jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
club that has operated in
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century.
The area was develo ...
, London, since 1959.
History
The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century.
The area was develo ...
district. It was set up and managed by musicians
Ronnie Scott
Ronnie may refer to:
* Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name
* "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe
*"Ronnie," a song from the Metallica album '' Load''
*Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, an association football stadiu ...
and Pete King. In 1965 it moved to a larger venue nearby at 47 Frith Street. The original venue continued in operation as the "Old Place" until the lease ran out in 1967, and was used for performances by the up-and-coming generation of musicians.
Zoot Sims
John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...
was the club's first transatlantic visitor in 1962, and was succeeded by many others (often saxophonists whom Scott and King, tenor saxophonists themselves, admired, such as
Johnny Griffin
John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...
Tubby Hayes
Edward Brian "Tubby" Hayes (30 January 1935 – 8 June 1973) was an English jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known for his tenor saxophone playing in groups with fellow sax player Ronnie Scott and with trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar.
Early life
...
and
Dick Morrissey
Richard Edwin Morrissey (9 May 1940 – 8 November 2000) was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone and flute.
Biography Background
He was born in Horley, Surrey, England. Dick Morrissey emerg ...
who would both drop in for jam sessions with the visiting stars. In the mid-1960s,
Ernest Ranglin
Ernest Ranglin (born 19 June 1932) is a Jamaican guitarist and composer who established his career while working as a session guitarist and music director for various Jamaican record labels including Studio One and Island Records. Ranglin pla ...
was the house guitarist. The club's house pianist until 1967 was
Stan Tracey
Stanley William Tracey (30 December 1926 – 6 December 2013) was a British jazz pianist and composer, whose most important influences were Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. Tracey's best known recording is the 1965 album '' Jazz Suite Inspi ...
. For nearly 30 years it was home of a Christmas residency to
George Melly
Alan George Heywood Melly (17 August 1926 – 5 July 2007) was an English jazz and blues singer, critic, writer, and lecturer. From 1965 to 1973 he was a film and television critic for ''The Observer''; he also lectured on art history, with an ...
and
John Chilton
John James Chilton (16 July 1932 – 25 February 2016) was a British jazz trumpeter and writer. During the 1960s, he also worked with pop bands, including The Swinging Blue Jeans and The Escorts. He won a Grammy Award for Best Album Notes in 1 ...
's Feetwarmers. In 1978, the club established the label Ronnie Scott's
Jazz House
A
: Emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines instead of lyrics. It has core electronic "squelch" sounds that were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experi ...
, which issued both live performances from the club and new recordings.
Scott regularly acted as the club's Master of Ceremonies, and was known for his repertoire of jokes, asides and one-liners. After Scott's death in 1996, King continued to run the club for a further nine years, before selling the club to theatre impresario
Sally Greene
Sally Greene is a British entrepreneur, theatre impresario, restaurateur and philanthropist. She is known for her restorations of the Old Vic and Criterion theatres in London’s West End, as well the famous jazz venue Ronnie Scott’s. Greene ...
and philanthropist Michael Watt in June 2005.
In 2009, Ronnie Scott's was named by the
Brecon Jazz Festival
The Brecon Jazz Festival is a music festival held annually in Brecon, Wales. Normally staged in early August, it has played host to a range of jazz musicians from across the world.
Created in 1984 by local enthusiasts – musicians, promoters a ...
as one of 12 venues that had made the most important contributions to jazz in the United Kingdom, and finished third in the voting for the initial award.
Jimi Hendrix's last public performance was at Ronnie Scott's, in 1970.
House musicians
Many of the visiting musicians appearing at Ronnie Scott's were soloists touring without their own rhythm section, or were touring as members of larger bands and they often used the house band to accompany them. On occasions, the house musicians coincided with the members of the various bands that Ronnie Scott led at one time or another.
Drums
*
Phil Seamen
Philip William Seamen (28 August 1926 – 13 October 1972) was an English jazz drummer.
