Zoot Sims

John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big band, afterward enjoying a long solo career, often in partnership with fellow saxmen Gerry Mulligan and Al Cohn.

Sims was born in 1925 in Inglewood, California, United States, to vaudeville 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.

Sims began on tenor saxophone at age 13. He initially modelled his playing on the work of Lester Young, Ben Webster, and Don Byas. 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. He joined Benny Goodman's band for the first time in 1943 (he was to rejoin in 1946, and continued to perform with Goodman on occasion through the early 1970s). Sims replaced Ben Webster in Sid Catlett's Quartet of 1944. In May of 1944, Sims made his recording debut for Commodore Records in a sextet led by pianist Joe Bushkin, 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 from 1944 to 1946, then returned to music in the bands of Artie Shaw, Stan Kenton, and Buddy Rich. He was one of Woody Herman's "Four Brothers". From 1954-1956 he toured with his friend Gerry Mulligan's sextet, and in the early 1960s, with Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band.Sims played on some of Jack Kerouac'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 Al Cohn. 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. In 1975, he began recording for Norman Granz's Pablo Records 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, Sarah Vaughan, and Clark Terry. 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. "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", written by singer Phoebe Snow on her debut eponymous album in 1974. He also played on Laura Nyro'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, recorded in Sweden and released in 1985 by Sonet records. Zoot Sims died of lung cancer on March 23, 1985 in New York City, and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, in Nyack, New York.

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Zoot Sims among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

1949-1956

• 1949: The Brothers, with Stan Getz and Al Cohn (Prestige)
• 1950-1954: Zootcase (Prestige) two LPs, released 1975
• 1950: Quartet In Paris (Discovery)
• 1950-1951: Zoot Sims Quartets (Prestige/OJC) two LPs (Swinging with Zoot and Tenor Sax Favorites)
• 1953: Zoot Sims All Stars (Prestige) with Kai Winding, Al Cohn George Wallington Percy Heath, and Art Blakey
• 1954: Zoot Sims Quintet (Prestige) with Stu Williamson - reissued as most of Good Old Zoot 12-inch LP (New Jazz, 1962; Status, 1965)
• 1955: Nashville (Zim) with Dick Nash
• 1956: The Modern Art of Jazz by Zoot Sims (Dawn)
• 1956: From A to...Z (RCA Victor) with Al Cohn
• 1956: Tonite's Music Today (Storyville)with Bob Brookmeyer
• 1956: Whooeeee (Storyville) with Bob Brookmeyer
• 1956: Zoot Sims – with Henri Renaud and Jon Eardley (Ducretet-Thomson) Americans Swinging In Paris CD
• 1956: Zoot (Argo Records)
• 1956: Zoot! (Riverside) with Nick Travis
• 1956: Tenor Conclave (Prestige) with John Coltrane, Al Cohn, Hank Mobley, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Art Taylor
• 1956: Goes to Jazzville (Dawn) with Jerry Lloyd, John Williams, Knoby Tohah, and Bill Anthony
• 1956: Live at Falcon Lair (Pablo) with Joe Castro released 2004
• 1956-1957: Bohemia After Dark (Jazz Hour) released 1994

1957-1959

• 1957: Zoot Sims Plays Alto, Tenor, and Baritone (ABC-Paramount)
• That Old Feeling, double-issue CD of two 1956 albums (Zoot and Zoot Sims Plays Alto, Tenor, and Baritone)
• 1957: Hoagy Carmichael Sessions and More (Lone Hill Jazz) with Al Cohn, Nick Travis and Milt Hinton - complete session plus 1961 live date with Mose Allison released in 2005
• 1957: The Four Brothers... Together Again! (Vik) with Serge Chaloff and Herbie Steward
• 1957: Al and Zoot (Coral)
• 1957: Locking Horns (Rama) with Joe Newman
• 1958: Stretching Out(United Artists) with Bob Brookmeyer
• 1959: The Swingers! (Pacific) with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
• 1959: Jazz Alive! A Night at the Half Note(United Artists) with Al Cohn and Phil Woods
• 1959: A Gasser! (World Pacific) with Annie Ross
• 1959-1960: Either Way (Fred Miles) with Al Cohn, Cecil Colier, Bill Crow, and Mose Allison - released 1961

1960-1969

• 1960: You 'n' Me (Mercury) with Al Cohn
• 1960: Down Home (Bethlehem) with Dave McKenna and George Tucker
• 1961: Either Way (Fred Miles Presents) with Al Cohn
• 1961: Choice (Pacific Jazz) with Bob Brookmeyer, Gerry Mulligan, Jim Hall
• 1962: New Beat Bossa Nova (Colpix)
• 1962: New Beat Bossa Nova Vol. 2 (Colpix)
• 1962: Zoot at Ronnie Scott's (Fontana)
• 1962: Solo for Zoot (Fontana)
• 1964: Two Jims and Zoot (Mainstream) with Jimmy Raney and Jim Hall - also released as Outra Vez
• 1965: Inter-Action (Cadet) with Sonny Stitt
• 1965 [1979]: Suitably Zoot (Pumpkin)
• 1965: Al and Zoot in London (World Record Club) with Al Cohn
• 1965: At the Half Note Again (not officially released) with Al Cohn, Richie Kamuca, Roger Kellaway, and Mel Lewis
• 1966: Waiting Game (Impulse!) with David Snell
• 1967: The Greatest Jazz Concert in the World (Pablo)
• 1968: Easy as Pie: Live at the Left Bank (Label M) with Al Cohn - released in 2001

1970-1975

• 1973: Body and Soul (Muse) with Jaki Byard and George Duvivier
• 1973: Zoot Suite, live audience recording with Jimmy Rowles, George Mraz, Mousey Alexander (High Note) released 2007
• 1973: Joe & Zoot (Chiaroscuro) with Joe Venuti and Bucky Pizzarelli
• 1974: Zoot Sims' Party (Choice) (released on CD by Candid as Getting Sentimental) with Jimmy Rowles
• 1974: Nirvana (Groove Merchant) with Bucky Pizzarelli and special guest Buddy Rich
• 1974: Strike Up the Band (Flying Dutchman) with Bobby Hackett and Bucky Pizzarelli
• 1974: Dave McKenna Quartet Featuring Zoot Sims (Chiaroscuro) with Dave McKenna - reissued in 1994 on CD with four extra tracks
• 1974: Motoring Along (Sonet) with Al Cohn and Horace Parlan
• 1975: Basie & Zoot (Pablo) with Count Basie
• 1975: Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers (Pablo) with Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass
• 1975 The Tenor Giants Featuring Oscar Peterson (Pablo) and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

1976-1979

• 1976: Zoot Sims With Bucky Pizzarelli (Classic Jazz) with Bucky Pizzarelli - also released as Summon
• 1976: Soprano Sax (Pablo) with Ray Bryant and George Mraz
• 1976: Hawthorne Nights (Pablo)
• 1977: If I'm Lucky (Pablo) with Jimmy Rowles
• 1978: For Lady Day (Pablo) released 1991, with Jimmy Rowles
• 1978: Zoot Sims in Copenhagen (Storyville)
• 1979: Warm Tenor (Pablo) with Jimmy Rowles
• 1979: The Sweetest Sounds (Sonet Gramofon/Pablo Today) with Rune Gustafsson
• 1979: The Swinger (Pablo)

1980-2003

• 1980: Just Friends (Pablo) with Harry Edison
• 1980: Passion Flower: Zoot Sims Plays Duke Ellington (Pablo)
• 1981: I Wish I Were Twins (Pablo) with Jimmy Rowles
• 1981 [1995]: Art 'n' Zoot (Pablo) with Art Pepper
• 1982: Blues for Two (Pablo) with Joe Pass
• 1982: The Innocent Years (Pablo) with Richard Wyands and Frank Tate
• 1983: Suddenly It's Spring (Pablo) with Jimmy Rowles
• 1983: On The Korner (Pablo) Last Recorded Performance At Keystone Korner
• 1984; Quietly There: Zoot Sims Plays Johnny Mandel (Fantasy)
• 1985: The Best of Zoot Sims (Pablo)
• 2002: Joe & Zoot & More (Chiaroscuro) with Joe Venuti and Bucky Pizzarelli - expanded reissue of Joe & Zoot
• 2003: Somebody Loves Me (Lester Recording Catalog) reissue, some of this was released at the time as Nirvana)

As sideman

With Pepper Adams

• 1964: Pepper Adams Plays the Compositions of Charlie Mingus (Workshop Jazz)
• 1968: Encounter! (Prestige)

With Trigger Alpert

• 1956: Trigger Happy! (Riverside)

With Chet Baker

• 1954: Chet Baker & Strings (Columbia)
• 1959: Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe (Riverside)

With Count Basie

• 1974: The Bosses (Pablo) with Big Joe Turner
• 1977: Count Basie Jam (Gruppo Editoriale Fabbri) released 1981

With Louie Bellson

• 1954: Louis Bellson Quintet (Norgran)

With Clifford Brown

• 1954: Jazz Immortal (Pacific Jazz)

With Ray Charles

• 1959: The Genius of Ray Charles (Atlantic)

With the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band

• 1962: Jazz Is Universal (Atlantic)

With Al Cohn

• 1956: The Sax Section (Epic)
• 1960: Son of Drum Suite (RCA Victor)
• 1962: Jazz Mission to Moscow (Colpix)

With Chris Connor

• 1956: Chris Connor (Atlantic)

With Miles Davis

• 1953: Plays Al Cohn Compositions (Miles Davis and Horns CD) (Prestige)

