He was born in Inglewood, California. Sims' family was involved in vaudeville, and, for his part, John learned to play both drums and clarinet at an early age. Zoot's father was a vaudeville hoofer, and Zoot prided himself on remembering many of the steps his father taught him.
Following in the footsteps of Lester Young, Sims developed into an innovative tenor saxophonist. Throughout his career, he played with renowned bands, including Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and Buddy Rich. He was known among his peers as one of the strongest swingers in the field. Sims frequently led his own combos and sometimes toured with his friend Gerry Mulligan with Gerry's sextet, and later with his Concert Jazz Band. Zoot had a long, successful partnership as co-leader of a quintet with Al Cohn, which recorded under "Al and Zoot". That group was a favorite at the New York club "The Half Note." Late in his career, Sims added the soprano saxophone to his performances. Sims' nickname — Zoot — was acquired early in his career while he was on the Kenny Baker band in California. The name was later appropriated for a sax-playing Muppet.
Zoot Sims died in New York on March 23, 1985.
(2) Throughout his career, Zoot Sims was famous for epitomizing the swinging musician, never playing an inappropriate phrase. He always sounded inspired, and although his style did not change much after the early 1950s, Zoot's enthusiasm and creativity never wavered.
Zoot's family was involved in vaudeville, and he played drums and clarinet as a youth. His older brother, Ray Sims, developed into a fine trombonist who sounded like Bill Harris. At age 13, Sims switched permanently to the tenor, and his initial inspiration was Lester Young, although he soon developed his own cool-toned sound. Sims was a professional by the age of 15, landing his first important job with Bobby Sherwood's Orchestra, and he joined Benny Goodman's big band for the first time in 1943; he would be one of BG's favorite tenormen for the next 30 years. He recorded with Joe Bushkin in 1944, and even at that early stage, his style was largely set.
After a period in the Army, Sims was with Goodman from 1946-1947. He gained his initial fame as one of Woody Herman's "Four Brothers" during his time with the Second Herd (1947-1949). Zoot had brief stints with Buddy Rich's short-lived big band, Artie Shaw, Goodman (1950), Chubby Jackson, and Elliot Lawrence. He toured and recorded with Stan Kenton (1953) and Gerry Mulligan (1954-1956). Sims was also a star soloist with Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band of the early '60s and visited the Soviet Union with Benny Goodman in 1962. A freelancer throughout most of his career, Sims often led his own combos or co-led bands with his friend Al Cohn; the two tenors had very similar sounds and styles. Zoot started doubling on soprano quite effectively in the '70s. Through the years, he appeared in countless situations, and always seemed to come out ahead. Fortunately, Zoot Sims recorded frequently, leading sessions for Prestige, Metronome, Vogue, Dawn, Storyville, Argo, ABC-Paramount, Riverside, United Artists, Pacific Jazz, Bethlehem, Colpix, Impulse, Groove Merchant, Famous Door, Choice, Sonet, and a wonderful series for Pablo. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi
61 EAST OF THE SUN
Zoot Sims Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll build a dream house of love dear
Close to the sun in the day
Near to the moon at night
We'll live in a lovely way dear
Sharing our love in the pale moonlight
Just you and I,
Love will not die,
We'll keep it that way
Up among the stars
We'll find a harmony of life to a lovely tune
East of the sun and west of the moon dear
East of the sun and west of the moon
The lyrics of Zoot Sims's song "61 East of the Sun" tells of a love that is strong, timeless, and knows no boundaries. The opening lines of the song, "East of the sun and west of the moon," are a poetic way of expressing the idea of something that is beyond reach, yet still attainable. The singer then goes on to describe a dream house of love where the couple can reside, living in a beautiful world where the sun is close during the day and the moon is near at night. The couple plans to live a lovely life together, sharing their love in the pale moonlight.
The song showcases the desire to create harmony and happiness in a world that can often be difficult and trying. The singer and the beloved will “find a harmony of life to a lovely tune” up among the stars, where they can be together forever and a day. This song’s narrative is a poetic representation of an idealistic and enduring love—one that is able to conquer distance, time, and adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
East of the sun and west of the moon
Our dream destination is beyond the natural world
We'll build a dream house of love dear
Our love will create a beautiful home for us
Close to the sun in the day
We'll embrace the warmth and happiness of the daytime
Near to the moon at night
We'll bask in the romantic glow of the nighttime
We'll live in a lovely way dear
Our life together will be wonderful and delightful
Sharing our love in the pale moonlight
Our love will radiate and shine even in the darkness
Just you and I,
We will only need each other
Forever and a day
Our love will last forever and beyond
Love will not die,
Our love will remain unbreakable
We'll keep it that way
We will work to preserve our love and keep it strong
Up among the stars
Our love will transcend the world we know
We'll find a harmony of life to a lovely tune
Our love will bring balance and beauty to our lives
East of the sun and west of the moon dear
Our love will take us to a magical place beyond reality
East of the sun and west of the moon
Our love will exist in a realm unreachable by ordinary means
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brooks Bowman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind