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
They Can
Zoot Sims Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though by tomorrow you're gone
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
The melody lingers on.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.
The way you wear your hat
The memory of all that
No, no, they can't take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no, they can't take that away from me
We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away
Can't take that away
Can't take that away from me
"They Can't Take That Away from Me" is a classic love ballad written by George Gershwin with lyrics by his brother, Ira Gershwin. The song became immortalized through the voices of famous singers such as Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Frank Sinatra. On the surface, the lyrics narrate a story of two lovers who have to part ways but can never forget each other. However, the song's true beauty lies in its intricate exploration of the nuances of memory and its power to preserve fleeting moments of happiness.
The first stanza sets up the narrative of impending separation. The singer knows that soon, the object of their affection will be gone, but the melody of their love will remain. The second and third stanzas go on to describe the various little things that make the lover special. The way they wear their hat, sip their tea, smile, and sing off-key – all of these things have left an indelible impression on the singer's mind. The fourth stanza acknowledges that they may never see each other again, yet the singer will always keep the memories close. The way they held their knife, danced till three, and changed the singer's life – these moments linger, reaffirming that even when love is gone, its impact endures.
What makes "They Can't Take That Away from Me" special is the way it captures that nostalgic feeling of reminiscing about something that's lost. It's not just a song about love but also about the ways in which memories and feelings can persist long after people have gone. The Gershwins' clever use of repetition in the chorus emphasizes the song's point: the singer's love may be gone, but the memories are indelible.
Line by Line Meaning
Our romance won't end on a sorrowful note,
Our relationship may be ending, but it won't be filled with sadness and regret.
Though by tomorrow you're gone
Even though you'll be leaving soon.
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
Although the music has stopped, the lyrics still remain true.
The melody lingers on.
The memory of the music remains with me.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
Although you may be taken away from me, I'll miss your touch.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.
Even if you're gone, I'll still have memories of you.
The way you wear your hat
The unique and charming way you wear your hat.
The way you sip your tea
The graceful and refined way you sip your tea.
The memory of all that
The recollection of those small but special moments.
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No matter what happens, those memories will always be mine.
The way your smile just beams
The way your smile shines and lights up the room.
The way you sing off key
The charming and endearing way you sing, even if it's not technically perfect.
The way you haunt my dreams
The way you still stay present in my thoughts, even when you're not here.
We may never, never meet again
Perhaps we'll never see each other again.
On the bumpy road to love
On the journey of finding love, which can be full of ups and downs.
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
However, I'll always hold onto the memories of our time together.
The way you hold your knife
The graceful and elegant way you hold your utensils.
The way we danced till three
The way we lost ourselves in each other and enjoyed the moment until the early hours of the morning.
The way you changed my life
The way you impacted my life, even in the smallest ways.
No, they can't take that away from me
No matter what happens, those memories will always be mine.
Can't take that away
They can't take away the experiences and moments that we shared together.
Can't take that away from me
Those memories and moments will always belong to me.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
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.