Zoot Sims Live at E.j.' Atlanta

Zoot Sims - Live At Falcon Lair (1956) {Pablo 2310977 rel 2004}
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© 1956, 2004 Pablo / Fantasy | 2310977
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Saxophone

Live at Falcon Lair has a more interesting back story than many older recordings that have been rescued for posterity, but even the story takes a backseat to the excellent music. Falcon Lair wasn't a club, but the home of Doris Duke (and once the home of Rudolph Valentino), whom pianist Joe Castro married in 1956. Castro developed his musical rep playing around L.A., sometimes in the company of bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Ron Jefferson.

Stan Getz's five tracks on this CD were recorded in 1969 at a French jazz festival. The backing from his trio, was at that time quite modern enough to provide a stimulus for the leader and he responded with typically matchless performances.Sims could swing at the drop of a banjo, so it might be regarded as overkill to have provided him with a rhythm section which can swing so easily as this one, but the mood is directed more towards the ballad, to include a sumptuous reading of Come Rain Or Come Shine.

Al Cohn and Zoot Sims were lifelong friends who were frequent collaborators both in the studios and in clubs. Cohn only led four recording sessions (two for tiny labels) during 1963-74; all featured Sims. For their Sonet date, Al and Zoot are joined by pianist Horace Parlan, bassist Hugo Rasmussen and drummer Sven Erik Norregaard and they perform three standards, two Cohn songs and Jimmy McGriff's "Motoring Along." Zoot plays some effective soprano on "Yardbird Suite." As usual the two saxophonists mutually inspire each other on the cool-toned but frequently-heated bop date.

Along with his album with Count Basie (Basie and Zoot) during the same period, this is one of Sims' most exciting recordings of his career. Greatly assisted by pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Joe Pass, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Grady Tate, he explores ten songs written by George and Ira Gershwin…

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.

Just two years and three days away from his death at age 59, the great tenor Zoot Sims is heard in prime form on this live session from San Francisco's legendary club Keystone Korner. The music was not initially released until this 1994 CD but it was worth the wait. The hard-swinging tenor (who plays equally effective soprano on Duke Ellington's "Tonight I Shall Sleep" and "Pennies from Heaven") is ably supported by the fine pianist Frank Collett, bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Shelly Manne. Sims plays his usual repertoire from the period (including "I Hear a Rhapsody," "If You Could See Me Now" and "Dream Dancing") but, although he had previously recorded virtually all of these selections, the "new" versions are well worth hearing. This late date gives one a definitive look into Zoot Sims's playing of his last decade, when he interpreted standards in a timeless style that had grown but not really changed since the 1950s.

Zoot and trumpeter Jon Eardley were in Paris in 1956 as part of the Gerry Mulligan Sextet which performed at the Olympia. They took time off to record on their own in the studios. Tracks 1-4 released on French 10 inch LP were actually a rehearsal with the Henri Renaud trio which was deemed good enough to release. The rest of this Jazz In Paris CD features a Live set by the Henri Renaud ensemble complete with vibes and guitar dwarfing the saxes, and a loud but not unruly audience.