Personnel:
Zoot Sims (ts), George Bessières (as), Jean-Louis Chautemps, José Germain (ts), William Boucaya (bs), Walter Davis Jr., Maurice Vander, Henri Renaud (p), Jimmy Gourley (g), Doug Watkins, Pierre Michelot, Michel Gaudry (b), Art Taylor, Kenny Clarke, Philippe Combelle (d)
Reference: FSRCD1162
Bar code: 8427328611626
Between 1950 and 1961, Zoot Sims forged a deep and lasting connection with France, returning frequently to perform, record, and immerse himself in the Parisian jazz scene. This album includes rare and previously unreleased recordings of three key moments in that relationship: a swing filled live session from the 1958 Cannes Jazz Festival with the Walter Davis Trio; a vibrant performance at Paris’s Blue Note Club in 1960 with a topshelf rhythm section that included two Frenchmen, pianist Maurice Vander and bassist Pierre Michelot, along with two Americans, guitarist Jimmy Gourley and drummer Kenny Clarke; and two unreleased early 1961 studio sessions under pianist Henri Renaud: one with a specially assembled saxophone section, the other in a swinging quintet format. These tracks capture Zoot’s lyrical warmth and natural swing at their peak, offering a vivid portrait of his deep affinity with the French jazz scene.
—Jordi Pujol
