John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roo ...

's big band, afterward enjoying a long solo career, often in partnership with fellow saxmen

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, pianist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing t ...

and

Al Cohn Al Cohn (November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988) was an American jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer. He came to prominence in the band of clarinetist Woody Herman and was known for his longtime musical partnership with fellow saxophonist ...

Biography

Sims was born in 1925 in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...

, United States, to

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

performers Kate Haley and John Sims. His father was a vaudeville hoofer, and Sims prided himself on remembering many of the steps his father taught him. Growing up in a performing family, he learned to play drums and clarinet at an early age. His brother was the trombonist

Ray Sims Ray C. Sims (January 18, 1921 - March 14, 2000) was an American jazz trombonist. He was the brother of Zoot Sims. Born in Wichita, Kansas, Sims played in territory bands in the early 1940s, then recorded with Anita O'Day and Benny Goodman shortl ...

. Sims began on tenor saxophone at age 13. He initially modelled his playing on the work of

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor Saxophone, saxophonist. He performed in the United States and Europe and made many recordings with Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Johnny Hodges, a ...

, and

Don Byas Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas (October 21, 1912 – August 24, 1972) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, associated with swing and bebop. He played with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others, and also l ...

. By his late teens, having dropped out of high school, he was playing in big bands, starting with those of Kenny Baker and

Bobby Sherwood Robert J. Sherwood Jr. (May 30, 1914 – January 23, 1981) was an American guitarist, trumpeter, bandleader, actor and radio host. Early years Sherwood's parents were Bob and Gail Sherwood. When they lived in Kokomo, Indiana, Bob operated a m ...

. He joined

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially. From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...

's band for the first time in 1943 (he was to rejoin in 1946, and continued to perform with Goodman on occasion through the late 1970s). Sims replaced Ben Webster in

Sid Catlett Sidney "Big Sid" Catlett (January 17, 1910 – March 25, 1951) was an American jazz drummer. Catlett was one of the most versatile drummers of his era, adapting with the changing music scene as bebop emerged. Early life Catlett was born in Eva ...

's Quartet of 1944. In May 1944, Sims made his recording debut for

Commodore Records Commodore Records was an American independent record label known for producing Dixieland jazz and Swing music, swing. It is also remembered for releasing Billie Holiday's hit "Strange Fruit". History Commodore Records was founded in the spring o ...

in a sextet led by pianist

Joe Bushkin Joseph "Joe" Bushkin (November 7, 1916 – November 3, 2004) was an American jazz pianist. Life and career Born in New York City, Bushkin began his career by playing trumpet and piano with New York City dance bands, including Frank LaMare ...

, who two months earlier had recorded for the same label as part of Lester Young's Kansas City Six. Sims served as a corporal in the

United States Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

from 1944 to 1946, then returned to music in the bands of

Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though ...

, and

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

. He was one of

's "Four Brothers". From 1954–1956 he toured with his friend

's sextet, and in the early 1960s, with Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band. Sims played on some of

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian ...

's recordings. From the late 1950s to the end of his life, Sims was primarily a freelancer, though he worked frequently in the 1960s and early 1970s with a group co–led with

. In the 1970s and 1980s, he also played and recorded regularly with a handful of other musical partners including Bucky Pizzarelli, Joe Venuti, and

Jimmy Rowles James George Hunter (August 19, 1918 – May 28, 1996), known professionally as Jimmy Rowles (sometimes spelled Jimmie Rowles), was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, and composer. As a bandleader and accompanist, he explored multiple styles in ...

. In 1975, he began recording for Norman Granz's

Pablo Records Pablo Records was a jazz record company and label founded by Norman Granz in 1973, more than a decade after he had sold his earlier catalog (including Verve Records) to MGM Records. Pablo initially featured recordings by acts that Granz managed ...

label. Sims appeared on more than 20 Pablo albums, mostly as a featured solo artist, but also as a backing musician for artists including

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

, and

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American Swing music, swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948� ...

. Between 1974 and 1983, Sims recorded six studio albums with pianist Jimmy Rowles in a quartet setting that critic Scott Yanow wrote feature Sims at his best. Sims acquired the nickname "Zoot" early in his career while he was in the Kenny Baker band in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. "When he joined Kenny Baker's band as a fifteen-year-old tenor saxophonist, each of the music stands was embellished with a nonsense word. The one he sat behind said 'Zoot.' That became his name." Sims played a 30-second solo on the song "

Poetry Man "Poetry Man" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Phoebe Snow. It was written by Snow, produced by Dino Airali, and first appeared on her 1974 Phoebe Snow (album), self-titled debut album. Composition/ recording/ release "Poetry Man" was ...

", written by singer

Phoebe Snow Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs "Poetry Man" and "Harpo's Blues", and her credited guest vocals on Paul Simo ...

on her debut eponymous album in 1974. He also played on

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter and singer. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968) and ''Ne ...

's "Lonely Women", on her album '' Eli and the Thirteenth Confession''. Sims' last studio recording was a November, 1984 trio session featuring bassist

Red Mitchell Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell (September 20, 1927 – November 8, 1992) was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet. Biography Mitchell was born in New York City. His younger brother, Whitey Mitchell, also became a jazz ...

, recorded in Sweden and released in 1985 by

Sonet records Sonet Records was a jazz, pop and rock record label operating as an imprint of Universal Music Sweden. It was founded in Sweden in 1956. Sonet Records was established by Sven Lindholm and Gunnar Bergström, who managed the label into the 1980 ...

. He died of lung cancer on March 23, 1985, in New York City,Folkart, Burt A
"Saxophonist John Haley (Zoot) Sims Dies at 59"
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', March 24, 1985. Retrieved February 1, 2013. and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, in

Nyack, New York Nyack () is a Village (New York), village primarily located in the Town (New York), town of Orangetown, New York, Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, United States. Incorporated in 1872, a small western section of the village lies in Clarkst ...

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* 1950: ''The Zoot Sims Quartet in Paris'' (Discovery, 1950) * 1950–51: ''Swinging with Zoot'' (

Prestige Prestige may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films *Prestige (film), ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnett: woman travels to French Indochina to meet up with husband *The Prestige (film), ''The Prestige'' (fi ...

, 1951) * 1950–51: ''Tenor Sax Favorites'' (Prestige, 1951) * 1949–52: '' The Brothers'' with

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

(Prestige, 1956) * 1952: ''Contemporary Music'' as Zoot Sims All Stars (Prestige, 1953) – also released as ''Zoot Sims All Stars'' (Esquire) * 1950–54: ''Zoot Sims Quintet'' with Stu Williamson (Prestige, 1954) – reissued as ''Good Old Zoot'' (New Jazz, 1962) P* 1950–54: ''Zootcase'' (Prestige, 1975) LP* 1954?: ''Zoot Simms In Hollywood'' (New Jazz, 1954) * 1954: ''Happy Minors'' with

Bob Brookmeyer Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombone, valve trombonist, Jazz piano, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public ...

(

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

, 1955) * 1955: ''Playing'' as Hall Daniels' Septet (Jump, 1955) – reissued as ''Nash–Ville'' (Zim, 1977) with

Dick Nash Richard Taylor Nash (born January 26, 1928) is an American jazz trombonist most associated with the swing (genre), swing and big band genres. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and began playing brass instruments at ten. He became more intere ...

* 1956: '' The Modern Art of Jazz by Zoot Sims'' (

Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the diffuse sky radiation, appearance of indirect sunlight being Rayleigh scattering, scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc ha ...

, 1956) * 1956: '' From A to...Z'' with Al Cohn (

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

, 1957) * 1956: '' Tonite's Music Today'' with Bob Brookmeyer (Storyville, 1956) * 1956: '' Whooeeee'' with Bob Brookmeyer (Storyville, 1956) * 1956: ''Zoot Sims Avec Henri Renaud Et Son Orchestre Et Jon Eardley'' with Henri Renaud Et Son Orchestre and Jon Eardley (Ducretet–Thomson, 1956) * 1956: ''Zoot'' (

Argo Records Argo Records was a record label in Chicago that was established in 1955 in music, 1955 as a division of Chess Records. Originally the label was called Marterry, but bandleader Ralph Marterie objected, and within a couple of months the imprint w ...

, 1957) * 1956: '' Zoot!'' ( Riverside, 1957) * 1956: '' Tenor Conclave'' with

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

Hank Mobley Henry Mobley (July 7, 1930 – May 30, 1986) was an American tenor saxophonist and composer. Mobley was described by Leonard Feather as the "middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone", a metaphor used to describe his tone, that was neithe ...

Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jazz ...

Paul Chambers Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr. (April 22, 1935 – January 4, 1969) was an American jazz double bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, he has become one of the most widely-known jazz bassists of the hard bop er ...

and

Art Taylor Arthur S. Taylor Jr. (April 6, 1929 – February 6, 1995) was an American jazz drummer, who "helped define the sound of modern jazz drumming".Watrous, Peter (February 7, 1995)"Art Taylor, 65, Jazz Drummer Who Inspired Young Musicians" ''The Ne ...

(Prestige, 1957) * 1956: ''Goes to Jazzville'' (Dawn, 1957) * 1956: ''Live at Falcon Lair'' with Joe Castro Trio ( Pablo, 2004) * 1956: ''Zoot Sims Plays Alto, Tenor, and Baritone'' (

ABC-Paramount ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! Records, Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquire ...

, 1957) * 1956–57: ''Bohemia After Dark'' (Jazz Hour, 1994) * 1957: '' The Four Brothers... Together Again!'' with Herbie Steward et al. ( Vik, 1957) * 1957: ''Zoot Sims Plays Four Altos'' (ABC-Paramount, 1957) * 1957: '' Al and Zoot'' with

(

Coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...

, 1957) * 1957: '' Locking Horns'' with Joe Newman (Rama, 1957) * 1957–58: ''Happy Over Hoagy'' with Al Cohn Septet (Jass, 1987) – complete session plus 1961 live date with

Mose Allison Mose John Allison Jr. (November 11, 1927 – November 15, 2016) was an American jazz and blues pianist, singer, and songwriter. He became notable for playing a unique mix of blues and modern jazz, both singing and playing piano. After moving to N ...

was released as ''The Hoagy Carmichael Sessions And More'' (Lone Hill Jazz, 2004) * 1958: '' Stretching Out'' with

et al. (

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

, 1959) * 1954–59: ''Choice'' ( Pacific Jazz, 1961) * 1959: '' Jazz Alive! A Night at the Half Note'' with Al Cohn and

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began t ...

(

, 1959) – live * 1959?: ''A Gasser!'' with Annie Ross ( World Pacific, 1959) * 1959–60: ''Either Way'' with

(Fred Miles, 1961) * 1960: '' You 'n' Me'' with Al Cohn (Mercury, 1960) * 1960: '' Down Home'' (

, 1960) * 1961: '' Either Way'' with Al Cohn (Fred Miles Presents, 1961) * 1961: ''Zoot at Ronnie Scott's'' ( Fontana, 1962) * 1961: ''Solo for Zoot'' (Fontana, 1962) * 1962?: ''New Beat Bossa Nova Means The Samba Swings'' ( Colpix, 1962) * 1962?: ''New Beat Bossa Nova Vol. 2'' (Colpix, 1962) * 1964: '' Two Jims and Zoot'' with

Jimmy Raney James Elbert Raney (August 20, 1927 – May 10, 1995) was an American jazz guitarist, born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, known for his work from 1951 to 1952 and then from 1953 to 1954 with the Red Norvo trio (replacing Tal Farlow) a ...

and Jim Hall (

Mainstream Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso * ...

, 1964) – also released as ''Outra Vez'' * 1965: '' Inter-Action'' with

Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his era, recording over ...

