Zoot Sims' Compatability

Delmark recently acquired the Jump Records label and the first result of this acquisition is a Jump CD release under the name of Zoot Sims, Compatability. This is a reissue of what was a four-song, 10 inch LP from 1955 that was originally issued under the name of trumpeter Hall Daniels who composed two of the songs and arranged two standards. In 1977, Zim Records issued a ten track LP that added six alternate takes under the rubric of the Zoot Sims/ Dick Nash Octet. The present Jump Records reissue adds an additional two alternate takes and a brief bit of studio chatter. 

In addition to leader Daniels, he participants on these recordings included tenor saxophonist Sims, trombonist Dick Nash, baritone saxophonist Bob Gordon (who died in an automobile crash shortly after the 1955 recording sessions), guitarist Tony Rizzo, pianist Paul Atkerson, bassist Rolly Bundock and drummer Jack Sperling. The liner booklet reproduces producer Clive Acker’s 1977 liner notes with brief biographical information.

Daniels certainly provided attractive, clean arrangements for these swinging, ‘cool’ sounding octet recordings. At the time of the 1977 reissue, Sims had become a fairly prominent tenor saxophonist so its not surprising he shared billing with Nash then. His opening solo on the “The Way You Look Tonight displays the fluidity of his own distillation of Lester Young’s sound. Daniels' arrangements provides nice setting for Sims lead work. Trombonist Nash is well featured on Nash-Ville, which also has notable solos by Rizzo and Gordon. The ballad, You Don’t Know What Love Is features some exquisite playing from Nash along with Sims, while Gordon’s baritone plays a prominent backing role. The title track is a lively bop-flavored number with pianist Atkerson taking a nice solo before Daniels employs a mute and then Gordon digs in with authority. 

There is certainly much to enjoy of these performances and the alternate takes provide interesting contrasts to the originally issued tracks. Gordon, for example, is more prominent on the first alternate of The Way You Look Tonight. Compatability is an engaging recording whose the performances hold up over fifty years after being waxed. A final note – the album title Compatability may seem to be incorrectly spelled, but that is how it is spelled on the CD cover.

My review copy was provided by Delmark.

Zoot Sims Is "In A Sentimental Mood"

MVD Visual has released in the US the Gazell Records video of Zoot Sims, In a Sentimental Mood. This video was filmed in November, 1984, just months before the tenor saxophonist passed away. It was filmed at the library of Sonet Records in Lidingo, Sweden with Sims backed by Bassist Red Mitchell and guitarist Rune Gustafsson. The library setting and the drummer-less trio makes for an intimate performance. An interview by Mitchell of Sims (actually more of a conversation) is interspersed between the performances.


The performances focus on ballads starting with the Ellington classic that gives this DVD its title and ending with Autumn Leaves. The swinging Sims was a masterful ballad playing which, like his basic approach to the saxophone, reflected the influence of Lester young perhaps with a slightly vibrato that might have been picked up from Ben Webster. Mitchell provides a foundation as Gustafsson lends some chords with each taking solo breaks. Gone With the Wind opens with somewhat more of a breathier sound, perhaps reflecting more Webster here (and Webster did record this on a session with Art Tatum.


The interview portions includes recollections of his early days including a story of his time with Benny Goodman when he had a big apple on the stand and Benny had him solo and took the apple and kept gesturing for Sims to keep soloing as Goodman ate the apple and recalls it was the longest solo he ever had with Benny. After Sims had talked about his early days on 42nd Street, Mitchell himself recalls playing with a trio opening for Charlie Parker at the Onyx Club, and Bird after the set comes by and speaks in a very proper Wasp-ish accent and asks Mitchell to play the next set with him. Mitchell thinks this isn't serious until Bird announces it from the bandstand.


The light banter complements the performances with the filming centering mostly on the players faces and expressions, so we see Sims and his embouchure but little fingering, but their is plenty of character revealed in their faces as well as in the music. In a Sentimental Mood is a delightful video that fans of Sims' ballad mastery will certainly enjoy.


I received a review copy from MVD Video.

Solid Swinging Zoot Suite

One of the albums that gives this writer much pleasure is Zoot Sims’ Pablo release, If I’m Lucky, which had a terrific band of Jimmy Rowles on piano, George Mraz on bass and Mousey Alexander on drums. A wonderful, swinging album, Sims sounds so warm on his tenor and the band complements him like the band has been together all of their lives.


