Zoot sims biography of donald

Born John Haley Sims on October 29, , in Inglewood, CA; died on March 23, , in New York, NY; son of Pete Sims and Kate Haley (vaudeville performers); married Louise Ault, Addresses: Record company--Fantasy Records, Tenth Street, Berkeley, CA

Inspired by saxophonists like Ben Webster, Lester Young, and Coleman Hawkins, Zoot Sims dedicated his life to playing mainstream jazz.

"Throughout his career," wrote Scott Yanow in All Music Guide, "Zoot Sims was famous for epitomizing the swinging musician, never playing an inappropriate phrase." During his 40 years as a performer, he played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and Stan Kenton.

Sims' commitment to s jazz remained intact through the free jazz and fusion eras, only to find swing and bop come back into style in the late s. "He was praised by critics," noted Burt A. Folkart in the Los Angeles Times, "for his free-flowing ventures in traditional 4/4 and 3/4 time, saluted for his se