(

Cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

, 1965) * 1965: ''Suitably Zoot'' (Pumpkin, 1979) * 1965: ''Al and Zoot in London'' with Al Cohn (World Record Club, 1967) * 1965: ''At the Half Note Again'' – not officially released * 1966: '' Waiting Game'' ( Impulse!, 1966) * 1967: '' The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World'' ( Pablo, 1975) * 1968: ''Easy as Pie: Live at the Left Bank'' with Al Cohn (Label M, 2001) * 1973: '' Body and Soul'' with

(

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

, 1973) * 1973: ''Zoot Suite'' (High Note, 2007) – live audience recording * 1973: ''Joe & Zoot'' with Joe Venuti (

Chiaroscuro In art, chiaroscuro ( , ; ) is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to ach ...

, 1974) – expanded reissue as ''Joe & Zoot & More'' (

, 2002) * 1974: ''Zoot Sims' Party'' (Choice, 1974) – released as ''Getting Sentimental'' ( Candid, 1997) D* 1974: ''

Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

'' with Bucky Pizzarelli and special guest

( Groove Merchant, 1974) – reissued as ''Somebody Loves Me'' (Lester Recording Catalog, 2003) * 1974: ''Strike Up the Band'' with

Bobby Hackett Robert Leo Hackett (January 31, 1915 – June 7, 1976) was a versatile American jazz musician who played swing music, Dixieland jazz and mood music, now called easy listening, on trumpet, cornet, and guitar. He played Swing with the bands ...

and Bucky Pizzarelli (

Flying Dutchman The ''Flying Dutchman'' () is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the sea forever. The myths and ghost stories are likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Dutch East India C ...

, 1975) * 1974: ''Dave McKenna Quartet Featuring Zoot Sims'' (

, 1974) with Dave McKenna – reissued in 1994 on CD with four extra tracks * 1974: '' Motoring Along'' with

and

Horace Parlan Horace Parlan (January 19, 1931 – February 23, 2017) was an American pianist and composer known for working in the hard bop and post-bop styles of jazz. In addition to his work as a bandleader Parlan was known for his contributions to the Cha ...

(Sonet, 1975) * 1975: '' Basie & Zoot'' with

(Pablo, 1975) * 1975: '' Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers'' with

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...

and

Joe Pass Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalacqua; January 13, 1929 – May 23, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. Although Pass recorded and performed live with pianist Oscar Peterson, composer Duke Ellington, and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, he ...

(Pablo, 1975) * 1975 '' The Tenor Giants Featuring Oscar Peterson'' with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (Pablo, 1975) * 1976: ''Zoot Sims With Bucky Pizzarelli'' with Bucky Pizzarelli (Classic Jazz, 1976) – also released as ''Summon'' * 1976: '' Soprano Sax'' with Ray Bryant and

George Mraz George Mraz (born Jiří Mráz; 9 September 1944 – 16 September 2021) was a Czech-born American jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and worked with Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stepha ...

(Pablo, 1976) * 1976: ''

Hawthorne Nights ''Hawthorne Nights'' is an album by saxophonist Zoot Sims recorded in 1976 and released by the Pablo Records, Pablo label the following year.If I'm Lucky'' with

(Pablo, 1977) * 1978: '' For Lady Day'' with Jimmy Rowles (Pablo, 1991) * 1978: ''Zoot Sims in Copenhagen'' (Storyville, 1995) * 1978: ''

Just Friends ''Just Friends'' is a 2005 Christmas romantic black comedy film directed by Roger Kumble, written by Adam 'Tex' Davis and starring Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Chris Klein and Christopher Marquette. The plot focuses on a formerly ...

'' with

Harry Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard back ...

(Pablo, 1980) * 1978: ''

Warm Tenor ''Warm Tenor'' is an album by saxophonist Zoot Sims, recorded in 1978 and released by the Pablo Records, Pablo label the following year. Reception AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow stated: "The Pablo label was a perfect home for Zoot Sims during th ...

'' with Jimmy Rowles (Pablo, 1979) * 1978: '' The Sweetest Sounds'' with Rune Gustafsson (Sonet Gramofon/Pablo Today, 1979) * 1979–80: ''The Swinger'' (Pablo, 1981) * 1979–80: ''Passion Flower: Zoot Sims Plays Duke Ellington'' (Pablo, 1980) * 1981: ''I Wish I Were Twins'' with

(Pablo, 1981) * 1981: '' Art 'n' Zoot'' with

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American jazz musician, most known as an alto saxophonist. He occasionally performed and recorded on tenor saxophone, clarinet (his first instrument) and bass clarinet. Active ...

