Zoot Sims
American jazz saxophonist
Zoot Sims
Sims in 1976
Birth name John Haley Sims Born (1925-10-29 ) October 29, 1925Inglewood, California , U.S.Died March 23, 1985(1985-03-23) (aged 59) New York City, U.S. Genres Occupations Instrument Saxophone Years active 1944–85 Labels
Musical artist
John Haley "Zoot " Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985)[ 1] was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone.[ 2] He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman 's big band, afterward enjoying a long solo career, often in partnership with fellow saxmen Gerry Mulligan and Al Cohn .
Biography
Sims was born in 1925 in Inglewood, California , United States,[ 1] to vaudeville performers Kate Haley and John Sims.[ 3] His father was a vaudeville hoofer , and Sims prided himself on remembering many of the steps his father taught him. Growing up in a performing family, he learned to play drums and clarinet at an early age. His brother was the trombonist Ray Sims .[ 4]
Sims began on tenor saxophone at age 13. He initially modelled his playing on the work of Lester Young , Ben Webster , and Don Byas . By his late teens, having dropped out of high school, he was playing in big bands, starting with those of Kenny Baker and Bobby Sherwood . He joined Benny Goodman 's band for the first time in 1943 (he was to rejoin in 1946, and continued to perform with Goodman on occasion through the late 1970s). Sims replaced Ben Webster in Sid Catlett 's Quartet of 1944.[ 5] In May 1944, Sims made his recording debut for Commodore Records in a sextet led by pianist Joe Bushkin , who two months earlier had recorded for the same label as part of Lester Young's Kansas City Six.
Sims served as a corporal in the United States Army Air Force from 1944 to 1946, then returned to music in the bands of Artie Shaw , Stan Kenton , and Buddy Rich . He was one of Woody Herman 's "Four Brothers" . From 1954–1956 he toured with his friend Gerry Mulligan 's sextet, and in the early 1960s, with Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band. Sims played on some of Jack Kerouac 's recordings.[ 6] From the late 1950s to the end of his life, Sims was primarily a freelancer, though he worked frequently in the 1960s and early 1970s with a group co–led with Al Cohn . In the 1970s and 1980s, he also played and recorded regularly with a handful of other musical partners including Bucky Pizzarelli , Joe Venuti , and Jimmy Rowles . In 1975, he began recording for Norman Granz's Pablo Records label. Sims appeared on more than 20 Pablo albums, mostly as a featured solo artist, but also as a backing musician for artists including Count Basie , Sarah Vaughan , and Clark Terry . Between 1974 and 1983, Sims recorded six studio albums with pianist Jimmy Rowles in a quartet setting that critic Scott Yanow wrote feature Sims at his best.[ 7] [ 8]
Sims acquired the nickname "Zoot" early in his career while he was in the Kenny Baker band in California . "When he joined Kenny Baker's band as a fifteen-year-old tenor saxophonist , each of the music stands was embellished with a nonsense word. The one he sat behind said 'Zoot.' That became his name."[ 7]
Sims played a 30-second solo on the song "Poetry Man ", written by singer Phoebe Snow on her debut eponymous album in 1974.[ 9] He also played on Laura Nyro 's "Lonely Women", on her album Eli and the Thirteenth Confession .[ 10]
Sims' last studio recording was a November, 1984 trio session featuring bassist Red Mitchell , recorded in Sweden and released in 1985 by Sonet records . He died of lung cancer on March 23, 1985, in New York City,[ 5] and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, in Nyack, New York .
