ZOOT SIMS QUINTET FEATURING BOB BROOKMEYER - Buried Gold: The Complete 1956 Quintet Recordings
Acrobat ADDCD3173 ( Two CD Set )
CD One
Zoot Sims ( tnr ) Bob Brookmeyer ( val tmb ) John Williams ( pno ) Milt Hinton ( bass ) Gus Johnson
( drs )
Tracks 1 to 8
Zoot Sims-The Modern Art of Jazz
Track 9 & 10
Modern Jazz Festival
Recorded New York City, January 1956
CD Two
Tracks 1 to 8
Zoot Sims & Bob Brookmeyer-Tonites Music Today
Zoot Sims ( tnr / vocal ) Bob Brookmeyer ( val tmb ) Hank Jones ( pno / celeste )Wyatt Ruther ( bass ) Gus Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 31 January 1956
Tracks 9 to 16
Zoot Sims & Bob Brookmeyer- Whooeeee
Zoot Sims ( tnr / vocal )Bob Brookmeyer ( val tmb ) Hank Jones ( pno ) Bill Crow ( bass ) Jo Jones
( drs )
Recorded New York City, 8 February 1956
Zoot Sims must be one of the most prolifically recorded tenor saxophone players there has been in jazz despite this playing never falls below standard and more often reaches heights other players can only dream about.. He is at home equally in small group formats or big bands, his long lived partnership with fellow tenor saxophone player Al Cohn is one of the joys of small group jazz.
Valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer is equally prolific and made his mark with the Gerry Mulligan piano less quartet which achieved a completely different sound to the one Mulligan had with Chet Baker. Brookmeyer was equally at home playing with Modern Mainstreams, Gerry Mulligan and Clark Terry as he was with Pee Wee Russell and Coleman Hawkins. He was also a talented composer /arranger and was much sort after by other leaders. This double album covers the quintet recordings he made with Zoot Sims during the year 1956 which originally were released as three LPs and contain some of their finest work.
As well as the usual array of well tried standards including “September In The Rain” and “I Hear A Rhapsody” there are numerous originals by both Bob Brookmeyer and Zoot Sims and also four originals by Al Cohn.
All the rhythm section players are quality players and one interesting one includes drummer Jo Jones a legend in his own lifetime who adapts to a more modern setting with ease. There some of Zoot’s throw away vocals that do no harm and give him a breather from his tenor playing.
On CD One “Down In The Loft” is taken at a fair lick and has stunning solos by both Brookmeyer and Sims. On the following track “Ghost Of A Chance” is given a soulful reading by Zoot Sims by contrast Bob Brookmeyer’s solo is quite pithy, John William’s solo spoilt by a tired piano.
On CD Two Zoot Sims tune “Blues” opens with a long lyrical solo by pianist Hank Jones who later on the track switches to celeste, Zoot and Brookmeyer both wail to complete a satisfying track.
On Al Cohn and Zoot Sims composition “Morning Fun” both Sims and Brookmeyer wail with some sparkling piano by Hank Jones. Jo Jones brushwork on this track is absolutely superb.
If you don’t own any of these albums this is your chance to catch up with some marvellous music with all the players on top form.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Acrobat ADDCD3173 ( Two CD Set )
CD One
Zoot Sims ( tnr ) Bob Brookmeyer ( val tmb ) John Williams ( pno ) Milt Hinton ( bass ) Gus Johnson
( drs )
Tracks 1 to 8
Zoot Sims-The Modern Art of Jazz
Track 9 & 10
Modern Jazz Festival
Recorded New York City, January 1956
CD Two
Tracks 1 to 8
Zoot Sims & Bob Brookmeyer-Tonites Music Today
Zoot Sims ( tnr / vocal ) Bob Brookmeyer ( val tmb ) Hank Jones ( pno / celeste )Wyatt Ruther ( bass ) Gus Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 31 January 1956
Tracks 9 to 16
Zoot Sims & Bob Brookmeyer- Whooeeee
Zoot Sims ( tnr / vocal )Bob Brookmeyer ( val tmb ) Hank Jones ( pno ) Bill Crow ( bass ) Jo Jones
( drs )
Recorded New York City, 8 February 1956
Zoot Sims must be one of the most prolifically recorded tenor saxophone players there has been in jazz despite this playing never falls below standard and more often reaches heights other players can only dream about.. He is at home equally in small group formats or big bands, his long lived partnership with fellow tenor saxophone player Al Cohn is one of the joys of small group jazz.
Valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer is equally prolific and made his mark with the Gerry Mulligan piano less quartet which achieved a completely different sound to the one Mulligan had with Chet Baker. Brookmeyer was equally at home playing with Modern Mainstreams, Gerry Mulligan and Clark Terry as he was with Pee Wee Russell and Coleman Hawkins. He was also a talented composer /arranger and was much sort after by other leaders. This double album covers the quintet recordings he made with Zoot Sims during the year 1956 which originally were released as three LPs and contain some of their finest work.
As well as the usual array of well tried standards including “September In The Rain” and “I Hear A Rhapsody” there are numerous originals by both Bob Brookmeyer and Zoot Sims and also four originals by Al Cohn.
All the rhythm section players are quality players and one interesting one includes drummer Jo Jones a legend in his own lifetime who adapts to a more modern setting with ease. There some of Zoot’s throw away vocals that do no harm and give him a breather from his tenor playing.
On CD One “Down In The Loft” is taken at a fair lick and has stunning solos by both Brookmeyer and Sims. On the following track “Ghost Of A Chance” is given a soulful reading by Zoot Sims by contrast Bob Brookmeyer’s solo is quite pithy, John William’s solo spoilt by a tired piano.
On CD Two Zoot Sims tune “Blues” opens with a long lyrical solo by pianist Hank Jones who later on the track switches to celeste, Zoot and Brookmeyer both wail to complete a satisfying track.
On Al Cohn and Zoot Sims composition “Morning Fun” both Sims and Brookmeyer wail with some sparkling piano by Hank Jones. Jo Jones brushwork on this track is absolutely superb.
If you don’t own any of these albums this is your chance to catch up with some marvellous music with all the players on top form.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
