Tenors
Al Cohn
and
Zoot Sims
led a regular two-tenor quintet for a few years in the late '50s and then had an occasional musical partnership during the next couple of decades. Accompanied by pianist
Mose Allison
(who was then unknown), bassist
Teddy Kotick
and drummer
Nick Stabulas
, the two very complementary tenors play five of
Cohn
's swinging originals (including
"Halley's Comet,"
named after
John Haley "Zoot" Sims
!) plus five
standards
. The mid- to late '50s were a period of intense recording activity and this album is one of the underrated gems that was somewhat overlooked at the time. [Originally released in 1957,
Al and Zoot
was reissued on CD in 1997;
"Gone with the Wind"
was originally on a sampler and has been added to the CD reissue.] ~ Scott Yanow