Discography
Sims at Keystone Korner, San Francisco, California, 1983
As leader/co-leader
1950: The Zoot Sims Quartet in Paris (Discovery, 1950)
1950–51: Swinging with Zoot (Prestige , 1951)
1950–51: Tenor Sax Favorites (Prestige, 1951)
1949–52: The Brothers with Stan Getz (Prestige, 1956)
1952: Contemporary Music as Zoot Sims All Stars (Prestige, 1953) – also released as Zoot Sims All Stars (Esquire)
1950–54: Zoot Sims Quintet with Stu Williamson (Prestige, 1954) – reissued as Good Old Zoot (New Jazz, 1962)[LP]
1950–54: Zootcase (Prestige, 1975)[2LP]
1954?: Zoot Simms In Hollywood (New Jazz, 1954)
1954: Happy Minors with Red Mitchell , Bob Brookmeyer (Bethlehem , 1955)
1955: Playing as Hall Daniels' Septet (Jump, 1955) – reissued as Nash–Ville (Zim, 1977) with Dick Nash
1956: The Modern Art of Jazz by Zoot Sims (Dawn , 1956)
1956: From A to...Z with Al Cohn (RCA Victor , 1957)
1956: Tonite's Music Today with Bob Brookmeyer (Storyville, 1956)
1956: Whooeeee with Bob Brookmeyer (Storyville, 1956)
1956: Zoot Sims Avec Henri Renaud Et Son Orchestre Et Jon Eardley with Henri Renaud Et Son Orchestre and Jon Eardley (Ducretet–Thomson, 1956)[ 11]
1956: Zoot (Argo Records , 1957)
1956: Zoot! (Riverside , 1957)
1956: Tenor Conclave with John Coltrane , Al Cohn , Hank Mobley , Red Garland , Paul Chambers and Art Taylor (Prestige, 1957)
1956: Goes to Jazzville (Dawn, 1957)
1956: Live at Falcon Lair with Joe Castro Trio (Pablo , 2004)
1956: Zoot Sims Plays Alto, Tenor, and Baritone (ABC-Paramount , 1957)
1956–57: Bohemia After Dark (Jazz Hour, 1994)
1957: The Four Brothers... Together Again! with Herbie Steward et al. (Vik , 1957)
1957: Zoot Sims Plays Four Altos (ABC-Paramount, 1957)
1957: Al and Zoot with Al Cohn (Coral , 1957)
1957: Locking Horns with Joe Newman (Rama, 1957)
1957–58: Happy Over Hoagy with Al Cohn Septet (Jass, 1987) – complete session plus 1961 live date with Mose Allison was released as The Hoagy Carmichael Sessions And More (Lone Hill Jazz, 2004)
1958: Stretching Out with Bob Brookmeyer et al. (United Artists , 1959)
1954–59: Choice (Pacific Jazz , 1961)
1959: Jazz Alive! A Night at the Half Note with Al Cohn and Phil Woods (United Artists , 1959) – live
1959?: A Gasser! with Annie Ross (World Pacific , 1959)
1959–60: Either Way with Al Cohn (Fred Miles, 1961)
1960: You 'n' Me with Al Cohn (Mercury, 1960)
1960: Down Home (Bethlehem , 1960)
1961: Either Way with Al Cohn (Fred Miles Presents, 1961)
1961: Zoot at Ronnie Scott's (Fontana , 1962)
1961: Solo for Zoot (Fontana, 1962)
1962?: New Beat Bossa Nova Means The Samba Swings (Colpix , 1962)
1962?: New Beat Bossa Nova Vol. 2 (Colpix, 1962)
1964: Two Jims and Zoot with Jimmy Raney and Jim Hall (Mainstream , 1964) – also released as Outra Vez
1965: Inter-Action with Sonny Stitt (Cadet , 1965)
1965: Suitably Zoot (Pumpkin, 1979)
1965: Al and Zoot in London with Al Cohn (World Record Club, 1967)
1965: At the Half Note Again – not officially released
1966: Waiting Game (Impulse! , 1966)
1967: The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World (Pablo , 1975)
1968: Easy as Pie: Live at the Left Bank with Al Cohn (Label M, 2001)
1973: Body and Soul with Al Cohn (Muse , 1973)
1973: Zoot Suite (High Note, 2007) – live audience recording
1973: Joe & Zoot with Joe Venuti (Chiaroscuro , 1974) – expanded reissue as Joe & Zoot & More (Chiaroscuro , 2002)
