Zoot Sims

Biography

Sims was born in 1925 in Inglewood, California 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.

Following in the footsteps of Lester Young, Sims developed into an innovative tenor saxophonist. Throughout his career, he played with big bands, starting with those of Kenny Baker and Bobby Sherwood after dropping out of high school after one year. He played with Benny Goodman's band in 1943 and replaced his idol Ben Webster in Sid Catlett's Quartet in 1944.

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". He frequently led his own combos and toured with his friend Gerry Mulligan's sextet, and later with Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band. Sims rejoined Goodman in 1962 for a tour of the Soviet Union.

In the 1950s and '60s, Sims had a long, successful partnership as co-leader of a quintet with Al Cohn, which recorded under the name "Al and Zoot". The group was a favorite at New York City's Half Note Club. Always fond of the higher register of the tenor sax, he also played alto and late in his career added soprano saxophone to his performances, while recording a series of albums for the Pablo Records label of the impresario Norman Granz. He also played on some of Jack Kerouac's recordings.

Sims acquired the nickname "Zoot" early in his career while he was in the Kenny Baker band in California.. The name was later appropriated for a sax-playing Muppet on The Muppet Show.

Sims played a 30-second solo on the song "Poetry Man," written by singer Phoebe Snow on her debut eponymous album in 1975..

Zoot Sims died of cancer on March 23, 1985 in New York City, and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, in Nyack, New York.

1949-1956

1957-1959

1960-1969

1970-1975

1976-1979

1980-2003

With Pepper Adams

With Trigger Alpert

With Chet Baker

With Count Basie

With Louis Bellson

With Clifford Brown

With Ray Charles

With the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band

With Al Cohn

With Chris Connor

With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Oscar Peterson

With Miles Davis

With Kenny Dorham

With Jon Eardley

With Booker Ervin

With Bill Evans

With Art Farmer

With Curtis Fuller

With Coleman Hawkins

With Woody Herman

With Chubby Jackson

With Quincy Jones

With Stan Kenton

With Jack Kerouac

With Irene Kral

With Elliot Lawrence

With Michel Legrand

With Stan Levey and Red Mitchell

With The Manhattan Transfer

With Gary McFarland

With Ted McNabb

With Carmen McRae

With the Metronome All-Stars

With Charles Mingus

With Red Mitchell

With Jack Montrose

With Gerry Mulligan

With Oliver Nelson

With Anita O'Day

With Buddy Rich and Lionel Hampton

With Shorty Rogers

With Jimmy Rushing

With Lalo Schifrin and Bob Brookmeyer

With Johnny Smith

With Phoebe Snow

With Sonny Stitt

With Clark Terry

With Sarah Vaughan

With Joe Venuti

With Joe Williams