ZOOT SIMS: FOUR CLASSIC ALBUMS (STRETCHING OUT / STARRING ZOOT SIMS / DOWN HOME / THE JAZZ SOUL OF PORGY AND BESS) (2CD) AVID

AVID Jazz here presents four classic Zoot Sims albums as leader and sideman including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD.
“Stretching Out”; “Starring Zoot Sims”; “Down Home” and “The Jazz Soul Of Porgy and Bess”
Some suitably hip, “beat” and slightly obscure original liner notes written by Bob Brookmeyer accompany our first selection “Stretching Out”. We think it’s best just to listen to Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Bob Brookmeyer, Harry Edison, Hank Jones, Eddie Jones and Freddie Green doing their thing in 1961……………..and like dig it man! Next up “Starring Zoot Sims” with Henry Renaud and his Orchestra featuring Jon Eardley on trumpet, Renaud on piano, Benoit Quersin on bass and Charles Saudrais on drums. Recorded in Paris in 1958 this great improvised swing session features music of a “uniformly high order”. The “cool” but increasingly muscular sound of Zoots tenor dominates our third set “Down Home” recorded in New York in 1960. “Down Home” features Zoot in quartet mode alongside Dave McKenna on piano, George Tucker on bass and Dannie Richmond on drums where the quartet has a “down to earth attitude about playing jazz that is complementary to their leader”. “The Jazz Soul Of Porgy and Bess” is just what it says on the label, to use that awful phrase! The classic opera performed by a bunch of jazz musicians, conducted, orchestrated and arranged by Bill Potts. A & R Director Jack Lewis whose idea it was, knew just what he wanted, “a completely orchestrated version and an overwhelming one at that”. And that is just what he got with the help of amongst others , Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Bill Evans, George Duvivier and Charlie Persip.
All four albums have been digitally re-mastered for probably the finest ever sound quality!

CD1
1-6: ‘Stretching Out’
1. Stretching Out
2. Now Will You Be Good
3. Pennies From Heaven
4. King Porter
5. Ain’t Misbehavin’
6. Bee Kay
7-13: ‘Starring Zoot Sims’
7. Captain Jetter
8. Nuzzolese Blues
9. Everything I Love
10. Evening In Paris
11. On The Alamo
12. My Old Flame
13. Little Jon “Special”
14-15: ‘Down Home’
14. Bill Bailey
15. Goodnight, Sweetheart

CD2
1-6: ‘Down Home’
1. Jive At Five
2. Doggin’ Around
3. Avalon
4. I Cried For You
5. There’ll Be Some Changes Made
6. I’ve Heard That Blues Before
7-19: ‘The Jazz Soul Of Porgy And Bess’
7. Summertime
8. A Woman Is A Sometimes Thing
9. My Man’s Gone Now
10. It Takes A Long Pull To Get There
11. I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’
12. Bess, You Is My Woman
13. It Ain’t Necessarily So
14. Medley – Minor themes: Prayer, Strawberries, Honey Man and Crab Man
15. I Loves You Porgy
16. Clara, Clara
17. There’s A Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon For New York
18. Oh Bess, Oh Where’s My Bess
19. Oh Lawd, I’m On My Way