1974: Zoot Sims' Party (Choice, 1974) – released as Getting Sentimental (Candid , 1997)[CD]
1974: Nirvana with Bucky Pizzarelli and special guest Buddy Rich (Groove Merchant , 1974) – reissued as Somebody Loves Me (Lester Recording Catalog, 2003)
1974: Strike Up the Band with Bobby Hackett and Bucky Pizzarelli (Flying Dutchman , 1975)
1974: Dave McKenna Quartet Featuring Zoot Sims (Chiaroscuro , 1974) with Dave McKenna – reissued in 1994 on CD with four extra tracks
1974: Motoring Along with Al Cohn and Horace Parlan (Sonet, 1975)
1975: Basie & Zoot with Count Basie (Pablo, 1975)
1975: Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers with Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass (Pablo, 1975)
1975 The Tenor Giants Featuring Oscar Peterson with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (Pablo, 1975)
1976: Zoot Sims With Bucky Pizzarelli with Bucky Pizzarelli (Classic Jazz, 1976) – also released as Summon
1976: Soprano Sax with Ray Bryant and George Mraz (Pablo, 1976)
1976: Hawthorne Nights (Pablo, 1977)
1977: If I'm Lucky with Jimmy Rowles (Pablo, 1977)
1978: For Lady Day with Jimmy Rowles (Pablo, 1991)
1978: Zoot Sims in Copenhagen (Storyville, 1995)
1978: Just Friends with Harry Edison (Pablo, 1980)
1978: Warm Tenor with Jimmy Rowles (Pablo, 1979)
1978: The Sweetest Sounds with Rune Gustafsson (Sonet Gramofon/Pablo Today, 1979)
1979–80: The Swinger (Pablo, 1981)
1979–80: Passion Flower: Zoot Sims Plays Duke Ellington (Pablo, 1980)
1981: I Wish I Were Twins with Jimmy Rowles (Pablo, 1981)
1981: Art 'n' Zoot with Art Pepper (Pablo, 1995)
1982: The Innocent Years as The Zoot Sims Four (Pablo, 1982)
1982: Blues for Two with Joe Pass (Pablo, 1983)
1983: On The Korner (Pablo, 1994) – the last recording at The Keystone Korner
1983: Suddenly It's Spring (Pablo, 1983)
1984: Quietly There: Zoot Sims Plays Johnny Mandel (Pablo, 1984) – compositions of Johnny Mandel
Compilations
The Best of Zoot Sims (Pablo, 1980)
That Old Feeling (Chess, 1995) – double–issue CD of two 1956 albums: Zoot and Zoot Sims Plays Alto, Tenor, and Baritone
As sideman
With Pepper Adams
With Chet Baker
With Count Basie
With Al Cohn
With Woody Herman
The Thundering Herds (Columbia, 1966) - rec. 1945-1947
Keeper Of The Flame (The Complete Capitol Recordings Of The Four Brothers Band) (Capitol , 1992) - rec. 1948-1949
New Big Herd At The Monterey Jazz Festival (Atlantic, 1960) – rec. 1959
With Quincy Jones
With Stan Kenton
With Carmen McRae
With Gerry Mulligan
With Oliver Nelson
With Sarah Vaughan
With Joe Williams
At Newport '63 (RCA Victor, 1963)
Having The Blues Under European Sky (Denon, 1985) – live rec. 1970s
With Others
Trigger Alpert , Trigger Happy! (Riverside, 1956)
Louie Bellson , Louis Bellson Quintet (Norgran, 1955) – rec. 1954
Clifford Brown , Jazz Immortal (Pacific Jazz, 2001) – rec. 1954
Ray Charles , The Genius of Ray Charles (Atlantic, 1959)
The Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band , Jazz Is Universal (Atlantic, 1962) – rec. 1961
Chris Connor , Chris Connor (Atlantic, 1956)
Miles Davis , Plays Al Cohn Compositions (Miles Davis and Horns CD) (Prestige, 1956) – rec. 1953
Kenny Dorham , Hot Stuff From Brazil (West Wind, 1990) – rec. 1961
Jon Eardley , The Jon Eardley Seven (Prestige, 1956) – reissued as Zoot Sims Koo Koo (Status, 1965)
