Customer Reviews

In Paris

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This disc brings together two sessions Zoot made in Paris for the Vogue label, one in 1950 and the other in 1953. Zoot was in Paris in 1950 touring with a Benny Goodman small group that included Roy Eldridge and Dick Hyman when he was asked by Vogue to make some sides. Seven sides were recorded with many alternate takes, all of them included here. NIGHT AND DAY is offered up in three takes, all pretty much the same, though Zoot is particularly inventive on the first take. SLINGIN' HASH is a blues in two very distinct takes; the second is a bit slower, though both are excellent. TENORLY, another blues, is also in three takes, with the third the winner for me. All of these have been up-tempo rompers; on I UNDERSTAND he slows things down, and both takes are beautiful. CRYSTAL, a Zoot original, is another up-tempo swinger. The rhythm section (Gerald Wiggins (p) Piere Michelot (b) and Kenny Clarke (d) is solid throughout.

Back in Paris in '53 with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Zoot went back into the Vogue studios for another session, this time joined by fellow Kentonian Frank Rosolino (tb) in the front line. TOOT'S SUITE and ZOOT'S SUITE, both Bill Holman compositions, build around attractive themes, while CALL IT ANYTHING is a straight-ahead blues penned by Zoot. There's a very relaxed feel about this session with all the tunes played at medium-tempo and the emphasis on creativity and not pyrotechnics. Both session are excellent, however, in their own ways. Zoot is wonderful, as usual. Definitely worth latching on to, especially at these low prices.

I guess the Vogue studios had some problems. Like not enough mikes and no real producers. It's not like this was the 1930's! Thankfully, Zoot always had a good mike on him - and this is why we're here, huh? To me the 1953 cuts with the addition of guitar and trombone are more interesting - and certainly show more rehearsal and maybe even arrangements. Look - Zoot is always great, a real swinger, impeccable rhythm, inventive improvisations. But this one (while quite satisfying) is mainly for hard core Zoot junkies like me really. There are better small group Zoot Sims albums available for the casual listener.

Zoot was in great form for the two studio sessions (June 1950 and September 1953) that comprise this CD. Still in his 20s, he already was demonstrating that he was one of the most melodic improvisers to appear on the jazz scene on any instrument. The listener will have to forgive the deficiencies of early 1950s recording techniques: the rhythm section too far in the background, and the less-than-ideal choice of microphones for the horns (particularly on Frank Rosolino's trombone in the latter session). And the tracks are all short, as they had to be in those days. But the performances will satisfy fans of this era of jazz.
Six alternate takes are included from the first session, which will only be of interest to hard-core Zoot fans. Note to those hard-core fans: much of this material - probably everything except the alternate takes - has been released in other CD compilations, such as the four-disc Complete 1944-1954 Small Group Sessions. However, these other releases are getting hard to find, so this CD may help to fill some gaps for collectors.