released by Fantasy Records on Jun 6, 1975
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Zoot Sims And The Gershwin Brothers [Original Jazz Classics Remasters]
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Jun 6, 1975
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Somebody Loves Me (Remastered)
Zoot Sims, Bucky Pizzarelli, Buddy Rich
Jazz - Released by LRC Ltd. - Groove Merchant Records on Jan 1, 1974
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims (Expanded Edition)
Jazz - Released by EMI on Jul 28, 1956
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Brothers
Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Allen Eager, Brew Moore
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Apr 8, 1949
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tangerine
Zoot Sims, Modern Jazz Giants and Cool Jazz
Jazz - Released by Jazz Experience on Feb 18, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soprano Sax
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Jan 1, 1976
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
American Swinging In Paris
Jazz - Released by Jazz on Jan 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Zoot Sims With Bucky Pizzarelli
Jazz - Released by Inner City Records on Aug 1, 1976
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Zoot Sims In Paris (Live At Blue Note Club, Paris, 1961)
Jazz - Released by EMI MUSIC JAPAN INC. on Jan 1, 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In A Sentimental Mood
Jazz - Released by Universal Music AB on Nov 21, 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Swinger
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Jan 1, 1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Zoot Sims with Bucky Pizzarelli
Jazz - Released by Classic Jazz Records on Aug 1, 1976
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tenor Conclave
Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims
Jazz - Released by Prestige on Oct 29, 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brother In Swing
Jazz - Released by Inner City Records on Jun 16, 1950
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Sweetest Sounds
Jazz - Released by Universal Music AB on Jan 1, 1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live At Falcon Lair (Live)
Jazz - Released by Fantasy Records on Jan 1, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elegiac
Contemporary Jazz - Released by Storyville Records on Feb 20, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Passion Flower - Zoot Sims Plays Duke Ellington
Jazz - Released by Fantasy Records on Jan 1, 1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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