Zoot Sims

John “Zoot” Sims was one of the foremost tenor saxophonists of the “cool jazz” style originating in the late ‘40s and ‘50s. A light-toned, always tasteful soloist strongly influenced by Lester Young, Zoot is especially known for his collaborations with fellow tenor saxophonist Al Cohn. Al and Zoot played together for nearly four decades, in seemingly every imaginable setting but most notably as the front line of a quintet.

Born into a musical family near Los Angeles, Zoot’s career began in his teens; he acquired his nickname as a member of Kenny Baker’s big band. Zoot made his first studio recording as a member of Benny Goodman’s band in 1943; he would continue to play with Goodman occasionally for the next 30 years. In 1947 Zoot joined Woody Herman’s big band, where he built his reputation as a member of the original “Four Brothers” sax section with fellow tenor players Stan Getz and Herbie Steward (the latter replaced the following year by Al Cohn) and baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff. From the ‘50s on, Zoot performed and recorded with countless leaders and co-leaders in combo and big band settings alike, as well as leading his own groups. Besides Al Cohn, whose first quintet album with Zoot was “From A To Z” recorded in 1956, other frequent collaborators included Gerry Mulligan and Bob Brookmeyer. Zoot also made guest appearances on recordings by R&B and pop musicians such as Phoebe Snow and Laura Nyro. The Muppet Show’s saxophonist character Zoot was named after Sims.