With a background in big band music, Seamen played and recorded in a wide range of musical contexts with virtually every key figure of 1950s and 1960s Bri ...
– house drummer from 1964 to 1968
*
Allan Ganley
Allan Anthony Ganley (11 March 1931 – 29 March 2008) was an English jazz drummer and arranger.
Career
Ganley was born in Tolworth, Surrey, England. A self-taught drummer, in the early 1950s Ganley played in the dance band led by Bert Ambro ...
– house drummer from 1964 to 1967,
::backing visiting Americans such as Stan Getz, Art Farmer and
Roland Kirk
Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...
*
Tony Oxley
Tony Oxley (born 15 June 1938) is an English free improvising drummer and one of the founders of Incus Records.
Biography
Oxley was born in Sheffield, England. A self-taught pianist by the age of eight, he first began playing the drums at s ...
Charlie Mariano
Carmine Ugo Mariano (November 12, 1923 – June 16, 2009) was an American jazz saxophonist who focused on the alto and soprano saxophone. He occasionally performed and recorded on flute and nadaswaram as well.
Biography
Mariano was born in ...
Chris Higginbottom
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian (given name), Christian, Christina (given name), Christina, Christine (name), Christine, and Christos (given name), Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, ...
Stan Tracey
Stanley William Tracey (30 December 1926 – 6 December 2013) was a British jazz pianist and composer, whose most important influences were Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. Tracey's best known recording is the 1965 album '' Jazz Suite Inspi ...
– house pianist from March 1960 to 1967/1968
* John Critchinson – house pianist from 1978 to 1995.
::Accompanied Chet Baker,
George Coleman
George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master.
Early life
Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...
Johnny Griffin
John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...
* James Pearson – house pianist since 2006
Bass
*
Sam Burgess
Samuel Burgess (born 14 December 1988) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a or forward in the 2000s and 2010s.
He played in England for the Bradford Bulls in the Super League and in Australia for the Sout ...
– house bassist since 2006
Other instruments
*
Ernest Ranglin
Ernest Ranglin (born 19 June 1932) is a Jamaican guitarist and composer who established his career while working as a session guitarist and music director for various Jamaican record labels including Studio One and Island Records. Ranglin pla ...
– house guitarist 1964–65.
Other musicians
Other regular performers since 2006 include:
* Al Cherry (guitar)
* Alan Barnes (sax)
*
Alec Dankworth
Alexander William Tamba Dankworth (born 14 May 1960) is an English jazz bassist and composer.
Biography
Born in London, the son of John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, Alec Dankworth grew up in the villages of Aspley Guise and Wavendon, living at ...
Mornington Lockett
Mornington Edward Lockett (born 19 November 1961) is an English jazz saxophonist.
Career
Lockett began playing clarinet at the age of 14 while he was a student at Cowes High School, before switching to tenor saxophone. He studied at Dartington ...
* Natalie Williams (vocals)
*
Nina Ferro Nina may refer to:
* Nina (name), a feminine given name and surname
Acronyms
* National Iraqi News Agency, a news service in Iraq
*Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, on the campus of Norwegian University of Science and Technology
* No income, ...
*
Pete Long
Pete or Petes or ''variation'', may refer to:
People
* Pete (given name)
* Pete (nickname)
* Pete (surname)
Fictional characters
* Pete (Disney), a cartoon character in the ''Mickey Mouse'' universe
* Pete the Pup (a.k.a. 'Petey'), a character ...
Steve Rushton
Steven John Rushton (born 30 October 1987) is a British solo artist, and formerly co-lead singer bassist for the pop punk band, Son of Dork. Rushton contributed two songs to the number 1 box office and Billboard movie/soundtrack album, '' Hann ...
(drums)
Record label
In 1978, the club established its own record label, Ronnie Scott's Jazz House. The first release was an album by Scott's quintet. Over the next 20 years, the label gained in prominence, issuing both historic live club performances and new recordings.
