This post is by Dan
Recorded May 26, 1983
During the 1970s and 1980s, Zoot Sims recorded a series of near-perfect albums for the Pablo label. Following 25 years packed with recordings with an A-list of jazz musicians, Sims debuted for Pablo with the wonderful Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers in 1975. This was followed by several albums using a quartet format, notably Warm Tenor and If I'm Lucky. His final Pablo albums, Suddenly It's Spring (1983) and Quietly There (1984) sustain the high quality of the sequence and serve as an object lesson on the state of the art in straight-ahead, tenor-led quartets.
Suddenly It's Spring is pure butter. Scott's praise for Stan Getz's Blue Skies album fits this one just as well. Call it "old-timey" or "inside" jazz if you want, it is high art played by a master. It's definitely not evidence of the so-called resurgence of traditional jazz in the 80s. These cats were blowing in the same style through most of the 70s too.
Sims plays soprano sax on the first track and tenor on all the others. He sounds exactly like Zoot Sims on both horns. The longest track, "I Can't Get Started," is a lovely ballad that affords the best insight into the group chemistry. Once again, the contributions of George Mraz on bass are sublime. "In the Middle of a Kiss" is reprised from an earlier album, Zoot at Ease (Famous Door, 1973). It's a great vehicle for displaying the lyrical talents of the leader. There's nothing experimental about any of the tracks, just choice material played by a choice quartet.
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