Zoot Sims on Prestige (I)

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.

Let's review his early recordings, starting with those made in Europe in the early 1950s and compiled by the Prestige label.

Zoot Sims

First Recordings!

Although as I write this Zoot Sims is about a month short of becoming 45, he is already one of the grand veterans of jazz. Coming from a family of vaudevillians and musicians he took to the road with big bands at an early age and traveled all over the United States. For many years this native Californian has made his home in New York but he has also lived for extended periods in Europe and spent time on the Continent touring with small groups and big bands. I once commented to him on his wide and varied travels and he drily replied, "I don't even look out the window anymore". 

It was in 1950 that he took his first trip to Europe and recorded for the first times with groups under his own leadership. (This is why the title First Recordings! which do not refer to sides he made with Joe Bushkin and Woody Herman, among others, long before these.) Zoot was in Europe in 1950 as a part of a sextet that Benny Goodman 

assembled especially for the tour. Roy Eldridge was aboard (Zoot and Roy recorded together under Roy's name for Vogue in France and later played as the front line in a 

quintet at Birdland after their return to the U.S.) as were Dick Hyman and Ed Shaughnessy who appear in this album. Among the countries in which they appeared were Sweden and France and Zoot recorded in both places. 

It has been twenty years for Zoot Sims since these First Recordings! and his talent has deepened along with his tone. Consistency has been his middle name and as great 

as he has always been he is even better today. But with the great ones the early work stands well the test of time. The proof is within these covers. *Ira Gitler (liner notes, September 1970) 

A nice little collection of early work by Zoot — all dates from 1950, and featuring material that was originally issued by Prestige on 10" or 7" eps! The package brings together a huge amount of tracks — 15 in all — and players include Gerald Wiggins, Pierre Michelot, Lee Konitz, Lars Gullin, Dick Hyman, Jimmy Woode, and Toots Thielemans. Titles include "Slingin Hash", "You Go To My Head", "Tickletoe", "Yellow Duck", "Dedicated To Lee", and "Linger Awhile".

*Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Side 1

1 - You Go To My Head

(Haven Gillespie, J. Fred Coots)

2 - Tickletoe

 (Lester Young)

3 - All The Things You Are

(Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II)

4 - Yellow Duck

(Gunnar Almstedt, Lars Gullin)

5 - The Way You Look Tonight

(Dorothy Firlds, Jerome Kern)

6 - Dedicated To Lee

(Lars Gullin)

7 - Late Date

(Lars Gullin)

Side 2

8 - Linger Awhile

(Zoot Sims)

9 - Night And Day (Take 1)

(Cole Porter)

10 - Night And Day (Take 2)

(Cole Porter)

11 - I Understand

(Kim Gannon, Mabel Wayne)

12 - Don't Worry 'Bout Me

(Ted Koehler, Rube Bloom)

13 - Slingin' Hash (Take 1)

(Zoot Sims)

14 - Slingin' Hash (Take 2)

(Zoot Sims)

15 - Tenorly

(Zoot Sims)

#1, #2, #3:

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Toots Thielemans (harmonica),

Jimmy Woode (piano), Simon Brehm (bass), Jack Noren (drums).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, April 23, 1950

#4, #5:

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Sixten Eriksson (trumpet), Lars Gullin (baritone sax),

Dick Hyman (piano), Charlie Short (bass), Ed Shaughnessy (drums).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, April 24, 1950

#6, #7:

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Lars Gullin (baritone sax), Lee Konitz (alto sax),

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone), Don Bagley (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, August 25, 1953

#8 to #15:

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Gerald Wiggins (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded at Vogue Studios, Paris, France, June 6, 1950