Zoot Sims

[Chuck Nessa]

Notice how much smaller Bob is compared to Zoot.

[Late]

Notice how much smaller Bob is compared to Zoot.

Zoot was a giant.

[Shrdlu]

Zoot did sing, too! He sings on "September Song" on the Impulse album "The Waiting Game" that he did with Gary McFarland.

[Late]

Zoot did sing, too!

"Where you at,

where's your natural habi-tat,

where you at,

I wanna go there ..."

(With lots of musical notes jumping around.)

[Eloe Omoe]

I once had the Zoot Sims "Waiting Game" LP on Impulse. I thought it was the least interesting album by Zoot I ever heard. I disposed of it.

Least interesting? I don't know. If you have an aversion to strings, then you may want to skip this one. Personally, I like it. Zoot's in a mellow mood, for sure, but he plays beautifully, as always.

That's a record I have always enjoyed. Very good arrangements by Gary McFarland (who really could write for strings, in my opinion), and a wonderful, full-bodied British string section. Zoot plays great, as always. The closest thing I know to a "Lester Young with strings".

luca

Edited April 13, 2007 by Eloe Omoe

[Late]

Next on the hunt: Plays Tonite's Music Today.

Finally found a copy!

Some discs on Black Lion you still see regularly as cut-outs and in the used bins. Others are excruciatingly rare — e.g. Frank Lowe's Fresh, Mal Waldron's Blues for Lady Day, Dave Burrell's High Won, High Two, even Kenny Dorham's Osmosis.

[thomastreichler]

Almost every date under Zoot's own name has been mentioned in this thread, so I would like to recommend some sideman recordings:

- A Buck Clayton Jam Session 1974 on Chiaroscuro, superb playing by Zoot Sims as well as by Joe Newman, Doc Cheatham, Urbie Green, Budd Johnson, Earle Warren, Earl Hines

- Manny Albam: Jazz Greats Of Our Time

- the recordings with the Gerry Mulligan Sextet and the Concert Jazz Band have great solos by Zoot

[Cliff Englewood]

Yea, his playing really did go down hill in later years.

Zoot's crappy playing/sound, for those of you in the US, yes, I'm being sarcastic.

Zoot being crap with Basie.

[GARussell]

I heard a story about Zoot Sims last night on the radio. A patron at a club said to him, "How can you play so great when you're always loaded?" Zoot replied, "That's because I practice loaded!"

[marcello]

Zoot had some ugly assed legs!

PHOTOS HERE

Edited September 30, 2007 by marcello

[clifford_thornton]

Really enjoying his playing ca. '61 with Bud Powell on the recent/expanded ESP-Disk' CD:

[marcello]

Yes Clifford, I was going to mention that session!

[montg]

The Gershwin session swings like crazy, right out of the box. The sacd hybrid sounds great (even on a regular cd player, which is all that I have)..the recording is really immediate and up-front.

[BruceH]

...And best of all, his legs are covered up.

[marcello]

Another leg shot:

[BruceH]

NO!!!!!!

[marcello]

Just for you Bruce...

Up the shorts shot:

[Kyo]

Time to resurrect this old thread...

And I really like Plays Alto, Tenor, and Baritone! I wish the Plays Four Altos set would see reissue. I think it will, and probably not too far off, courtesy of some mystical place in Andorra ...

Both are available now, one features "Zoot" as a bonus and the has all of "Zoot!"

added to the original album. Yes, those album titles weren't particularly unique...

Can someone comment on the sound quality of those Fresh Sound discs?

The bonus stuff is probably taken straight from the official releases, I

just wonder where the "plays Alto(s)" etc. stuff has been taken from.

[Big Beat Steve]

Time to resurrect this old thread...

I wish the Plays Four Altos set would see reissue.

I just wonder where the "plays Alto(s)" etc. stuff has been taken from.

This WAS reissued before, e.g. by U.S. MCA Impulse (MCA-29069) in the 80s. (And there must have been other reissues) Lots of possibilities of doing a needle drop even without having to dig out an original.

[paul secor]

Any opinions on East Coast Sounds (OJC)? Apologies if it's been mentioned and I missed it.

[Cliff Englewood]

As this is now a readily available RVG, everyone who doesn't have it should check it out, it really should be called "Zoot Sims with Jutta Hipp", he's just all over this, pretty much dominates it, in a good way. I love the cover as well.

[Shrdlu]

"The Waiting Game" (Impulse) did come out on a CD - one of those jewel case Japanese Impulses, now as rare as hen's teeth. (How sad that pretty much all the Japanese CD reissues disappear so fast. I sure would love to have all of the Impulse reissues in that series.)

I really like the album, though the recording engineer leaves a little to be desired. One highlight is the appearance of the excellent British harpist, David Snell, also to be heard on the recent CD issue of Gary McFarland's "13" movie soundtrack.

Someone mentioned that Zoot didn't put on any airs. I remember being shocked at the sight of his tenor at Ronnie Scott's in London, England, in 1974. It was an old "balanced action" (i.e pre Mark VI) Selmer, with nearly all of the lacquer worn off. He must have felt that as it still blew O.K., why bother to change it, whereas other famous soloists, such as Sonny Rollins, would have gotten a new one. He also just had the simple plastic mouthpiece that comes with a Selmer and is usually tossed out and replaced with something like an Otto Link. I guess when you are at Zoot's level, you don't need any assistance like that.

[Cliff Englewood]

Al Cohn & Zoot Sims in 1968 with Stan Tracey on piano, Dave Green on bass & Phil Seamen on drums.

Edited July 17, 2008 by Cliff Englewood

[bruce talbot]

There's a great album with Rowles, Bob Cranshaw and Mickey Roker recorded at 'Sea Cliff' New York (wherever that is)

The recording quality is poor, the piano is out of tune, but Zoot's performance of 'Dream Dancing' is ethereal.

'Dream Dancing' was the title of the DJM LP I have - apparently it was originally released as 'Zoot's Party' on Choice it's also listed as 'Gettin' Sentimental' on a Candid CD

[Stereojack]

There's a great album with Rowles, Bob Cranshaw and Mickey Roker recorded at 'Sea Cliff' New York (wherever that is)

The recording quality is poor, the piano is out of tune, but Zoot's performance of 'Dream Dancing' is ethereal.

'Dream Dancing' was the title of the DJM LP I have - apparently it was originally released as 'Zoot's Party' on Choice it's also listed as 'Gettin' Sentimental' on a Candid CD

This recording was made by Gerry MacDonald, an amateur recordist and jazz fan. Apparently it was made in MacDonald's living room. I agree that the piano is not so great, but Zoot is really on, and it's one of my favorite Zoot records. I especially love the version of Neal Hefti's "Fred", originally written for Fred Astaire. This is the tune that led off the original Choice LP.