For Immediate Release
Contact: Gloria Gottschalk, New School University
             (212) 229-5667, ext. 239

(October 16, 2000 – New York, NY) New School University’s Jazz and Contemporary Music Program will host a benefit evening for the John Haley "Zoot" Sims Scholarship Fund on Sunday, December 10 at 6:30 PM at The Jazz Standard restaurant and jazz club located at 116 East 27^th Street in Manhattan. "A Party for Zoot" honors the memory of Zoot Sims and raises scholarship money for talented, young artists in the New School Jazz Program. Tickets are $200, which includes cocktails, dinner and the show at 7 PM. For further information, call (212) 229-5896, ext. 309.

Past performers at the Zoot Sims benefit have included Walter Blanding, Jr., Jane Ira Bloom, Joe Chambers, Andrew Cyrille, Kenny Davern, Jon Faddis, Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Jimmy Heath, Mil Hinton, Junior Mance, Cecil McBee, Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Benny Powell, Rufus Reid, Clark Terry, Warren Vache, and Reggie Workman. Many of those artists are expected to return for this year’s event at The Jazz Standard.

The Zoot Sims Scholarship was established in 1986 to memorialize one of the most gifted and original voices in jazz. Tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) worked as a professional musician from the age of 15, touring with dance bands. In 1943, he toured with Benny Goodman and was a member of Woody Herman’s big band from 1947 until 1949.

Zoot Sims also performed with Gene Roland, who began writing for four tenor saxophones, leading to the establishment of the famous saxophone section known as the Four Brothers. Zoot Sims toured with Buddy Rich and with Benny Goodman’s group in 1950 and, in 1953, he performed with Stan Kenton’s band. He recorded as a soloist with Gerry Mulligan’s band from 1954 to 1956 and led quintets with Al Cohn from 1957 through the early 1980s.

New School University’s Jazz and Contemporary Music Program offers a B.F.A. degree program in Jazz Performance, and in Composing and Arranging. The faculty includes such renowned artists as Reggie Workman, Chico Hamilton, Buster Williams, Jimmy Owens, Benny Powell, Joanne Brackeen, and Jane Ira Bloom. Alumni of the program include many of today’s up-and-coming jazz artists – Larry Golding, Brad Mehldau, Roy Hargrove, Peter Bernstein, Virginia Mayhew, among others. Martin Mueller is the Executive Director of the Jazz Program.