(Pablo, 1995) * 1982: ''The Innocent Years'' as The Zoot Sims Four (Pablo, 1982) * 1982: ''Blues for Two'' with

(Pablo, 1983) * 1983: ''On The Korner'' (Pablo, 1994) – the last recording at The

Keystone Korner The Keystone Korner was a jazz club in the North Beach, San Francisco, North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California, which opened in 1970 and continued operation until 1983. Many live recordings were made at the club. In the 1970s, Jessi ...

* 1983: ''Suddenly It's Spring'' (Pablo, 1983) * 1984: ''Quietly There: Zoot Sims Plays Johnny Mandel'' (Pablo, 1984) – compositions of

Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

Compilations * ''The Best of Zoot Sims'' (Pablo, 1980) * ''That Old Feeling'' (Chess, 1995) – double–issue CD of two 1956 albums: ''Zoot'' and ''Zoot Sims Plays Alto, Tenor, and Baritone''

As sideman

With

Pepper Adams Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a s ...

* '' Pepper Adams Plays the Compositions of Charlie Mingus'' (Workshop Jazz, 1964) – rec. 1963 * '' Encounter!'' (Prestige, 1969) – rec. 1968 With

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

* '' Chet Baker & Strings'' ( Columbia, 1954) – rec. 1953-54 * '' Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe'' (Riverside, 1959) With

* '' The Bosses'' with

Big Joe Turner Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him". Turner's greatest fa ...

(Pablo, 1973) * ''Count Basie Jam'' (Gruppo Editoriale Fabbri, 1981) – rec. 1977 With

* '' The Sax Section'' (

Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...

, 1956) * '' Son of Drum Suite'' (RCA Victor, 1960) * '' Jazz Mission to Moscow'' (Colpix, 1962) With

* ''The Thundering Herds'' (Columbia, 1966) - rec. 1945-1947 * ''Keeper Of The Flame (The Complete Capitol Recordings Of The Four Brothers Band)'' ( Capitol, 1992) - rec. 1948-1949 * ''New Big Herd At The Monterey Jazz Festival'' (Atlantic, 1960) – rec. 1959 With

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

* '' This Is How I Feel About Jazz'' (ABC-Paramount, 1957) – rec. 1956-1957 * '' The Birth of a Band!'' (Mercury, 1959) * ''

Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini ''Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini'' is an album by Quincy Jones that contains music composed by Henry Mancini. Track listing All music composed by Henry Mancini, lyricists indicated # "Baby Elephant Walk" – 2:49 # "Charade ( ...

'' (Mercury, 1964) * '' Quincy Plays for Pussycats'' (Mercury, 1965) – rec. 1959-1965 With

* '' Portraits on Standards'' (Capitol, 1953) * '' The Kenton Era'' (Capitol, 1955) – rec. 1940-1954 With

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...

* '' Something to Swing About'' (Kapp, 1960) – rec. 1959 * '' Ms. Jazz'' (Groove Merchant, 1974) – rec. 1973 With

* '' California Concerts'' (Pacific Jazz, 1955) – rec. 1954 * '' Presenting the Gerry Mulligan Sextet'' (EmArcy, 1955) * '' Mainstream of Jazz'' (EmArcy, 1956) * ''A Profile of Gerry Mulligan'' (EmArcy, 1959) – rec. 1955-1956 * ''The Arranger (1946-1957)'' (Columbia, 1977) – rec. 1946-1957 * '' The Gerry Mulligan Songbook'' (World Pacific, 1958) – rec. 1957 * '' The Concert Jazz Band'' (Verve, 1960) * '' Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band on Tour'' (Verve, 1962) – rec. 1960 * ''Something Borrowed – Something Blue'' (Limelight, 1966) With

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signi ...

