Zoot Sims
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.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
Discography
608 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims
Jazz - Released by Blue Note Records on Jan 1, 1956
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims
Jazz - Released by Blue Note Records on Jan 1, 1956
Available in24-Bit/192 kHz Stereo -
Tenor Conclave
Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims
Jazz - Released by Prestige on Oct 29, 2022
Available in24-Bit/192 kHz Stereo -
Tenor Conclave
Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims
Lounge - Released by Vinyle Numérique on Oct 29, 2022
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Down Home (Remastered 2013)
Jazz - Released by Bethlehem Records on Aug 27, 2013
Available in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo -
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Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims
Bebop - Released by Music Manager on Jun 16, 2023
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
NEW BEAT BOSSA NOVA! (Remastered)
Bossa Nova - Released by RevOla on Oct 17, 2018
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Tenor Conclave
Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims
Jazz - Released by Prestige on Oct 29, 2022
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Zoot Sims And The Gershwin Brothers (Original Jazz Classics Remasters)
Jazz - Released by Pablo on Jan 1, 2013
The Qobuz Essential DiscographyAvailable in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Basie & Zoot
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Apr 9, 1975
The Qobuz Essential DiscographyAvailable in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Zoot Sims Plays Johnny Mandel: Quietly There
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Jan 1, 1984
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
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Recado Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova - Released by Fresh Sound Records on Nov 28, 2019
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
A Gasser!
Jazz - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on Sep 5, 1959
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Somebody Loves Me (Remastered)
Zoot Sims, Bucky Pizzarelli, Buddy Rich
Jazz - Released by LRC Ltd. - Groove Merchant Records on Jan 1, 1974
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
If I'm Lucky (Remastered 1992)
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Jan 1, 1977
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
The Tenor Giants Featuring Oscar Peterson
Zoot Sims, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Jazz - Released by Pablo on Jan 1, 1975
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
The Four Brothers - Together Again! (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Avid Entertainment on Oct 20, 2013
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
12 Classic Albums: 1956 - 1962
Contemporary Jazz - Released by ENLIGHTENMENT on Jul 4, 2017
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Down Home (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Avid Entertainment on Aug 27, 2013
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo