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
I
Zoot Sims Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm watching the sea,,
Will the one I love,
Be coming back to me?
I cover the waterfront,
In search of my love,
And I'm covered by,
Here am I,
Patiently waiting,
Hoping and longing,
Oh! How I yearn!
Where are you?
Are you forgetting?
Do you remember?
Will you return?
I cover the waterfront,
I'm watching the sea,
For the one I love,
Must come back to me.
The lyrics to "I Cover the Waterfront" by Zoot Sims are a poignant expression of unrequited love and longing. The singer stands on the shore, watching the waves come in and out, hoping that the one they love will return. Despite the starless sky above and the uncertainty of whether their love will ever be reciprocated, the singer cannot help but wait and yearn for their return.
The repetition of the phrase "I cover the waterfront" emphasizes the singer's persistence in their search for their love, indicating that they have surveyed every inch of the shoreline in the hopes of finding them. The lyrics also capture the feeling of helplessness and vulnerability that comes with being in love, as the singer has no control over whether their beloved will ever return.
In many ways, "I Cover the Waterfront" is a classic torch song, evoking images of a lonely singer in a smoky nightclub, pouring their heart out to anyone who will listen. The lyrics are deceptively simple, yet they convey a deep emotional longing that resonates with anyone who has ever experienced unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
I cover the waterfront,
I search along the shore for my lost love
I'm watching the sea,
I'm scanning the ocean in hopes of seeing my love returning
Will the one I love,
Am I going to see the person that I love again?
Be coming back to me?
Will they return to me?
In search of my love,
I continue to look for my lost love
And I'm covered by,
I'm feeling surrounded by
A starless sky above.
A dark sky without any stars above my head
Here am I,
I'm still here
Patiently waiting,
I'm waiting with patience
Hoping and longing,
I have hope and a strong desire
Oh! How I yearn!
I'm experiencing a strong longing
Where are you?
Where are you right now?
Are you forgetting?
Are you forgetting about me?
Do you remember?
Do you still remember me?
Will you return?
Will you come back to me?
For the one I love,
Because I'm deeply in love
Must come back to me.
My love has no choice but to come back to me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward Heyman, John W. Green
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Antonio Díaz
Zoot Sims - tenor saxophone
Bob Brookmeyer - valve trombone
John Williams - piano
Milt Hinton - bass
Gus Johnson - drums
Ronald Unkel
Imo was Zoot about one of the most lyrical/melodic tenorists. Saw him several times live during the mid/late 70’s which was an real treat. Good to hear Bob Brookmayer after his stint, in those days, with Gerry Mulligan. Nice loos swinger and bringing back very good memories. Dig this gem folks, Enjoy & Cheers!
Werend VDB
01. September in the Rain 00:00
02. Down at the Loft 05:08
03. Ghost of a Chance 09:37
04. No So Deep 16:16
05. Them There Eyes 23:20
06. Our Pad 29:21
07. Dark Clouds 34:05
08. One to Blow On 38:38
Dora Chapman
Good to see first-time listeners appreciating one of the great sax players -- impeccable jazz chops, always creative, always focused on getting it right, and seemingly incapable of a false note.
bob ster
zoot was one if not the greatest jazz tenor men in the history of soulful jazz .
incredible sound and flow from one chord to another ..
bobby G,,,,, one of his best fans ever ..
Roma Reivax
Damn, this is so good! :)
Noreen Jackson
loved Zoot. Great album and arrangements. Zoot was so tasty a player.
Peter Rothfuss
I got a new quote, “Zoot was a hoot!” GREAT LP ... I’m adding this to my Zoot catalogue! Thanks for sharing!
Russ Phillips
Thanks for rephrasing. Never forgotten!!! Long live Zoot!
Adolph Oliver Bush
Wonderful upload of a forgotten jazz giant.