* '' Encyclopedia of Jazz'' (Verve, 1967) – rec. 1965-1966 * '' The Sound of Feeling'' (Verve, 1968) – rec. 1966-1967 With

* '' Vaughan and Violins'' (Mercury, 1959) – rec. 1958 * '' The Duke Ellington Songbook, Vol. 1'' (Pablo, 1979) * '' Linger Awhile: Live at Newport and More'' (Pablo, 2000) – rec. 1957-1982 With Joe Williams * '' At Newport '63'' (RCA Victor, 1963) * ''Having The Blues Under European Sky'' (Denon, 1985) – live rec. 1970s With Others * Trigger Alpert, '' Trigger Happy!'' (Riverside, 1956) *

Louie Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paolino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer ...

, '' Louis Bellson Quintet'' (Norgran, 1955) – rec. 1954 *

Clifford Brown Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car crash, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Sprin ...

, ''Jazz Immortal'' (Pacific Jazz, 2001) – rec. 1954 *

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

, '' The Genius of Ray Charles'' (Atlantic, 1959) * The

Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band The Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band was a jazz big band co-led by American drummer Kenny Clarke and Belgian pianist François "Francy" Boland. They were one of the most noteworthy jazz big bands formed outside the United States, featuring top ...

, '' Jazz Is Universal'' (Atlantic, 1962) – rec. 1961 *

Chris Connor Mary Jean Loutsenhizer, known professionally as Chris Connor (November 8, 1927 – August 29, 2009), was an American jazz singer. Biography Chris Connor was born Mary Loutsenhizer in Kansas City, Missouri, to Clyde Loutsenhizer and Mabel Sh ...

, ''

'' (Atlantic, 1956) *

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

, '' Plays Al Cohn Compositions (Miles Davis and Horns CD)'' (Prestige, 1956) – rec. 1953 *

Kenny Dorham McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and occasional singer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention ...

, ''Hot Stuff From Brazil'' (West Wind, 1990) – rec. 1961 * Jon Eardley, ''The Jon Eardley Seven'' (Prestige, 1956) – reissued as ''Zoot Sims Koo Koo'' (Status, 1965) *

Booker Ervin Booker Telleferro Ervin II (October 31, 1930 – August 31, 1970) was an American tenor saxophone player. His tenor playing was characterised by a strong, tough sound and blues/gospel phrasing. He is remembered for his association with bassi ...

, '' The Book Cooks'' (Bethlehem, 1961) – rec. 1960 *

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

, '' Loose Blues'' (Milestone, 1982) – rec. 1962 *

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, doub ...

, '' The Aztec Suite'' (United Artists, 1959) *

Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December 15, 193 ...

, '' South American Cookin''' (Epic, 1961) *

, '' Benny Goodman in Moscow'' (RCA Victor, 1962) *

, '' Creole Cookin''' (Verve, 1967) *

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first ...

, '' The Hawk in Hi Fi'' with Billy Byers and his orchestra (

, 1956) *

Jutta Hipp Jutta Hipp (February 4, 1925 – April 7, 2003) was a jazz pianist and composer. Born in Leipzig during the Weimar Republic, Hipp initially listened to jazz in secret, as it was not approved of by the Nazi authorities. After World War II, she be ...

, '' Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims'' (Blue Note, 1957) – rec. 1956 * Chubby Jackson, ''All Star Big Band'' (Prestige, 1950) *

, '' Blues and Haikus'' (Hanover-Signature, 1959) – rec. 1958 *

Irene Kral Irene Kral (January 18, 1932 – August 15, 1978) was an American jazz singer. Life She was born to Czechoslovak parents in Chicago and settled in Los Angeles, California, in the early 1960s. She died from breast cancer in Encino, Los Angeles. ...

, '' SteveIreneo!'' (United Artists, 1959) * Elliot Lawrence, ''Big Band Modern'' (Jazztone, 1957) *

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, jazz pianist, and singer. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to ma ...

, ''After The Rain'' (Pablo, 1983) – rec. 1982 * Stan Levey and

, ''West Coast Rhythm'' (Affinity, 1982) – rec. 1954-1955 *

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer was an American vocal group founded in 1969 in New York City, performing music genres like a cappella, Brazilian jazz, Swing music, swing, vocalese, rhythm and blues, Pop music, pop, and standards. They have won eleven G ...

