Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Early Small Group Zoot + "That Old Feeling", October 10, 2007
If the intention of Quadromania was to fill in a true Zoot fan on what he was doing - other than Woody Herman's Herd - in his early days of playing professionally, then the rare cuts provided to the true fan here deserves a full 5 stars. Otherwise, only Disc 4 deserves the top mark.
Disc 1 opens with 4 cuts from the Joe Bushkin sextet in 1944 - a decidedly dixieland flavor. (Zoot was 19, I think). Interestingly, fellow Herman sideman Bill Harris (trombone) joins Zoot in this group. Then come two Harry Belafonte tunes from 1949, followed by a trio of cuts from a small group that Zoot (unfortunately) put together in Sweden in 1950. Mastering is from the original acetates/wax here - Low-Fi at it's best! The very next day in Stockholm saw Zoot get together with five different cats yielding 2 satisfying cuts. The last five tunes were recorded in Paris in 1950 and credited to King David and His Little Jazz. Roy Eldridge reminded me here of how talented he was. Ed Shaughnessey on drums and Dick Hyman (piano) help things swing. Anita Love adds vocals.
Disc 2 opens with 7 tunes by a Zoot Sims Quartet recorded in Paris about a week after the Roy Eldridge sides, followed by 4 cuts from a different quartet later in 1950, and ending with 5 songs from yet a totally different Sims' quartet recorded in 1951. Sound quality is good throughout. I think these selections would be from the Prestige/Vogue labels.
Disc 3 includes five selections by The Johnny Smith Quintet from 1952 and 1953. Smith was an accomplished guitarist, but tended to dominate the action. Four tunes from a decidedly swingin' Zoot Sims' sextet with Al Cohn, Kai Winding, George Wallington, Percy Heath and Art Blakey highlight this CD. There are four cuts from a rather odd Sims' quintet featuring an under-achieving organ and guitar and then four tunes from The Chuck Wayne Quintet in 1953. These cuts are from a very rare Savoy label LP. Wayne was a very good jazz guitarist and this is a mostly satisfying group sound with George Duvivier on bass and Ed Shaughnessy on drums. The arrangements could have been better and the rhythm less plodding. But Zoot always shines above his surroundings!
Disc 4 is what was included on 2 albums recorded in 1955 (released in 1956?) and showcases Zoot at his best. The relatively new "miracle" of overdubbing creates some cuts with 3 saxes, all manned by Zoot. Listen to him wail on alto on "Blinuet" and "Zonkin'"! I wish the liner notes included instrumentation details - the rhythm section is top-notch. Sound quality is wonderful. You will listen to CD #4 over and over! If I was going to recommend only one CD for the unititated to have a good sample of Zoot Sims, it would be Disc 4 here - otherwise known as "That Old Feeling" on an earlier GRP label CD reissue of these 2 albums.
Since this music on CD #4 is hard to get otherwise - or more expensive - why not get Quadromania and sample what else the young Zoot Sims was doing basically for free? Man this cat could swing! After listening to Disc 4 again - I changed the rating to the full 5 stars. That disc alone is worth the price.
Also, don't overlook Zoot's later output - he was still great at age 50. You should also check out his various collaborations with Gerry Mulligan.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding sample of his 1950s recordings, August 8, 2007
This is the swinging, lyrical Zoot at his best. This CD features two 1956 albums recorded three weeks apart with the same personnel. The first eight tracks constitute the first of those albums, with Zoot on tenor for all but "Bohemia After Dark," which was the first recording he made on alto. These selections are a great bunch of swingers, except for the ballad "The Man I Love," which some consider his finest, most sensitive rendition of this tune.
The last six tracks show an innovative side of Zoot, originally released as the album "Zoot Sims plays Alto, Tenor, and Baritone." Five of the tracks use overdubbing to create a three-sax section that's all Zoot. These are fun arrangements that come together very well considering the then-primitive state of what we now call multi-tracking. The liner notes claim that this is the only recording Zoot made on baritone. (The remaining track from this session, "The Trouble With Me Is You," is a gorgeous ballad performed on tenor.)
I have the GRP release of this collection, which appears to be discontinued but still available from some sources. The Quadromania import release contains the same tracks, and is available for a better price. If you want your collection to properly represent the best of this jazz legend, I recommend picking up this CD and Zoot's 1975 album "Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers."
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding sample of his 1950s recordings, August 8, 2007
This is the swinging, lyrical Zoot at his best. This CD features two 1956 albums recorded three weeks apart with the same personnel. The first eight tracks constitute the first of those albums, with Zoot on tenor for all but "Bohemia After Dark," which was the first recording he made on alto. These selections are a great bunch of swingers, except for the ballad "The Man I Love," which some consider his finest, most sensitive rendition of this tune.
The last six tracks show an innovative side of Zoot, originally released as the album "Zoot Sims plays Alto, Tenor, and Baritone." Five of the tracks use overdubbing to create a three-sax section that's all Zoot. These are fun arrangements that come together very well considering the then-primitive state of what we now call multi-tracking. The liner notes claim that this is the only recording Zoot made on baritone. (The remaining track from this session, "The Trouble With Me Is You," is a gorgeous ballad performed on tenor.)
I have the GRP release of this collection, which appears to be discontinued but still available from some sources. The Quadromania import release contains the same tracks, and is available for a better price. If you want your collection to properly represent the best of this jazz legend, I recommend picking up this CD and Zoot's 1975 album "Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers."
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by Zoot Sims Quartet 