With Kenny Dorham

• 1961: Hot Stuff From Brazil (West Wind) released in 1990

With Jon Eardley

• 1956: The Jon Eardley Seven (Prestige), reissued in 1965 as Zoot Sims Koo Koo (Status)

With Booker Ervin

• 1961: The Book Cooks, with Tommy Turrentine (Bethlehem)

With Bill Evans

• 1962: Loose Blues, released 1982 (Milestone)

With Art Farmer

• 1959: The Aztec Suite (United Artists)

With Curtis Fuller

• 1961: South American Cookin' (Epic)

With Benny Goodman

• 1962: Benny Goodman in Moscow (RCA Victor)

With Bobby Hackett

• 1967 Creole Cookin' (Verve)

With Coleman Hawkins

• 1956: The Hawk in Hi Fi (RCA Victor) with Billy Byers and his orchestra

With Woody Herman

• 1959: New Big Herd At The Monterey Jazz Festival (released 1960 Atlantic)

With Jutta Hipp

• 1956: Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims (Blue Note)

With Chubby Jackson

• 1950: All Star Big Band (Prestige)

With Quincy Jones

• 1957: This Is How I Feel About Jazz (ABC-Paramount)
• 1959: The Birth of a Band! (Mercury)
• 1964: Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini (Mercury)
• 1965: Quincy Plays for Pussycats (Mercury)

With Stan Kenton

• 1953: Portraits on Standards (Capitol)
• 1940-1954: The Kenton Era (Capitol) released in 1955

With Jack Kerouac

• 1959: Blues and Haikus (Hanover-Signature)

With Irene Kral

• 1959: SteveIreneo! (United Artists)

With Elliot Lawrence

• 1957: Big Band Modern (Jazztone)

With Michel Legrand

• 1982: After The Rain (Pablo)

With Stan Levey and Red Mitchell

• 1954-1955: West Coast Rhythm (Affinity) released 1982

With The Manhattan Transfer

• 1975: The Manhattan Transfer (Atlantic)

With Gary McFarland

• 1966: Profiles (Impulse!)

With Ted McNabb

• 1959: Big Band Swing (Epic)

With Carmen McRae

• 1959: Something to Swing About (Kapp)
• 1973: Ms. Jazz (Groove Merchant)

With the Metronome All-Stars

• 1956: Metronome All-Stars 1956 (Clef)

With Charles Mingus

• 1962: The Complete Town Hall Concert (Blue Note) released 1994

With Red Mitchell

• 1955: Happy Minors (Bethlehem)

With Jack Montrose

• 1954: Arranged by Montrose (Pacific Jazz)

With Gerry Mulligan

• 1954: California Concerts (Pacific Jazz)
• 1955: Presenting the Gerry Mulligan Sextet (EmArcy)
• 1956: Mainstream of Jazz (EmArcy)
• 1956: A Profile of Gerry Mulligan (EmArcy)
• 1946-1957: The Arranger (1946-1957) (Columbia) released 1977
• 1957: The Gerry Mulligan Songbook (World Pacific)
• 1960: The Concert Jazz Band (Verve)
• 1960: Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band on Tour (Verve) released 1962
• 1966: Something Borrowed – Something Blue (Limelight)

With Oliver Nelson

• 1966: Encyclopedia of Jazz (Verve)
• 1966: The Sound of Feeling (Verve)

With Anita O'Day

• 1962: All the Sad Young Men (Verve)

With Bob Prince

• 1959: Saxes Inc. (Warner Bros)

With Buddy Rich and Lionel Hampton

• 1974: Transition (Groove Merchant)

With Shorty Rogers

• 1954: Shorty Rogers Courts the Count (RCA Victor)

With Jimmy Rushing

• 1971: The You And Me That Used To Be (RCA)

With Lalo Schifrin and Bob Brookmeyer

• 1963: Samba Para Dos (Verve)

With Johnny Smith

• 1956: Moonlight in Vermont (Roost) with Stan Getz (Sims is present on 2 tracks only)

With Phoebe Snow

• 1974: Phoebe Snow (Shelter)

With Sonny Stitt

• 1965: Broadway Soul (Colpix)

With Clark Terry

• 1979: Mother! Mother! (Pablo)

With Sarah Vaughan

• 1958: Vaughan and Violins (Mercury)
• 1979: The Duke Ellington Songbook, Vol. 1 (Pablo)
• 2000: Linger Awhile: Live at Newport and More (Pablo)

With Joe Venuti

• 1974: The Joe Venuti Blue Four (Chiaroscuro)

With Chuck Wayne

• The Jazz Guitarist (Savoy, 1953 [1956])

With Joe Williams

• 1963: At Newport '63 (RCA Victor)
• 1989: Having The Blues Under European Sky (Lester Recording Catalog) recorded live in the 1970s