1961 · Album
Either Way
Recorded 1961 in Philadelphia · Fred Miles Presents · Produced by Not specified in available sources
Two Voices, One Room, Pure Swing
Sims and Cohn jamming behind a vocalist, then launching into solos—it's exactly as fun as it sounds.
Either Way catches Zoot Sims and Al Cohn in a straightforward setup: two saxophonists, a rhythm section, and a vocalist. There's no pretense here. What matters is whether they swing, and they do. The vocal tracks let you hear how naturally these two voices fit behind a singer—they're not stepping on anyone, just laying down solid support and then taking their turns. That's a useful reminder that not every great saxophonist album needs to be a tenor-and-rhythm showcase.
The instrumental tracks are where the date really shows its chops. "P-Town" has a riffing energy that doesn't overstay its welcome, and "Morning Fun" is a blues that actually feels heated rather than routine. "Autumn Leaves" is the only ballad, which means it gets space to breathe without the session turning into a ballad album. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow heard what works here: a group of players who know how to support each other and aren't afraid to just play together without overthinking it. That's solid swing, nothing flashy, nothing trying to prove anything.
This isn't a peak moment in either musician's catalog, and it's not the record you start with if you want to understand Sims or Cohn. But if you already know their work and want to hear them in a relaxed date where everything clicks, Either Way delivers exactly what the title promises—multiple valid approaches to the same material, and no wasted notes.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Zoot Sims
Zoot Sims And The Gershwin Brothers 1975
Down Home 1960
Suddenly It's Spring 1979
Americans Swinging In Paris 2011
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
