Avid Jazz here presents four classic Zoot Sims albums, including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered double CD.
The Four Brothers… Together Again!, From A to Z, Zoot and Whooeeee. Taking their name from their saxophone stylings in the 1940’s as part of the Woody Herman band the Four Brothers consisted at the time of recording Together Again in 1957 of Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Herbie Steward and Serge Chaloff. Take a listen to the album and you will soon witness the Brothers refute the accusation that they all sounded alike…
That Old Feeling compiles 14 songs cut at two 1956 dates, which were released on Argo and ABC-Paramount. At the sessions, Sims not only played tenor, but cut a few songs on alto and baritone sax as well.
John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 - March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor and soprano. He was born in Inglewood, California, the son of vaudeville performers Kate Haley and John Sims, and grew up in a performing family. Sims learned to play both drums and clarinet at an early age. His father was a vaudeville hoofer and Sims prided himself on remembering many of the steps he taught him. Sims acquired the nickname "Zoot" early in his career while he was in the Kenny Baker band in California.
New Design Jewel box. Case slightly wider than normal album case, but contains 4 CD! Using 24 Bit - 96 khz - High End Digital Mastering. The result is a warm and more analog sound than you've ever heard before on a CD. This 4 CD package offers nearly 4 hours of music and covers the period 1944 to 1956 in date order. Recording info is given accept where I specify.
Born Giacinto Figlia in Palermo, Italy in 1924 the young George Wallington was schooled in opera and the classics by his father and had moved to New York City by 1925. It was hearing Lester Young playing in the Basie band that led to him to get involved in the New York jazz scene where he soon found himself accompanying Billie Holiday at George’s club in Greenwich Village and perhaps more unlikely also playing opposite Liberace in Philadelphia! Wallington was back in New York when Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie set the place on fire with a new sound called Be Bop. Although he had arrived at his style independently he was likened to Bud Powell and he became one of the few white musicians to be invited to play what was essentially a black musical movement…
A wonderful collector's edition of jazz pianists' records in almost all styles from the first ragtimes to modern jazz.