The humor of Zoot Sims
This is a verbatim steal from a blog that I haven't been able to identify, but deserves I think, all the readership we can give it. Even if you've never heard of Zoot Sims, this stuff should give you a good chuckle:
'One of the most innovative,
lyrical and swinging jazz musicians of any time was none other than
John Haley Zoot Sims. I feel blessed and among the few fortunate
having had the privilege and joy to have seen him play on countless
occasions and in a variety of contexts. From Jazz at the
Philharmonic, Stan Kenton and more relaxed and lyrical with his long
time compadre, Al Cohn, seeing Zoot perform was never a
disappointment. No matter what, I'd always go home after a club set
or concert with something wonderful passed to me by this warm and
exquisite Jazz Musician.
Zoot, coming off of the Lester Young branch soon came into his own with a wonderful identifiable sound that didn't take a classically trained ear to quickly identify. On a Gershwin lyric he had the poise and respect for that line with his tenor or soprano sax as much as Frank Sinatra would using his voice. If it was time to swing hard, Zoot did it easily without having to push any envelope to prove something. He just did it and it went down.
In every respect when we lost Zoot we truly lost an original jazz icon. Someone that won't be easily replaced by the clean cut crop of technical wizards coming out of jazz universities by the barrel loads today. Zoot was jazz and his attitude, demeanor and style were jazz you could dance to, close your eyes to or just tap your feet to. He was one hell of an original.
While The Jazz Zine cannot replicate any of Zoot's wonderful music short of having our readers download hours of Quicktime or .WAV files, there is something we all can share that was truly Zoot's: His incomparable sense of humor. I went and did some rummaging on the web and have come up with a bunch of quips and remarks of his gathered from published works by Bill Crow, Ira Gitler, Jeff Hamilton and Whitney Balliett. So without any further introductions read on and enjoy an original and irreplaceable sense of humor that helped shape the Zoot Sims many jazz fans have come to love and revere.
Zoot Sims did his
first tour of duty with Benny Goodman in 1943. It was during that
year, at a recording session, that Zoot, age seventeen, brought an
apple with him which he placed on his music stand. As Sims began his
solo, Goodman picked up the apple and started eating it. Goodman
signaled him to take another chorus and then another and another. It
turned out to be the longest solo Goodman ever gave Sims; long
enough. at least, for Benny to finish the apple.
While still in his
young teens, he worked in Ken Baker's Los Angeles area band. Baker
would put nicknames on the front of his music stands. John Haley Sims
ended up behind the "Zoot" stand, and as Zoot put it, "It stuck." The
name became a household word to all except one musician, or so it
seems. One morning, probably a bit too early, Zoot called trumpet
player Nick Travis and identified himself to his sleepy voiced
colleague. "Zoot who?" was the befuddled reply. .
Zoot was drafted into the air force in World War II. The year was
1944. Having served in places like Huntsville, Alabama; Valdosta,
Georgia and Biloxi, Mississippi, Zoot proudly affirmed that he fought
in the famous Battle Of The South.
Stan Getz, through much of his career, was known to be one of the
more unpredictable personalities in the jazz world. Asked to describe
his sometime rival, Zoot remarked, "Stan Getz is a nice bunch of guys
Al Cohn and Zoot shared a more than casual interest in alcohol
consumption on the bandstand. During one of their long stays at New
York's Half Note. it became evident that the two tenor men handled
their drinking very differently. Zoot would be in a partying mood and
Al would continue standing like a statue and playing as wonderfully
as ever. At the end of a set one night, Zoot hopped off the
bandstand, caromed from one table to the next, carrying on with the
customers. He nearly lost his balance a couple of times, but regained
it in the nick of time. He tried to negotiate two steps to the next
table level but didn't quite make it. He tripped, and as a result,
turned what should have been a fall into a nearly graceful vaudeville
time step. A customer, noting Zoot's tour of the room said, "Boy,
that Zoot can really drink a lot of booze." Al Cohn turned to bassist
Bill Crow, and in his typical dry manner, said "Yes, but he doesn't
drink WELL.
Zoot was rarely at a loss for words. When asked by a fan how he could
play so well when he was loaded, he replied, "I practice when I'm
loaded.
Zoot was standing out in the alley back of a club between
sets where he was playing when a bum came up and said,
" I only need seventy five cents more to buy a drink."
Zoot reached in his pocket and gave him the money. After the bum
walked away up the alley, Zoot ran after him, stopped
him and said,"Wait a minute. How do I know you're not going
to go around the corner and buy a bowl of soup?"
Early one evening Zoot had just finished a recording session and was
joined by guitarist Jim Hall and his wife Jane. Zoot complained of
his tiring schedule -- recording all day followed by an appearance at
The Half Note that night. Jane mentioned that if Zoot wanted, she had
a Dexedrine. "I don't think they're good for you, they're pretty
strong. I usually open one up and pour some out." "Pour some out?"
said Zoot. "Are you crazy? Don't you know there are people SLEEPING
in Europe?
On a tour of Europe with Chet Baker, Chet wanted Zoot to meet the son
of Benito Mussolini, who happened to be Italy’s best jazz
artist. Chet prompted Zoot to please say something nice when being
introduced to him. While shaking the hand of the infamous leader's
son Zoot said, "Sorry to hear about your Dad."
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