Live albums recorded at Ronnie's
* 1963–65: ''Live in London vols 1 & 2'' –
Tubby Hayes
Edward Brian "Tubby" Hayes (30 January 1935 – 8 June 1973) was an English jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known for his tenor saxophone playing in groups with fellow sax player Ronnie Scott and with trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar.
Early life
...
(taped by Les Tomkins at the Old Place)
* 1964: ''Live at Ronnie Scott's'' –
Ben Webster
Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
Career Early life and career
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...
* 1964: ''The Punch'' – Ben Webster
* 1964/65: '' There and Back'' – The
Dick Morrissey
Richard Edwin Morrissey (9 May 1940 – 8 November 2000) was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone and flute.
Biography Background
He was born in Horley, Surrey, England. Dick Morrissey emerg ...
Quartet (released 1997). Recorded 27 January 1964/20 August 1965
* 1965: '' Sonny Stitt / Live at Ronnie Scott's'' – Sonny Stitt and the Dick Morrissey Quartet. Recorded May 1965
* 1965: ''Live at Ronnie Scott's'' –
Wes Montgomery
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...
* 1966: ''
Blossom Time at Ronnie Scott's
''Blossom Time at Ronnie Scott's'' is a 1966 live album by Blossom Dearie.
Recorded at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, this was Dearie's first live album.
Track listing
#" On Broadway" ( Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 3:5 ...
'' –
Blossom Dearie
Margrethe Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She had a recognizably light and girlish voice. Profile at AllMusic/ref> Dearie performed regular engagements in London and New York City o ...
Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
The Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band was a jazz big band co-led by American drummer Kenny Clarke and Belgian pianist François "Francy" Boland. They were one of the most noteworthy jazz big bands formed outside the United States, featuring top ...
* 1969: ''Rue Chaptal...Live at Ronnie's'' – Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
* 1970: ''Somewhere in Soho'' (also released as ''Live at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club'') – Soft Machine
* 1971: ''Dynasty (Live at Ronnie Scott's)'' – Stan Getz
* 1972: '' Rich in London'', aka ''Very Alive at Ronnie Scott's'' –
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time.
Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
* 1975: ''
Lee Konitz Meets Warne Marsh Again
''Lee Konitz Meets Warne Marsh Again'' is a live album by American jazz saxophonists Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh recorded at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in 1976 and released on the Pausa label.Lee Konitz and
Warne Marsh
Warne Marion Marsh (October 26, 1927 – December 18, 1987) was an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Los Angeles, his playing first came to prominence in the 1950s as a protégé of pianist Lennie Tristano and earned attention in the 1970s as ...
* 1976: ''
Livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...
'' -
Brand X
Brand X were a jazz fusion band formed in London in 1974. They were active until 1980, followed by a reformation between 1992 and 1999, and were active following a 2016 reunion until 2021. Members have included John Goodsall (guitar), Percy ...
Graham Collier
James Graham Collier (21 February 1937 – 9 September 2011) was an English jazz bassist, bandleader and composer.
Life and career
Born in Tynemouth, Northumberland, England, on leaving school Collier joined the British Army as a musician, ...
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blu ...
. Recorded 17 November 1984.
* 1986: ''Live at Ronnie Scott's'' – Chet Baker
* 1986: ''Live at Ronnie Scott's'' –
Chico Freeman
Chico Freeman (born Earl Lavon Freeman Jr.; July 17, 1949) is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist and trumpeter and son of jazz saxophonist Von Freeman. He began recording as lead musician in 1976 with ''Morning Prayer'', won the New York Jazz Award ...
* 1986: ''Live at Ronnie Scott's, London'' –
Anita O'Day
Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band app ...
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.
* 1988: ''I Gotta Right to Sing (live at Ronnie Scott's)'' –
Marion Montgomery
Marion Montgomery (November 17, 1934 – July 22, 2002)
* 1988: ''Live at Ronnie Scott's'' –
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Po ...
John Dankworth
Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE (20 September 1927 – 6 February 2010), also known as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist, clarinettist and writer of film scores. With his wife, jazz singer Dame Cleo Laine, he ...
