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Zoot Sims


jazzman4133

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After checking out this part of the forum I was surprised to find no thread for Zoot Sims.

I thought I would start off by entering this picture of Zoot which for the most part, except on my site, is still unpublished. It was taken at the late "Struggles" jazz club in New Jersey just a few months before Zoot's passing. Enjoy it.

How about a list of Zoot's lesser known albums and a description of the album, label and if you have it, a picture of the cover. (No Pablos)

Also, how about trading some of those lesser known albums?

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Don´t know if it´s "lesser known" enough ^_^ , but this is one I like a lot:

Live at Ronnie Scott´s ´61

Originally released on ???

Reissued by Fresh Sound Records (1991)

Recorded live at Ronnie Scott´s London, November 14&15, 1961

Zoot on tenor sax; Stan Tracy on piano; Kenny Napper on bass and Jackie Dougan on drums

c1501.jpg

Tracklisting:

1. Stompin' At The Savoy

(Goodman-Webb-Sampson-Razaf)

2. Love For Sale (Porter)

3. Somebody Loves Me

(Gershwin-McDonald-De Sylva)

4. Gone With The Wind (Wrubel-Magidson)

5. Autumn Leaves (Kosma-Prévert-Mercer)

6. Blues In e Flat (G.McFarland)

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A personal favorite is Zoot Sims in Paris - United Artists UAL 4013. I have a Japanese LP reissue, not an original.

Zoot Sims - ts; Henri Renaud - pno; Bob Whitlock - bs; Jean-Louis Viale - dms. Paris, December, 1961.

Zoot's Blues; Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most; Once In a While; These Foolish Things; On the Alamo; Too Close for Comfort; A Flat Blues; You Go to My Head; Stomping at the Savoy.

"Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" is prime Zoot.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's my Zoot story-

In 1984 I had just joined Woody's band and on the itinerary was a trip to Europe. This would be MY first time out of the country, and (if that wasn't enough) the plan was to takes some extra guests along. The guests were Sal Nistico, Bill Perkins, Billy Mitchell and Zoot Sims. And dammit, they're all gone now. :(

If I remember, Billy Mitchell replaced someone else who had to cancel at the last minute. The reason I mention that is that although he did spend some time on the band, he wasn't quite the household name (as far as Woody alumni) as the others. I was pretty green at that time and hadn't heard of him before, and needless to say was very impressed.

It was great getting to travel with and listen to those guys- the time on the bus and in the airport was as funny and inspiring as the time on the bandstand! Zoot had a wonderful dry sense of humor. I would LOVE to have been around during the Jim and Andy's days. As you might imagine, playing tunes like Four Brothers with those guys was a trip. And of course we played Caldonia (REAL fast) so Sal could do his thing.

I developed an appreciation for Zoot (as well as his soulmate Al Cohn, who also deserves his own thread) through my association with the Herd. All those guys mentioned above- I had certainly heard their names, but I wasn't all that familiar with their playing at that stage in my musical development. I became better educated, needless to say, and am now a believer and fan.

In addition to those recordings already mentioned, a few others I like:

Waiting Game (w/Gary McFarland charts)

The Bossa Nova Sessions (w/Jim Hall)

Hawthorne Nights (Bill Holman charts and Frank Rosolino)

I Wish I Were Twins (Zoot and Jimmy Rowles always hooked up great)

Zoot and the Gershwin Bros.

And no question about it, "Zoot" is the greatest jazz name ever.

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