, ''

'' (Atlantic, 1975) *

Gary McFarland Gary Ronald McFarland (October 23, 1933 – November 2, 1971) was an American composer, arranger, conductor, vibraphonist, and vocalist. He recorded for the jazz imprints Verve Records, Verve and Impulse! Records during the 1960s. ''DownBeat, Dow ...

, '' Profiles'' (Impulse!, 1966) * Ted McNabb, ''Big Band Swing'' (Epic, 1960) – rec. 1959 * The Metronome All-Stars, '' Metronome All-Stars 1956'' (Clef, 1956) *

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz Double bass, upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist, and author. A major proponent of collective Musical improvisation, improvisation, he is considered one of ...

, '' The Complete Town Hall Concert'' (Blue Note, 1994) – rec. 1962 *

, ''Happy Minors'' (Bethlehem, 1955) also with

– rec. 1954 *

Jack Montrose Jack Montrose (December 30, 1928 – February 7, 2006) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and arranger. After attending college in Los Angeles, he worked with Jerry Gray and then Art Pepper. Montrose also did arrangements for Clifford Brown. ...

, '' Arranged by Montrose'' (Pacific Jazz, 1955) – rec. 1954 *

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self-proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appe ...

, '' All the Sad Young Men'' (Verve, 1962) – rec. 1961 *

Bud Powell Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell (September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966) was an American jazz pianist and composer. A pioneer in the development of bebop and its associated contributions to jazz theory,Grove Powell's application of complex phrasing to ...

, ''Live at the Blue Note Café, Paris 1961'' * Bob Prince, ''Saxes Inc.'' (Warner Bros, 1959) *

and

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, an ...

, '' Transition'' (Groove Merchant, 1974) * Shorty Rogers, '' Shorty Rogers Courts the Count'' (RCA Victor, 1954) *

Jimmy Rushing James Andrew Rushing (August 26, 1901 – June 8, 1972) was an American singer and pianist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., best known as the featured vocalist of Count Basie's Orchestra from 1935 to 1948. Rushing was known as " Mr. Five by ...

, ''The You And Me That Used To Be'' (

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

, 1971) *

Lalo Schifrin Boris Claudio "Lalo" Schifrin (born June 21, 1932) is an Argentine-American pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor. He is best known for his large body of film and TV scores since the 1950s, incorporating jazz and Music of Latin America, Lati ...

and

, '' Samba Para Dos'' (Verve, 1963) *

Johnny Smith Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. He wrote " Walk, Don't Run" in 1954. In 1984, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Early life During the Great ...

, '' Moonlight in Vermont'' (Roost, 1956) – rec. 1952-53 *

, ''

'' (Shelter, 1974) – rec. 1973 *

, '' Broadway Soul'' (Colpix, 1965) *

, '' Mother ! Mother !'' (Pablo, 1980) – rec. 1979 * Joe Venuti, ''The Joe Venuti Blue Four'' (Chiaroscuro, 1974) *

Chuck Wayne Chuck Wayne (February 27, 1923 – July 29, 1997) was an American jazz guitarist. He came to prominence in the 1940s, and was among the earliest jazz guitarists to play in the bebop style. Wayne was a member of Woody Herman's First Herd, the f ...

, '' The Jazz Guitarist'' (Savoy, 1956) – rec. 1953

References

External links

* *
''Downbeat Magazine'' article
April 13, 1961. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sims, Zoot Hard bop saxophonists Cool jazz saxophonists American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists 1925 births 1985 deaths Jazz musicians from California Musicians from Inglewood, California Musicians from Queens, New York Jazz musicians from New York City Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Prestige Records artists Muse Records artists Pablo Records artists MCA Records artists RCA Records artists Impulse! Records artists Riverside Records artists Savoy Records artists Benny Goodman Orchestra members 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band members HighNote Records artists Nagel-Heyer Records artists Sonet Records artists DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame members

Biography

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As sideman

See also

References

External links