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 Norén (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

The Amazing Sound Of Toots Thielemans

Jean Toots Thielemans arrived in the U.S. from his native Belgium in 1951. His first works in jazz were as a guitarist, instrument on which he achieved recognition as soon as he joined the George Shearing Quintet in late 1952. However, he was also a skilful harmonica player.

The present selection was intended to introduce the several facets of the instrument as exposed by Toots Thielemans thorough musicianship, his swing, and his unique achievements in versatility. For him, the ingredients of jazz are the beat (the motor) and sound, melody, and harmony (the intelligence). In this collection you will find Toots playing harmonica on every track, and even overdubbing guitar solos on four of them. With feats like this, not only he proved that jazz is a music of many moods, but he also brought a new perspective to the use of the harmonica in the jazz field; because one thing is certain: he can make it swing! *Jordi Pujol*

Jean "Toots" Thielemans

The Amazing Sound Of "Toots" Thielemans

This CD contains the music from two old long-playing records by Toots Thielemans. This concerns The Sound and Time out for Toots from 1955 and 1958 respectively.

Our man was initially mainly active as a guitarist in the United States. I think everyone will be familiar with his role in the George Shearing Quintet of the 1950s. Gradually the harmonica came into more and more action, often in unison with the guitar. That is also the case here. Guitar and harmonica are often heard together. However, the guitar part here was played later. The harmonica is definitely the center of attention.

Thanks to Toots, the small instrument gained a serious place in jazz. When listening to this material it immediately becomes clear what appealed to people about this music at the time. Everything testifies to an unmistakable swing and an indomitable zest for life. The choice of repertoire may lead some people to suspect that it is easy listening pop music from the old days. Nothing is less true. What we hear is jazz of the highest order from the time when jazz was still a mainstream music direction and not a somewhat obscure niche for connoisseurs. It is pleasantly listenable, accessible, modern jazz with a touch of bop here and there. Fans of good guitar playing, refined harmonica playing and Toots in general will find much to enjoy here. He explained the success of his way of playing the harmonica in an interview in Down Beat in 1953 as follows: "The basic thing is that I play the harmonica as an instrument, not a toy". *Jo Beckers*

If this collection proves that jazz is music of many moods, it also proves that jazz is a music which knows no boundaries... of nations of instruments.

It brings a new perspective to that mush-maligned instrument, the harmonica. And adds a new dimension to Thielemans, who can cerrainly make it swing. *Dom Cerulli*

1 - On The Alamo

(Kahn, Jones)

2 - Don't Be That Way

(Goodman, Sampson, Parish)

3 - I Put All The Eggs In One Basket

(Berlin)

4 - Sophisticated Lady

(Ellington, Parish, Mills)

5 - Scotch On The Rocks

(Thielemans)

6 - I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

(Ellington, Nemo, Redmond, Mills)

7 - Stars Fell Of Alabama

(Parish, Perkins)

8 - Diga Diga Doo

(McHugh, Fields)

9 - So Rare

(Sharpe, Herst)

10 - Skylark

(Carmichael, Mercer)

11 - Sonny Boy

(Brown, Henderson, DeSylva, Jolson)

12 - Cocktails For Two

(Coslow, Johnston)

13 - The Nearness Of You

(Carmichael, Washington)

14 - In A Sentimental Mood

(Ellington, Kustz, Mills)

15 - You Took Advantage Of Me

(Rodgers, Hart)

16 - Cool And Easy

(Thielemans)

17 - Body And Soul

(Green, Sour, Heyman, Eaton)

18 - The Cuckoo In The Clock

(Donaldson, Mercer)

19 - Tangerine

(Mercer, Schertzinger)

20 - Early Autumn

(Burns, Herman, Mercer)

21 - Them There Eyes

(Pinkard, Tracey, Tauber)

22 - A Handful Of Stars

(Shapiro, Lawrence)

23 - Can't Lovin' Dat Man

(Kern, Hammerstein II)

24 - Clap Yo' Hands

(G. and I. Gershwin)

#1 to #12 from the 12" album The Sound (Columbia CL658)

Toots Thielemans (harmonica) with:

#3, #6, #10, #12:

Lou McGarity, Al Godlis, Billy Rauch, Jack Satterfield (trombones); Tony Mottola (guitar), Oscar Pettiford (bass); Cliff Leeman (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April 1955.

#1, #4, #7, #9:

Toots Mondello, Artie Beck (alto sax, clarinet); Carl Prager (baritone sax, clarinet); George Berg (tenor sax, clarinet); Tony Mottola (guitar), Oscar Pettiford (bass); Cliff Leeman (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April 1955.

#2, #5, #8, #11

Ray Bryant (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), Bill Clark (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April 1955.