Booker Ervin , The Book Cooks (Bethlehem, 1961) – rec. 1960
Bill Evans , Loose Blues (Milestone, 1982) – rec. 1962
Art Farmer , The Aztec Suite (United Artists, 1959)
Curtis Fuller , South American Cookin' (Epic, 1961)
Benny Goodman , Benny Goodman in Moscow (RCA Victor, 1962)
Bobby Hackett , Creole Cookin' (Verve, 1967)
Coleman Hawkins , The Hawk in Hi Fi with Billy Byers and his orchestra (RCA Victor , 1956)
Jutta Hipp , Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims (Blue Note, 1957) – rec. 1956
Chubby Jackson , All Star Big Band (Prestige, 1950)
Jack Kerouac , Blues and Haikus (Hanover-Signature, 1959) – rec. 1958
Irene Kral , SteveIreneo! (United Artists, 1959)
Elliot Lawrence , Big Band Modern (Jazztone, 1957)
Michel Legrand , After The Rain (Pablo, 1983) – rec. 1982
Stan Levey and Red Mitchell , West Coast Rhythm (Affinity, 1982) – rec. 1954-1955
The Manhattan Transfer , The Manhattan Transfer (Atlantic, 1975)
Gary McFarland , Profiles (Impulse!, 1966)
Ted McNabb, Big Band Swing (Epic, 1960) – rec. 1959
The Metronome All-Stars , Metronome All-Stars 1956 (Clef, 1956)
Charles Mingus , The Complete Town Hall Concert (Blue Note, 1994) – rec. 1962
Red Mitchell , Happy Minors (Bethlehem, 1955) also with Bob Brookmeyer – rec. 1954
Jack Montrose , Arranged by Montrose (Pacific Jazz, 1955) – rec. 1954
Anita O'Day , All the Sad Young Men (Verve, 1962) – rec. 1961
Bob Prince , Saxes Inc. (Warner Bros, 1959)
Buddy Rich and Lionel Hampton , Transition (Groove Merchant, 1974)
Shorty Rogers , Shorty Rogers Courts the Count (RCA Victor, 1954)
Jimmy Rushing , The You And Me That Used To Be (RCA , 1971)
Lalo Schifrin and Bob Brookmeyer , Samba Para Dos (Verve, 1963)
Johnny Smith , Moonlight in Vermont (Roost, 1956) – rec. 1952-53
Phoebe Snow , Phoebe Snow (Shelter, 1974) – rec. 1973
Sonny Stitt , Broadway Soul (Colpix, 1965)
Clark Terry , Mother ! Mother ! (Pablo, 1980) – rec. 1979
Joe Venuti , The Joe Venuti Blue Four (Chiaroscuro, 1974)
Chuck Wayne , The Jazz Guitarist (Savoy, 1956) – rec. 1953
References
^ a b Colin Larkin , ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing . pp. 2275/6. ISBN 0-85112-939-0 .
^ "Zoot Sims" . All About Jazz. Retrieved August 8, 2013 .
^ [1] Archived October 26, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
^ Levinson, Peter J. (2005). September in the Rain: The Life of Nelson Riddle . Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 140.
^ a b Folkart, Burt A. "Saxophonist John Haley (Zoot) Sims Dies at 59" . Los Angeles Times , March 24, 1985. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
^ Smith, Sid (May 5, 2008). "Jack Kerouac with Al Cohn and Zoot Sims: Blues And Haikus" . All About Jazz . Retrieved 2017-09-15 .
^ a b Cerra, Steven (2009-04-02). "Jazz Profiles: John Haley "Zoot" Sims - Part 3" . Jazz Profiles . Retrieved 2019-10-27 .
^ Yanow, Scott. "Warm Tenor" . Allmujsic.com . AllMusic, Netaktion LLC.
^ "Phoebe Snow - Phoebe Snow | Songs, Reviews, Credits" . AllMusic . Retrieved 2019-10-27 .
^ Songfacts. "Lonely Women by Laura Nyro - Songfacts" . www.songfacts.com . Retrieved 2019-10-27 .
^ "Zoot Sims Avec Henri Renaud Et Son Orchestre Et Jon Eardley - Zoot Sims Avec Henri Renaud Et Son Orchestre Et Jon Eardley" . Discogs . Retrieved 15 November 2017 .
External links
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, unless stated otherwise.
