22 December 2013
Newsdesk
Banish the post Christmas blues and extend the party well into January with Ronnie Scott’s fantastic programme of events.
From contemporary jazz, Cuban rhythms, searing soul to old school funk, there really is something for everyone. And why not extend your visit with the club’s Late Late show, providing London’s coolest after hours hang.
Ronnie Scott’s late Late show
When the headline acts have played their final note on Ronnie Scott’s main stage, the club remains open to play host to a more informal after-show session. Open Monday to Thursday until 3am, Ronnie Scott’s Late Late Show is where ‘in the know’ Londoners come in search of an after hours drink. Featuring live music from some of the capital’s finest young musicians the Late Late Show recreates the glamour of the legendary jazz joints of 1950’s New York’s 52nd Street.
Yet it’s not just the cream of local talent on offer; often big names in town will drop by, Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder, Freddy Cole, the Michael Buble Big Band and Jamie Cullum have all made an appearances creating such a memorable night.
Friday 3rd January– Saturday 4th January
SARAH JANE MORRIS
Soulful, bluesy rock-inflected vocals
Revered, sensual singer-songwriter Sarah Jane Morris straddles rock, blues, jazz and soul with a goose-bump raising four octave range that rumbles from the heels of her size eight shoes to the tips of her flame-red mane. Famed for her association with the Communards in the mid-80s and infamous for a banned rendition of the classic Me and Mrs Jones, Sarah Jane Morris has always attracted as much attention for her politics as for her soul-driven, seismic voice. Ten solo albums later, pop stardom on the continent, and a diverse set of musical collaborations on record, film and stage, Morris continues to steer her unorthodox career to greater heights. Expect old faves alongside new material from her recent “Where It Hurts” album. With special guests John Eacott (trumpet) Annie Whitehead (trombone) and Michael Rosen (sax)
Doors: 6.00pm & 10.30pm (two shows Friday & Saturday only)
Tickets: £25.00 - £45.00
Monday 6th January – Saturday 11th January
MARIO BIONDI
Classy soul-jazz Italian singer
Fresh from his sold out show at the Royal Albert Hall, classy Italian soul-jazz singer Biondi returns by popular demand. Influenced by Lou Rawls, Isaac Hayes and Al Jarreau, Biondi has been championed by legendary DJ Norman Jay and is a huge star in his native Italy with a growing following for his charismatic music here in the UK where his last Ronnie shows brought the house down! He appears with his top class band featuring Claudio Filippini (piano), Lorenzo Tucci (drums), Tommaso Scannapieco (bass /double bass), Luca Florian (percussions), Daniele Scannapieco (saxophone), Giovanni Amato (trumpet), and Beppe di Benedetto, trombone.
Doors 6.00pm & 10.30pm (two shows Friday & Saturday only)
Tickets: £35.00 - £55.00
Monday 13th January – Tuesday 14th January
WAYNE ESCOFFERY QUINTET
Hard hitting straight ahead jazz in the classic tradition
Ronnie’s is very excited to welcome London-born tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery to play his first London dates as bandleader. For these special shows, Escoffery and his quintet will be playing material from his most recent album ‘The only Son of One’, an album inspired by his childhood in Walthamstow, focusing on pivotal events during his life as a toddler and teen years. Leaving London to find a better life in the States at such a young age was a profound experience and this album chronicles the emotional, psychological and spiritual journey of a young boy.
Grammy-winning Escoffery is a world-class post- bop tenor and soprano saxophonist with a powerful, engaging tone, by the likes of John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and Wayne Shorter. Expect soaring, hard-hitting straight-ahead jazz in the classic tradition.
Doors 6.00pm
Tickets £20.00 - £35.00
Wednesday 15th January
HILARIO DURAN
Cuban jazz, infections rhythms
Described by The All Music Guide as “the hottest pianist in any given genre, and one of the true genius musicians in modern jazz “ Hilario Duran is a Cuban pianist, composer, arranger and band-leader born in Havana in 1953. In the 70’s he was Chucho Valdes chosen successor in Cuba’s most modern big band before working with the Arturo Sandoval and Dizzy Gillespie in the 80’s. Since then, he’s performed with musicians as varied as Michel Legrand, Paquito D’Rivera, Horacio ‘El Negro’ Hernandez and Michael Brecker. Though his music has always been heavily influenced by American jazz, Duran’s formal music training, combined with a deep understanding of traditional Cuban Music allowed him to play a key role in the integration of Afro-Cuban music and jazz. Tonight Hilario Duran performs with his trio - two top players on the Canadian scene; Roberto Occhipinti on double bass and Mark Kelso on drums - who together bring both sprit and soul to musical expression. Expect top-notch hard hitting Cuban jazz with blistering solos, infectious rhythms and superlative arrangements...
Doors 6.00pm
Tickets: £20.00 - £35.00
Thursday 16th January – Saturday 18th January
LETTUCE
Old school funk
Celebrating their 20th anniversary as modern day rulers of old school funk, the seven-piece Brooklyn-based juggernaut Lettuce drops into Ronnie Scott’s for three nights of relentless groove, hyper-charged syncopation and psychedelics soul anthems. Having blown up stages from coast to coast on an extensive US tour last year, Lettuce are one of the funkiest bands on the planet, hailing from Boston, and featuring Eric Krasno and Neal Evans of Soulive, plus vocals, rhythm section and horns.
Support comes from London-grown soul band, Bassment Project, featuring ten of the UK's youngest and inspired musicians and fronted by songwriters/producers Mike Davies (vocals/guitar) and Phil Simmonds (bass). Bassment Project was born through one of London's most successful jam nights "W3 Jam Sessions" which now resides upstairs at Ronnie Scotts.
Doors 6.00pm & 10.30pm (two shows Friday & Saturday only)
Tickets: £25.00 - £45.00
Monday 20th January
ZHENYA STRIGALEV’S SMILING ORGANIZM feat. AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE
Contemporary jazz
Highly original UK-based Russian saxophonist Zhenya Strigalev is one of the rising stars of the European jazz scene, Here he presents his remarkable Trans-Atlantic band Smiling Organizm which features thoughtful British pianist Liam Noble, Paris-based, Mauritian electric bass star Linley Mathe (Zawinul Syndicate), legendary double bassist Larry Grenadier (Pat Metheny, Brad Mehldau), top-class drummer Eric Harland (McCoy Tyner, Charles Lloyd, Kenny Garrett) and the highly original, rising trumpet star Ambrose Akinmusire. Expect world-class contemporary jazz drawing on both European and American jazz traditions.
Support from all-star British jazz group, led by formidable pianist James Pearson and featuring a revolving line-up of the cream of local talent.
Doors 6.00pm
Tickets £20.00 - £35.00
Thursday 23rd January– Saturday 25th January
CARLEEN ANDERSON
Jazz, soul and gospel
The 2013 Jazz FM Awards Nominee for Best UK Vocalist, Carleen Anderson, branches out beyond the roots of the Acid Jazz scene of the 1990’s where her career began with leaders of the scene, the Young Disciples, and for whom she penned the hit ‘Apparently Nothing’. With packed out houses over several nights at Ronnie Scott’s since 2006, Carleen brings forth her own unique style of musicianship, presenting her distinctive interpretations of Jazz, combined with her own fresh flavour of Gospel and Soul, which is in marked contrast to her celebrated connections to her Godfather, James Brown, her stepfather musician/songwriter, Bobby Byrd, and her mother, singer, Vicki Anderson.
Doors 6.00pm & 10.30pm (two shows Friday & Saturday only)
Tickets: £30.00 - £50.00
