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 Cried For You
Zoot Sims Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Over things you said to me; I couldn't even sleep
You forgot your promises, every single vow
All you did was laugh at me, but things are different now
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
Every road has a turning
That's one thing you're learning
Now I found two eyes just a little bit bluer
I found a heart just a little bit truer
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
How can I forget the hours that I worried through
Wondering the live long day just what next thing to do?
In those days you never thought anything of me
But the slave that was all yours and now at last is free
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
Every road has a turning
That's one thing you're learning
I cried for you; what a fool I used to be
Now I found two eyes just a little bit bluer
I found a heart just a little bit truer
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
The lyrics of Zoot Sims Quartet's song "I Cried for You" depict the singer's personal growth and emotional evolution after experiencing heartbreak from a former lover. The song begins with a remembrance of past heartbreaks and sleepless nights, with the singer reflecting on how their ex-partner broke their promises and laughed at their emotions. However, the song quickly becomes a triumphant story of moving on from the betrayal and finding someone better.
The lyrics convey a message of empowerment and independence, as the singer declares that the tables have turned and it's now their ex-partner's turn to feel the pain of heartbreak. The refrain "I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me" emphasizes this power shift, highlighting the singer's newfound strength and the realization that they are no longer the suffering victim.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of fate and the inevitability of change, as the singer acknowledges that every road has a turning and that their ex-partner is now learning this truth. Overall, the song serves as an anthem of resilience, independence, and self-discovery following a painful breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember other days how I used to weep
I recall the days when I would cry because of how you treated me.
Over things you said to me; I couldn't even sleep
You said things that hurt me so much that I couldn't even sleep at night.
You forgot your promises, every single vow
You completely disregarded all of the promises and vows you made to me.
All you did was laugh at me, but things are different now
You used to only laugh at me, but now the situation has changed.
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
I shed tears for you when you hurt me, but now it's your turn to experience the same pain that I endured.
Every road has a turning
There is always a point in life where things change direction.
That's one thing you're learning
That's something you are starting to realize now.
I cried for you; what a fool I used to be
I cried for you in the past, even though it made me look like a foolish person.
Now I found two eyes just a little bit bluer
Now I have found someone whose eyes are even more beautiful than yours.
I found a heart just a little bit truer
I have found someone whose heart is more faithful and trustworthy than yours.
How can I forget the hours that I worried through
How could I ever forget the countless hours that I spent worrying because of you?
Wondering the live long day just what next thing to do?
Spending the whole day pondering what I should do next because of the way you treated me.
In those days you never thought anything of me
In those days, you never considered my feelings or thoughts as important.
But the slave that was all yours and now at last is free
But I, who used to be completely devoted to you, am now free from your grasp.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GUS ARNHEIM, ARTHUR FREED, ABE LYMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Scotti
Dave plays an excellent piano solo while Dannie keeps the tempo from beginning to end
怪人二十面相
👑👑👑👑👑
zenobardot
Dannie R. doesn't turn up as a session drummer too often, and that's too bad, because he could swing his tail off. I wish he'd worked with Zoot and Jimmy Rowles in the 1970s on their studio collaborations.