Search - Zoot Sims & Bucky Pizzarelli with Buddy Rich :: Somebody Loves Me

Zoot and Friends in New York - 1974

Donnie The B | USA | 09/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The sparse liner notes indicate a 1974 recording date. I would guess there were at least 3 separate sessions: One with Zoot Sims on tenor sax, Buddy Rich on drums, Milt Hinton on Bass, Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar and Teddy Wilson on piano; another with just Zoot and Bucky and a third which added Lionel Hampton on vibraphone and substituted George Duvivier for Milt Hinton on the last three cuts. In fact, Send In The Clowns is played by Bucky alone. I was surprised at how swinging just tenor and guitar could be on a couple of cuts and how much I enjoyed them.

Buddy Rich reminded me how frustrating his work could be at times - perfectly driving a combo, along with his tasty fills, but tending to lose the beat somewhat on extended drum solos. Lionel Hampton added energy to the group and contributed vocals on the last cut. Hampton's solos can contain a few inappropriate notes, but his addition here was quite welcome. Zoot meanwhile always played with an inate sense of rhythm and his solos featured inventive but musically appropriate phrases. These sessions showcase Zoot at his best, when he was about 49 years old, and point out how he could drive a group with his swinging style. You'll even get to hear Zoot and Buddy sing one chorus each on Gee Baby.

All in all, the "Somebody To Love" album is a welcome addition to any collection of Zoot Sims' combo work or would be an interesting introduction to Zoot for the uninitiated.

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