小简介
Zoot Sims成长于一个以表演为业的家庭，双亲是轻松歌剧的乐手，青少年时学竖笛和打鼓，他的哥哥吹伸缩号，吹的不错。在13岁时转为吹次中音萨克斯风，15岁开始就做职业的演出。

1943年加入Benny Goodman的大乐团，他们的合作一直断断续续到70年代。 1945年加入Woody Herman大乐团，在离开Woody Herman大乐团之后，他加入鼓手Buddy Rich的乐团中吹了一阵子。1953年加入钢琴歌手Stan Kenton的乐团，录制了几张唱片。1955年与低音萨克斯风手Gerry Mulligan录唱片并到欧洲巡回演出。1966年有机会与John Coltrane 、Sonny Rollins以及Coleman Hawkins等萨克斯风巨星在纽约同台竞技一番。

1967年与制作人Norman Granz的JATP乐团进行多次的欧洲演出。 1985年入选为Down Beat杂志的爵士名人堂。
by Scott Yanow
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, Zoots enthusiasm and creativity never wavered.

Zoots 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 Sherwoods Orchestra, and joined Benny Goodmans big band for the first time in 1943; he would be one of BGs 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 1946-47. He gained his initial fame as one of Woody Hermans Four Brothers during his time with the Second Herd (1947-49). Zoot had brief stints with Buddy Richs short-lived big band, Artie Shaw, Goodman (1950), Chubby Jackson and Elliot Lawrence. He toured and recorded with Stan Kenton (1953) and Gerry Mulligan (1954-56). Sims was also a star soloist with Mulligans Concert Jazz Band of the early 1960s 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 1970s. 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.