#13 to #24 from the 12" album Time Out For Toots (Decca DL9204)

Toots Thielemans (harmonica, guitar [#18, #20, #21, #22]) with:

#14, #16, #19, #23: 

Hank Jones (piano), Doug Watkins (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded in New York City, January 22, 1958.

#13, #17, #18, #22:

Urbie Green, Billy Byers, Chauncey Welsch, Santos Russo (trombones); Hank Jones (piano); Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Doug Watkins (bass); Art Taylor (drums); Ralph Burns (arranger).

Recorded in New York City, January 24, 1958.

#15, #20, #21, #24:

Al Cohn, Zoot Sims (tenor saxes); Al Epstein, Danny Bank (baritone saxes); Hank Jones (piano); Barry Galbraith (guitar); Doug Watkins (bass); Art Taylor (drums); Ralph Burns (arranger).

Recorded in New York City, January 24, 1958.

Leonard Feather's Swingin' Swedes - New Sounds From Sweden Vol.1

Almost all recordings in Sweden in the 1950s were issued on EPs, the little 7" 45rpm album. The leading record label was Metronome, which released about 500 albums during the decade, most of them jazz records.

In the 1950s Sweden was kind of the center of European jazz. Lots of gifted musicians had plenty of venues to play, and could make their living on jazz. Jazz was still the young people´s music, and there were huge and interested audiences. There were radio programs, special jazz magazines and also jazz features and reviews in weekly magazines and daily newspapers. And there were an abundance of jazz records.

Many Americans visited the country, played in concerts and clubs and made recordings with the domestic stars. The best Swedish musicians became wellknown over the jazz world.

First time Swedish jazz draw public attention abroad was at the jazz festival in Paris in 1949. A Swedish group with Arne Domnérus and Putte Wickman among others, made great success in several concerts and became one of the French public's favorites, despite competition from stars such as Charle Parker and Miles Davis.

The success led to magazine features and radio programs in both Europe and the United States. In USA, Leonard Feather started playing Swedish jazz records in his program "Jazz at its best", and other stations followed. Records from Metronome reviewed in the American jazz press.

Leonard Feather arranged recordings in Stockhom in 1951 with the young Swedish modernists. They were issued the same year in USA on this 10" LP (Prestige 119). In Sweden the recordings were issued on Cupol 78s. *birkajazz.se*

The eight performances on this record are the product of a trip made to Sweden to investigate the glowing reports I had heard about that country's modern jazz. 

Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Roy Eldridge and many other visitors to Stockholm came home raving about the musicians presented here. 

All but one of the Swingin’ Swedes, by the way, were voted No. 1 on their respective instruments in the first national poll conducted by the Swedish jazz magazine ESTRAD.

Four of the numbers are played by a seven-piece band. This group gets a bigger and cleaner sound than most groups of its kind, thanks to the musicians' fine ensemble interpretation of four arrangements written by the brilliant Gösta Theselius, who won the ESTRAD award as top arranger.

Maybe these eight numbers will give you a pretty clear picture of why more and more people are agreeing that outside the U.S., Sweden is producing the best modern jazz to be heard anywhere. As they would say at Birdland: man, it's a crazy country! *Leonard Feather (liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - The Daring Young Swedes (On The Flying Trapeze)

(arr. Gösta Theselius)

2 - Moonlight Saving Time

(Kahal, Richman)

3 - Swedish Butterfly

(GöstaTheselius)

4 - Meet Me Tonight In Birdland

(Williams)

Side 2

5 - Rain On The Roof

(Ann Ronell)

6 - A Handful Of Stars

(Lawrence, Shapiro)

7 - The Swedish Music This Side Of Heaven

(Feather)

8 - September Serenade

(Dizzy Gillespie)

#2, #5:

Putte Wickman (clarinet), Reinhold Svensson (piano), Rolf Berg (guitar), Simon Brehm (bass), Jack Norén (drums).

#1, #6:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Arne Domnérus (alto sax), Lars Gullin (baritone sax), Reinhold Svensson (piano), Simon Brehm (bass), Jack Norén (drums).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, June 28, 1951.

#3:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Arne Domnérus (alto sax), Carl-Henrik Norin (tenor sax), Lars Gullin (baritone sax), Bengt Hallberg (piano), Simon Brehm (bass), Jack Norén (drums).

#4:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Arne Domnérus (alto sax), Lars Gullin (baritone sax), Toots Thielemans (harmonica), Bengt Hallberg (piano), Simon Brehm (bass), Jack Norén (drums).

#7:

Åke Persson (trombone), Carl-Henrik Norin (tenor sax), Bengt Hallberg (piano), Simon Brehm (bass), Jack Norén (drums).

#8:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Åke Persson (trombone), Arne Domnérus (alto sax), Lars Gullin (baritone sax), Bengt Hallberg (piano), Simon Brehm (bass), Jack Norén (drums).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, July 4, 1951.