Gerry Mulligan (featuring Zoot Sims): Come Rain or Come Shine

Tenor sax ballads typically feature the lineup most conducive to intimacy, a single horn with rhythm section. Yet here the inveterate swinger Zoot Sims simmers down for a big band ballad as exposed and personal as any quartet. Gerry Mulligan's arrangement reminds us how even the finest gems are enhanced by an exquisite setting. And make no mistake, this is among the finest gems of Zoot's 45-year career. True to the song's title, Sims is alternately cloudy and clear, downcast and uplifting, delicate and robust. Whether it rained or shined, Zoot Sims invariably did the latter.