Zoot Sims on Prestige (IV)

In the following collection from the Blue Moon label (not all of them are released for the Prestige label, as is the intention of this series), we find the two albums that complete Zoot Sims' Prestige recordings as a leader. Although the sound quality, unfortunately, is not as good, this is an interesting collection of Zoot Sims recordings from the early 1950s.  Sims was at his peak, and here he is in exceptional company, especially with guitarists Johnny Smith and Chuck Wayne.The CD contains only the master takes of the originally issued records, and therefore all alternate takes have not been included in order to offer the collector those that were considered to be the definitive performances.

The sessions that make up this CD cover a little more than a year's activity and show yet again Zoot's tremendous versatility. In all, he made six visits into the recording studios, two of them leading his own group and the other four as the only horn soloist in quintets all led, curiously enough, by guitarists. 

With Johnny Smith, who in that same era also recorded with Stan Getz, our saxophonist once more demonstrates his ever-increasing ability to exquisitely express a profound and reflective lyricism which reaches its maximum intensity in the ballads "Ghost Of A Chance" (Lester Young again!) and "My Funny Valentine". With Chuck Wayne (another ex-Hermanite and, a little while before this date, a member of the George Shearing Quintet), the atmosphere is much more lively, and they also interpret a rhumba made famous in 1946 by Woody’s Second Herd, plus the "obligatory" ballad, "While My Lady Sleeps". 

Of the two sessions under his own name, the first (Zoot Sims All Stars) constitutes an early intimation of what would later become a duo Zoot would form with Al Cohn from 1957 onwards. Backed by a splendid rhythm section, both tenors improvise at leisure in "Zootcase", the only theme in which Kai Winding does not appear. Note that in the four titles (except "The Red Door") Zoot is the first soloist. In the original liner notes, Ira Gitler indicated:

The stars of this LP are Zoot Sims and Al Cohn, two tenormen who have very few peers in jazz today. They have often been allied before: in Woody Herman's great "Four Brothers" band, briefly with Artie Shaw, a stint in a short lived three tenor group with Stan Getz, the memorable "Five Brothers" recording date and numerous private sessions. During this long association, an enjoyment of, and respect for each other's playing was engendered. Therefore, it was not surprising that this session, with the two complementing and inspiring one another brought forth music of multi-faceted merit.

Both Al and Zoot play in the tradition of the already inmortal Lester Young, but rather than producing carbons of Pres, they show they have learned from him and integrated the qualities they heard into their playing without subverting their individual personalities. Zoot is the free wheeler. His short, booting, momentum gathering phrases are joined adroitly by longer lines. Al possesses a wonderful change of pace. His swing comes up from behind the beat. The solos have marvelous structure. Occasionally he will punctuate with long plaintive note. This characteristic led one observer, "on" the jazz scene, to state "no one can moan like Al Cohn".

The "magic" sound belongs to Zoot. His solos have a consistency of textura. Al's sound voices his ideas with a finish. At times, it becomes so large that it seems to go though and envelop you all at once.

Rhythm sections are sometimes taken for granted. This one swings so insistently that there is no danger of this happening. Art Blakey's infectious drumming, George Wallington's booting chords and Percy Heath's persuasion of swing are blended into a dynamic base that contributes tremendously to the excellence of these sides.

The session of the 23rd of January 1953 is a genuine rarity. In the first place, for the obscure quartet which backs Zoot on this occasion, beginning with an unknown organist in what could be said was an anticipation of the kind of groups with organ that Jimmy Smith would make all the rage a couple of years later. But above all because the four themes recorded that day were put out originally on a 7" EP disc, and have never been reissued until 1995.

Zoot Sims

The Complete 1944 -1954 Small Group Sessions

Volume 3 • 1952 - 1953

1- A Ghost Of A Chance

(Crosby, Washington, Young)

2 - Vilia

(Franz Lehar)

3 - Tangerine

(Schertzinger, Mercer)

4 - Zootcase

(Zoot Sims)

5 - The Red Door

(Zoot Sims)

6 - Morning Fun

(Sims, Cohn)

7 - There, I've Said It Again

(Evans, Mann)

8 - Jaguar

(Johnny Smith)

9 - Dream

(J. Mercer)

10 - Baby Won't You Please Come Home

(Clarence Williams)

11 - Sidewalks Of Cuba

(Oakland, Parish, Mills)

12 - Prospecting

(Chuck Wayne)

13 - Tasty Puddin

(Al Cohn)

14 - While My Lady Sleeps

(Bronislaw Kaper)

15 - My Funny Valentine

(Rodgers, Hart)

16 - Cavu

(Johnny Smith)

17 - I'll Be Around

(Alec Wilder)

#1, #2: Johnny Smith Quintet

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Sanford Gold (piano),

Johnny Smith (guitar), Eddie Safranski (bass), Don Lamond (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April, 1952

#3 to #6: Zoot Sims Sextet

Zoot Sims, Al Cohn (tenor saxes); Kai Winding (trombone);

George Wallington (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Art Blakey (drums).

Recorded in New York City,September 8, 1952

#7 to #10: Zoot Sims Quintet

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Chester Slater (organ),

Chauncey "Lord" Westbrook (guitar), Peck Morrison (bass), Tim Kennedy (drums).

Recorded in New York City, January 23, 1953

#11 to #14: Chuck Wayne Quintet

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Harvey Leonard (piano),

Chuck Wayne (guitar), George Duvivier (bass), Ed Shaughnessy (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April 13, 1953

#15: Johnny Smith Quintet

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Sanford Gold (piano),

Johnny Smith (guitar), Eddie Safranski (bass), Don Lamond (drums).

Recorded in New York City, June 6, 1953

#16, #17: Johnny Smith Quintet

Johnny Smith (guitar), Arnold Fishkin (bass), Don Lamond (drums).

Recorded in New York City, July, 1953