Jutta Hipp, Zoot Sims – Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims (Blue Note)

Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims, recorded July 28, 1956 at Van Gelder Studio and released early in 1957 on Blue Note, represents a rare documented meeting between pianist Jutta Hipp and tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims. The session assembles a hard-bop quintet with Jerry Lloyd on trumpet, Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums, under the production of Alfred Lion. Hipp’s playing—delicate but assertive—complements Sims’s fluid, post-cool tenor tone, allowing each to shine in a relaxed yet focused ensemble interplay. The repertoire ranges from blues and standards to bop originals, creating an intimate atmosphere that invites both solo space and collective dialogue.

Highlights include Sims’s warm reading of “Violets for Your Furs,” the spirited drive of “Down Home,” and Hipp’s thoughtful touch on “These Foolish Things.” The session is often lauded for its musical rapport and natural balance, standing as both a compelling showcase of Hipp’s artistry and a meaningful late chapter in her recorded output. Over time, the album has been rediscovered by jazz listeners as a vital document of mid-50s jazz dialogue, showcasing what might have been a longer trajectory had Hipp remained in the public eye.

"This formerly rare set is well worth picking up by straight-ahead jazz collectors." – AllMusic

“as a whole, this recording is so wonderfully executed, one has to wonder why Hipp simply dropped out of the jazz world.” – AllMusic

“Hipp suits the style of Zoot Sims very well … she ‘comps’ very cleanly, never interrupting the lines of the other soloists.” – MusicWeb International

“Jutta with Zoot jumps and wails … bop solos by Sims, Lloyd, and Hipp lead the ensemble in highstep through Lloyd’s propulsive ‘Down Home’.” – All About Jazz