The same band is heard on what is believed to be a 1973 Caribbean recording that HighNote has just released, Zoot Suite. Its not a high fidelity recording and Rowles piano and the rhythm section especially comes off a bit tinny at times. Despite any audio limitations, Sims plays energetically on the opening Jitterbug Waltz with echoes of Lester Young in his playing before Rowles handles a solo with repeated ascending lines. The sound quality perhaps lends a somewhat harsh tone to Sims’ reading of Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me, while Lester Young’s influence is again evident on Young’s Tickle Toe, with a rollicking solo from Rowles before Sims trades fours with Alexander. Other ballads like I Want It Bad and That Ain’t Good and My Old Flame are wonderfully handled, while the band gets rocking on Honeysuckle Rose and Rockin’ in Rhythm (with Sims playing soprano on the latter number).


Plenty of fervor in these performances even if this recording lacks some of the wistful romanticism that made If I’m Lucky so special. If one can get past the tinny recoding, there is some fine music here.


This review originally appeared in the October 2007 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 298), from whom I received my review copy.

Jimmy Rushing & the Two Cool Tenors

I am a long time fan of Mr. 5 X 5 and the chance to review a recent previously unissued recording by the former Count Basie singer is something I could not resist. The review originally appeared in June 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 317 and on page 15), which can be downloaded at www.jazz-blues.com.

Jimmy Rushing is best known for his association with the classic Count Basie Orchestra for whom he was the principal male vocalist for a period of over 15 years. His acquaintance with Basie began much earlier as he was a member of the legendary Blue Devils, and after that band disbanded, they both were part of Benny Moten’s well regarded band.

The blues shouter, known as Mr. 5 by 5 reflecting his stocky build, was an important part of the Basie band with his blues and ballad singing. After leaving Basie, he made a number of excellent albums for such labels as Vanguard and Columbia, but thanks to High Note, we can add to Rushing’s discography the marvelous, previously unissued 1965 performances with a small combo that included tenor saxophonists Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, “The Scene: Live in New York.”

Included on this are eight vocals by Rushing but such staples of his time with Basie as “Deed I Do,” “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You?,” “I Want a Little Girl,” “Goin’ to Chicago,” “I Cried For You,” and “Good Morning Blues,” with Cohn and Sims adding their voice with a rhythm section generally comprised of Dave Frishberg, either Major Holley or James Beal on bass and Mousey Alexander on drums. The remastering of the tapes by Jon Rosenberg is first-rate as Rushing’s voice has quite a presence here. The band really swings behind him and their are a number of excellent solos.

In fact it should not be surprising as both Cohn and Sims are among those indebted to Lester Young’s whose tenor enlivened so many of Rushing’s classic recordings with Basie. Sims’ solos on “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You?,” and “I Cried For You,” are especially marvelous with the almost feathery tone. Cohn is heard to best effect on “I Want a Little Girl,” with his somewhat harder tone, but no less swinging style.

Two hot instrumentals with unidentified rhythm sections provide Cohn and Sims with the spotlight and complement the superb Rushing vocals here, that make this such a pleasant surprise that fans of Jimmy Rushing and swinging jazz will want.

For purposes of FTC regulations, my review copy was provided to me by Jazz & Blues Report.

Mingus' Complete Town Hall Concert

1994 saw Blue Note release Charles Mingus, The Complete Town Hall Concert. As long a fan of the late bassist, composer and leader, it certainly was a delight to listen to and here is a review from the November 1994 Jazz & Blues Report.

Blue Note’s CD reissue of Charles Mingus’ Town Hall concert provides a more complete view than the previous releases of this material. The posthumous performance of Epitaph created some interest in hearing more of this concert, which contained some of the big band scores that formed the basis for the latter suite. The concert has a reputation of being a low point in Mingus’ career, in part because of the prior, less complete releases of this material. While rough edges are obvious, the recovery and release for the first time of much of this is revelatory. This is Mingus at his more exploratory with the turbulent, almost explosive, ensembles, shifting tempos and flavors, and searching solos perhaps best exemplified by Epitaph Part 1 with its echoes of Mingus’ Pithecanthropus Erectus at the beginning, with suggestions of Ellington later, with Eric Dolphy, Clark Terry and Britt Woodland among those featured.The relatively melodic Peggy’s Blue Skylight provides a contrasting mood. Some of the others present include Ernie Royal, Jimmy Cleveland, Charles McPherson, Buddy Collette, Zoot Sims, Pepper Adams, Jaki Byard and Milt Hinton. It should be caveated that this is not an album for those new to Mingus who would be better served by the Rhino double compact disc set, or Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus on Candid.