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...
* 1991: ''Felicidad'' –
Irakere
Irakere (faux-Yoruba for 'forest') is a Cuban band founded by pianist Chucho Valdés (son of Bebo Valdés) in 1973. They won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording in 1980 with their album ''Irakere''. Irakere was a seminal musical laborator ...
* 1992: S Wonderful'' –
Elaine Delmar
Elaine Delmar (born 13 September 1939) is a British singer and actress, with a long career in stage acting, music recording and concert performances. Born in Harpenden, she is the daughter of Jamaican jazz trumpeter Leslie "Jiver" Hutchinson. A ...
Speed Trap
Speed limits are enforced on most public roadways by authorities, with the purpose to improve driver compliance with speed limits. Methods used include roadside speed traps set up and operated by the police and automated roadside ' speed camera' ...
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
,
Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the on ...
and
Pee Wee Ellis
Alfred James Ellis (April 21, 1941 – September 23, 2021), known as Pee Wee Ellis due to his diminutive stature, was an American saxophonist, composer, and arranger. With a background in jazz, he was a member of James Brown's band in the 19 ...
. Recorded 3 May 1995.
* 1995: ''
A Change of Seasons
''A Change of Seasons'' is an EP by progressive metal band Dream Theater, first released on September 19, 1995, through East West Records. It comprises the 23-minute title track and a collection of live cover songs performed at a fan club con ...
Liane Carroll
Liane Carroll (born 9 February 1964, London) is an English vocalist, pianist and keyboardist.
Jazz critic Dave Gelly of ''The Observer'' has described her as "one of the most stylistically flexible pianists around, with a marvellous, slightl ...
* 1998: ''Live at Ronnie Scott's'' –
Shakatak
Shakatak is an English jazz-funk band founded in 1980 by Nigel Wright and former Wigan Casino DJ Kev Roberts. Following an initial white label release 'Steppin', the band's name was derived from a record store in Soho, London Record Shack. I ...
Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. While living in his native Cuba, Sandoval was influenced by jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977 he met Gillespie, who became his f ...
Lisa Stansfield
Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first ...
Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine stu ...
George Benson
George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist.
A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...
See also
*
Ronnie Scott
Ronnie may refer to:
* Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name
* "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe
*"Ronnie," a song from the Metallica album '' Load''
*Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, an association football stadiu ...
*
Thomas Gould (violinist)
Thomas Gould (born 1983) is a British violinist and the leader of Britten Sinfonia, as well as former leader of Aurora Orchestra. Gould is best known for his playing of the classical music repertoire although he also plays a six-string electric v ...
*
List of jazz clubs
This is a list of notable venues where jazz music is played. It includes jazz clubs, clubs, dancehalls and historic venues such as theatres. A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music. Jazz cl ...
Further reading
* ''
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Farrago
''Ronnie Scott's Jazz Farrago'' is a book of articles collected from ''Jazz at Ronnie Scott's'', the house magazine of Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London, England.
The magazine was published for over twenty-five years from 1979–2006, producing ...
'' – compilation of best features from ''
Jazz At Ronnie Scott's ''Jazz at Ronnie Scott's'' was the house magazine of Ronnie Scott's Club in London's Soho, England. Available as a freesheet, it was published from 1979 to 2006 (159 issues) and was distributed throughout London to record shops and other locations. ...
'' magazine,
Hampstead Press
Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the London Borough of ...
, 2008, ,
* Ronnie Scott, ''Some of My Best Friends are Blues'' (with
Mike Hennessey
Mike Hennessey (25 February 1928 – 16 August 2017) was an English music journalist and jazz pianist.
Born in London as the third of four children, Hennessey, who came from a musical family, began learning piano at the age of six. After his mili ...
). London:
Northway Publications
Northway Books ( Northway Publications) is a publishing company based in London, UK. Northway specialises in biographies of musicians, and British social and cultural history. Its focus has been particularly on documenting jazz history in Britain ...