Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
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Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club which has operated in London since 1959.
The club opened on October 30, 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was managed by musicians Ronnie Scott 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 domestic musicians.
Zoot Sims was the club's first transatlantic visitor in 1962, and was succeeded by many others (often saxophonists whom Scott and King admired, such as Johnny Griffin, Lee Konitz, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt) in the years that followed. Many UK jazz musicians were also regularly featured, including Tubby Hayes and Dick Morrissey who would both drop in for jam sessions with the visiting stars. In the mid-sixties, Ernest Ranglin was the house guitarist. The club's house pianist until 1967 was Stan Tracey. For nearly 30 years it was home of a Christmas residency to George Melly and John Chilton's Feetwarmers.
Scott regularly acted as the club's Master of Ceremonies, and was (in)famous for his repertoire of jokes, asides and one-liners.
After Scott's death, King continued to run the club for a further nine years, before selling the club to theatre impresario Sally Greene in June 2005.
[edit] Live albums recorded at Ronnie's
- 1963–65: Live in London vols 1 & 2 - Tubby Hayes (taped by Les Tomkins at the Old Place)
- 1964/65: There and Back - The Dick Morrissey Quartet (released 1997)
- 1965: Sonny Stitt / Live at Ronnie Scott's - Sonny Stitt and the Dick Morrissey Quartet
- 1965: Live at Ronnie Scott's - Wes Montgomery
- 1966: Blossom Time at Ronnie Scott's - Blossom Dearie
- 1969: Live at Ronnie Scott's - The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band
- 1971: Dynasty (Live At Ronnie Scott's) - Stan Getz
- 1977: Ronnie Scott's Presents Sarah Vaughan Live - Sarah Vaughan
- 1980: Complete Live at Ronnie Scott's 1980 - Bill Evans
- 1980: Buddy Rich Live at Ronnie's - Buddy Rich
- 1980: Live at Ronnie Scott's - Mike Carr and His Trio Featuring Jim Mullen and Harold Smith - Mike Carr
- 1984: Live at Ronnie Scott's - Nina Simone
- 1986: Live at Ronnie Scott's - Chet Baker
- 1986: Live at Ronnie Scott's - Chico Freeman
- 1986: Live at Ronnie Scott's, London - Anita O'Day
- 1988: Live at Ronnie Scott's - Curtis Mayfield
- 1988: I Gotta Right to Sing (live at Ronnie Scott’s) - Marion Montgomery
- 1988: Live at Ronnie Scott's - Roy Ayers
- 1990: Live at Ronnie's - John Dankworth Big Band
- 1995: How Long Has This Been Going On - Van Morrison, Georgie Fame and Pee Wee Ellis
- 1998: Live at Ronnie Scott's - Shakatak
- 2005: MF Horn VI - Live at Ronnie's - Maynard Ferguson
- 2006: Live at Ronnie Scott's - Jamie Cullum
