The first American guest artist to grace the tiny stage of the original Ronnie Scotts club in Londons Soho in the autumn of 1961, tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims was among the most consistently inventive jazzmen of his generation. The sudden arrival of this font of jazz creativity prompted Fontana Records to tape three evenings worth of live performances at the venue, documenting not only Sims graceful yet muscular playing, but the work of supporting bands led by Ronnie Scott himself and West Indian multi-instrumentalist Harold McNair, featuring British jazz legends Jimmy Deuchar, Phil Seamen and Stan Tracey and others. The two original albums Zoot at Ronnie Scotts and Solo For Zoot have not previously been released in their entirety on CD, but this new Acrobat issue contains all their contents, including a rare unedited version of Love For Sale, unavailable for over forty years. Featuring comprehensive sleeve notes by award-winning saxophonist Simon Spillett, rare photographs and press clippings, this new album is the definitive document of a pivotal moment of Anglo-American jazz history.
Released 2014.