As leader or co-leader
The Brothers (and Stan Getz , 1949–52)
Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims (1956)
The Modern Art of Jazz by Zoot Sims (1956)
Tonite's Music Today (and Bob Brookmeyer , 1956)
Whooeeee (and Bob Brookmeyer, 1956)
Zoot! (1956)
Locking Horns (and Joe Newman , 1957)
Stretching Out (and Bob Brookmeyer, 1958)
Jazz Alive! A Night at the Half Note (and Al Cohn, Phil Woods , 1959)
Down Home (1960)
Two Jims and Zoot /Otra Vez (Jimmy Raney and Jim Hall , 1964)
Inter-Action (and Sonny Stitt , 1965)
Waiting Game (1966)
The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World (multiple leaders, 1967)
Nirvana (and Bucky Pizzarelli , Buddy Rich , 1974)
Basie & Zoot (and Count Basie , 1975)
The Tenor Giants Featuring Oscar Peterson (and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis , 1975)
Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers (and Joe Pass , Oscar Peterson , 1975)
Soprano Sax (1976)
Hawthorne Nights (1976)
If I'm Lucky (and Jimmy Rowles , 1977)
For Lady Day (1978)
Warm Tenor (and Jimmy Rowles , 1979)
The Sweetest Sounds (and Rune Gustafsson , 1979)
Just Friends (and Harry Edison , 1980)
Art 'n' Zoot (and Art Pepper , 1981)
Recordings withAl Cohn
From A to...Z (1956)
The Sax Section (Cohn led, 1956)
Tenor Conclave (and Hank Mobley , John Coltrane , 1957)
The Four Brothers... Together Again! (and Herbie Steward , Serge Chaloff , 1957)
Al and Zoot (1957)
Blues and Haikus (Jack Kerouac , 1959)
SteveIreneo! (and Irene Kral , Steve Allen , 1959)
Son of Drum Suite (Cohn, 1960)
You 'n' Me (1960)
Either Way (1961)
Jazz Mission to Moscow (Cohn, 1962)
Body and Soul (1973)
Motoring Along (1974)
WithQuincy Jones WithGerry Mulligan With others
Pepper Adams Plays the Compositions of Charlie Mingus (1963)
Encounter! (Pepper Adams , 1968)
Trigger Happy! /East Coast Sounds (Trigger Alpert /Sims, Cohn, Tony Scott , 1956)
Chet Baker & Strings (1953–54)
Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe (1959)
The Bosses (Count Basie and "Big Joe" Turner , 1973)
Louis Bellson Quintet (1954)
The Genius of Ray Charles (1959)
Jazz Is Universal (Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band , 1961)
Chris Connor (1956)
The Book Cooks (Booker Ervin , 1960)
Loose Blues (Bill Evans , 1962)
The Aztec Suite (Art Farmer , 1959)
South American Cookin' (Curtis Fuller , 1961)
Creole Cookin' (Bobby Hackett , 1967)
The Hawk in Hi Fi (Coleman Hawkins , 1956)
Portraits on Standards (Stan Kenton , 1953)
The Kenton Era (Stan Kenton, 1953)
The Manhattan Transfer (released 1975)
Profiles (Gary McFarland , 1966)
Something to Swing About (Carmen McRae , 1959)
Ms. Jazz (Carmen McRae, 1973)
Metronome All-Stars 1956 (1956)
The Complete Town Hall Concert (Charles Mingus , 1962)
Arranged by Montrose (Jack Montrose , 1954)
Encyclopedia of Jazz (Oliver Nelson , 1966)
The Sound of Feeling (Oliver Nelson, 1966)
Jazzhattan Suite (Oliver Nelson/Jazz Interactions Orchestra, 1967)
All the Sad Young Men (Anita O'Day , 1962)
Transition (Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton , 1974)
Shorty Rogers Courts the Count (1954)
Samba Para Dos (Lalo Schifrin , Bob Brookmeyer, 1963)
Moonlight in Vermont (Johnny Smith , 1952)
Phoebe Snow (1974)
Broadway Soul (Sonny Stitt , 1965)
Vaughan and Violins (Sarah Vaughan , 1958)
The Duke Ellington Songbook, Vol. 1 (Sarah Vaughan, 1979)
Linger Awhile: Live at Newport and More (Sarah Vaughan, 1979)
The Jazz Guitarist (Chuck Wayne, 1953)
At Newport '63 (Joe Williams , 1963)
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