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
It
Zoot Sims Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me to save my tears
Well I'm so mad about him
I can't live without him
Never treats me sweet and gentle
The way he should
I've got it bad
My poor heart is so sentimental
Not made of wood
I've got it so bad
And that ain't good
But when the fish are jumpin'
And Friday rolls around
My man an' I, we gin some
We pray some, and sin some
He don't love me like I love him
The way he should
I've got it bad
And that ain't good
Yes I've got it bad
And that ain't good
The lyrics to Zoot Sims & Kenny Drew Quartet's "I Got It Bad" speak to the intense emotional experience of loving someone who doesn't reciprocate those feelings fully. The singer speaks to those who try to give advice, acknowledging their good intentions, but expressing that their love for this man is so strong that she can't help but feel the pain of his neglect. She recognizes that she's being treated poorly, not with the sweetness and kindness she deserves, yet she can't help but be consumed by her feelings.
The singer goes on to describe her heart as "sentimental, not made of wood," emphasizing her vulnerability and how deeply she feels. The lyrics also touch on the cyclical nature of their relationship, with mentions of fish jumping and Fridays rolling around, signifying a pattern of coming together and apart. Despite this, the singer speaks of their rituals of drinking gin, praying, and sinning together, highlighting their strong emotional bond even if it's not always ideal.
Overall, "I Got It Bad" is a powerful portrayal of the intense love and pain that can come with unrequited feelings. The lyrics capture the singer's yearning for something she might never fully receive, while also acknowledging the depth of her commitment to this man.
Line by Line Meaning
Though folks with good intentions
Even though people with good intentions try to advise me
Tell me to save my tears
To save myself from heartache and tears
Well I'm so mad about him
I am so in love with him
I can't live without him
I can't imagine living without him
Never treats me sweet and gentle
He never treats me with the love and care I deserve
The way he should
The way he is expected to
I've got it bad
I am deeply in love and affected
And that ain't good
But it's not necessarily a good thing
My poor heart is so sentimental
My heart is full of emotions and sensitive
Not made of wood
It's not strong and unfeeling
I've got it so bad
I am so deeply in love and affected
And that ain't good
But it's not necessarily a good thing
But when the fish are jumpin'
But when everything is going well
And Friday rolls around
And Friday, the end of the week, comes
My man an' I, we gin some
My man and I, we drink some
We pray some, and sin some
We pray and sometimes do wrong
He don't love me like I love him
He doesn't love me as much as I love him
The way he should
The way he is expected to
I've got it bad
I am deeply in love and affected
And that ain't good
But it's not necessarily a good thing
Yes I've got it bad
Yes, I am deeply affected by this love
And that ain't good
But it's not necessarily a good thing
Lyrics © GUY WEBSTER/WEBSTER MUSIC , Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDWYN STEPHEN COLLINS
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.